Buff Nation –
Week Three Review
CU 0, Minnesota 30
Well, that wasn’t good. One of the most embarrassing losses in school history. One could argue Oregon St in 2018 was worse (it was) or losing to the multitude of other games we should have won but beat downs like this you tend to see coming. This one was like Apollo Creed entering the ring against Drago in Rocky IV, and by the time you figure out you got bullied, it’s too late. The Buffs did get bullied. They got shamed. They got schooled.
I wasn’t interested in hearing the pundit’s spin nor the coach’s assessment. I didn’t follow the articles on how practice went, or changes being made to get ready for ASU. Those are all words. As I tell my kids, show me you know by your actions. The Buffs are going to have to make it up to Buff Nation with their actions. Show us you know by fielding a competitive football team that we can be proud of.
Speaking of kids, the first book my oldest ever learned to read was We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. It goes something like this. “We are going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We’re not scared”. The family in the book then goes on to meet obstacles along the way. “On no, long wavy grass. We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it!”. Yup Buff Nation, what transpired on Saturday may be reality, it may be an anomaly, it may be somewhere in between, but until the Buffs can show us what they know by their actions, we are all going to have to go through it. We’re not scared. Okay, maybe a little bit.
Week Four Preview
#75 (yuk) CU (1-2) vs #37 Arizona State (2-1) – Saturday, 8:30 PM Tempe, AZ
Out of the fire, into the frying pan. Next up are the formidable Arizona State Sun Devils. The Vegas line has the Sun Devils as a two-touchdown favorite over the Buffs, and a dark horse to win the Pac-12 South. I’m sure ASU cannot believe it’s good fortune to catch the Buffs at such a fragile point in the season.
CU comes into this game wounded on many different levels. They are physically and emotionally banged up. If CU can’t find a way to generate some first downs and score some points, this game, and potentially this season will get out of hand. It’s possibly too early to play this card, but this coming Saturday night for the Buffs is not about keeping their pride but finding it.
The Buffs have the talent on the defensive side of the ball to keep the game close against the Sun Devils, but that strategy falls apart if they are back on the field after every three Buff offensive plays. Nate Landman is playing football as good as anyone in the nation right now. One bad game does not make a season, but it begins to lower the bar on program expectations and then begins to fester into something that becomes infectious, something Buff nation has been dealing with for years. Here’s to Coach KD showing us that this thing ain’t over. Here’s to KD putting together a game plan and program plan that does indeed begin to change the narrative of CU Football.
Go Buffs!
Doug