The Colorado football family has enjoyed a magical season so far in 2016. The Buffaloes sit at 8-2, and their six conference wins this season has more than doubled their previous five year total since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
Folsom Field has once again become a hard venue to play in for opposing teams. And, as Ryan Moeller pointed out, the Buffs are now a team with a "certain swagger" to how they carry themselves off and on the field. It's the end result of countless hours of relentless work to turn the Buffaloes from one of the worst teams in the country to one which is now in the Top 10 of teams ranked for the College Football Playoff.
Fans should appreciate the quality of football being offered to them this month. They would have to look all the way back to 1996 to find a November in which the Buffs played two games against ranked opponents while also being ranked themselves.
This year is a special treat for the Buffs family, because both of those games are set to be played at Folsom Field. Number 20 Washington State, riding an eight game winning streak, comes to town this Saturday to pit the Pac-12's #1 team from the North against the #1 team from the South.
Next week, #11 Utah comes to Boulder. If the Buffs win both these games, they will represent the South division in the Pac-12 championship game. If they lose even one of the two, the championship game scenario becomes much more unlikely.
Some have erroneously reported that if the Buffs lose even one game that they cannot win the South. That is not true. But they would need serious help. The Buffs would absolutely have to beat Utah, and USC would have to lose to UCLA (unlikely, I know, but Trojan-Bruin rivalry is not based on records). That would give the Utes and the Trojans three conference losses, and the Buffs would only have two if they beat Utah and lose to Wazzu.
What is absolutely true is that any loss would end Colorado's unlikely possibility of playing in the college football playoffs. What is also true is that if Colorado wins the last two games and earns a trip to the Pac-12 Championship game, it will mean ending the season against FOUR ranked teams if CU's bowl game is counted.
These things make this a rare year for those in the stands at Folsom Field. The opportunity to watch TWO ranked teams take the field in Boulder does not happen very often, and to have it happen twice in the Golden Games of November is rarer still.
Fans should enjoy the job that has been done by Mike MacIntyre and his entire coaching staff. And they should also appreciate the work done by a remarkable group of student athletes.
We can show our appreciation by making Folsom Field LOUD, PROUD, and CROWDED for the final games of the year. The Buffs have done their part this year to make this season magical. It's time for Buffs fans to do their part as well and give their boys a full house to play in these last two weeks.
Go Buffs.
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