Looking Forward after Colorado Shackles Colorado State 17-3

Going into the Rocky Mountain Showdown, all the experts talked about the offensive shootout that would dominate the game. They were wrong.

The experts also said the Colorado defense would be the weakest link on the team and that they would have to depend on the high powered Buffs' offense to keep them in the games. Wrong again, on several accounts.

The CU defense, built by Jim Leavitt and Mike MacIntyre, continues to be the heart of the Buffaloes. Colorado State came into the game having averaged 50+ points a game over their last half a dozen games. In the last two RMS games, the Rams have scored a grand total of 10 points compared to the Buffaloes' 61. I guess they don't play D like this in the Mountain West.

CSU fans were riding high after the Rams scored 58 points on Oregon State. But OSU almost lost to Portland State at home in their second game, so maybe the win was not as impressive as it looked.

Some fans are wondering if the Buffs purposely took their foot off the gas after taking a 17 point lead early. The D was dominating the Rams, who never really got going on all cylinders. After all, why give Washington good film on the Colorado offense? The next two games are against teams that are severely over-matched, so the 'Dubs can't really learn anything.

If the Buffs WERE trying to score 50 and nothing in the playbook was off limits, Buff fans deserve to be concerned. A sordid history of questionable play-calling is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado faithful. And little from the play calling on display at the RMS eased that concern.

Oh well. The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-0 and that's all that really matters. They will go into the game with Washington at 3-0. The Huskies also have two "gimmies" coming up and will also arrive in Boulder 3-0. It's fitting that the rematch from last season's Pac-12 Championship game will feature two teams that are undefeated.

Buff fans (and Husky fans) should enjoy the big wins coming their way in the next couple weeks. Both teams will find out a great deal on September 23rd at Folsom Field. By then, either Colorado or Washington will be a game up on a primary division rival, since USC and Stanford play next week.

Go Buffs!