Color Confusion: Silver (Gray) and Black? Or Classic Black and Gold?

Which would you rather see? What catches the eyes of someone who can see in color instead of black and white?

Black and Silver/Gray?

Or this Classic Black and Gold?

 

Do we want the fans in drab?

Or brightly colored?

The powers that be at the University of Colorado need to hear from the fans.

More importantly, the fans need to fill the stands and make enough noise to disrupt the Oregon Ducks and show support for the 

Colorado Buffaloes.

GO BUFFS!

2015: Colorado Buffs and their Fans Looking for a Team to HATE, or Vice Versa... or Maybe Just to Care Again!

Heading into the 2015 NCAA football season, Colorado Buff fans in Boulder and around the country are searching and hoping for a reason to care about college football again. At least when it comes to their Buffaloes.

Football is a PASSIONATE sport! It's one of the reasons that it has often been compared to war. One of the things that is necessary for that passion is deeply held feelings. And those feelings only come with time and hard fought wins and losses.

Unfortunately, the Buffs have not been in the Pac-12 long enough to have strong feelings about their conference foes. So far, it has just been "we're happy to be here" in the Conference of Champions. And since the Buffs have been nothing but the designated "Gimme" in the Pac-12 since joining the league, the other schools have been happy to have Colorado around as well.

Boulder is a new favorite among fans around the Pac-12 to travel to for away games as well. One reason is they can usually count on a victory. Boulder is also one of the most beautiful towns in the country. And, judging by the lines outside the legal marijuana dispensaries on game days, Boulder's social activities are popular among college students around the Pac-12.

Back on the gridiron, however, things are different. Due to a decade of futility, nobody in the Pac-12 spends time being worried about the Buffs when it comes to football. (That's not true in basketball and other sports where the Buffs are already teams to be feared.) Nobody in the conference fears Colorado... because the Buffs haven't earned it yet.

Last year was close. Two double-overtime losses (Cal and UCLA) would have done a great deal toward earning the Buffs some respect had the games gone the other way. But they didn't. So they enter 2015 as a team flying under everyone's radar. Again.

Only when the Buffs have broken the dreams of some conference foes will they get the respect they desire. That's how rivalries are built.

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Heading into the 1986 season, the Colorado Buffaloes were coming off a 7-5 record under Bill McCartney. That was considered an amazing feat since the Buffs had only won ONE game the year prior. Those seven wins earned McCartney his first of three conference coach of the year awards.

After the seven wins in 1985, Buff fans were excited about the possibility of even better things to come in '86. The Buffs started the year with FOUR straight losses before finally getting their first win in a nail-biter against Missouri. The next game the Buffs demolished Iowa State. The Buffs stood at 2-4 and would be hosting the hated #3 ranked Nebraska Cornholers at Folsom Field.

Almost nobody around the country, and very few around Boulder, gave the Buffs much of a chance. Nebraska had beaten the Buffs every single year since 1967, and the Buffs had not beaten the Fuskers in Boulder since 1961. Nebraska marched into Boulder undefeated and ranked #3 and ready to dominate.

Part of the turnaround made by coach McCartney was to designate the Nebraska game as Colorado's "red letter" game because he felt the Huskers were a model of consistency over decades and that if the Buffs wanted to be a national caliber team, they would have to be good enough to beat Nebraska on a consistent basis.

Husker fans laughed aloud at Mac declaring Nebraska a rival. Many of them had grown up without ever seeing Colorado win against their beloved Huskers. Back here in Boulder, Colorado fans were sick and tired of the condescending Nebraska faithful, who loved to swarm into Boulder and fill the bars and restaurants with tobacco smoke and boast about their team. Up until that point, Nebraska fans LOVED Boulder because they could count on a win and gloat their way around town.

Somebody forgot to tell Mac and his team, however. The Buffs came out and played hardnosed defense and beat the hated Huskers by a score of 20-10. Twenty-five years of frustration came to a boil in a party of exuberance that had been long missing at Folsom Field. The goal posts came down and the words "WE WIN!" blazed from the scoreboard through the night and across the front pages of the Colorado papers.

After that game, Colorado was indeed a rival for Nebraska. Husker fans refused to acknowledge the Buffs as a rival but their hatred shined through loud and clear. Whereas Boulder was once their favorite road trip of the season, they started complaining long and loud that Buff fans were "rude" to them (completely ignoring how Lincoln treats their out-of-town fans).

If you asked just about any Buff fan which team they loved to hate, Nebraska would be at the top of the list. The Fuskers and their fans were a classless bunch, by far the worst that Buff fans had encountered.

Some examples of Nebraska classlessness follow: In 1989, as the Buffs were rolling through a miraculous undefeated regular season marred by the death of their quarterback Sal Aunese. His death made national news and brought condolences from around the country.

But the slimeballs in Nebraska reacted to his death by writing "SAL IS DEAD, GO BIG RED!" across the highway where it crossed from Colorado into Nebraska. Talk about a rivalry gone wrong! Those poor jackasses were willing to glory in the death by cancer of a young man just because he played for a team they didn't like.

The next year, the Buffs won the National Championship. It should have been a unanimous National Championship, but the Buffs had to share it with Georgia Tech because Husker's head coach Tom Osborne ballot amazingly left #1 ranked Colorado off the list of top twenty teams. Osborne later claimed someone else filled out the ballot for him, but it was in HIS name and HE was responsible. Classless from the bottom and classless from the top. That's Nebraska.

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What's the point of the story? Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes have to give up being happy to be in the Pac-12. They need to kick some doors down and piss some people off. They need to ruin some team's hopes for a Conference or National Championship. They need to deny someone a bowl game. They need to make Folsom Field a place where every other team fears to play.

Boulder will still be beautiful. And the fans from around the Pac-12 can still appreciate the social activities that Colorado has to offer. But they need to make Folsom Field THEIR HOUSE once again. Only then can bowl games and championships come back to Boulder.

Colorado Fans Look to Past for Inspiration, Seek Upset Against Arizona State

BOULDER-- Heading into Saturday Night's Pac-12 clash at Folsom Field between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Colorado Buffaloes, the tone that many Buff fans are taking is that the game will be a wipe-out, and that Colorado has no chance at all of making a stand and protecting their turf in the first home game and conference game of the season.

Some long-time fans, however, say "Look to the past!"

Since Colorado joined the Pac-12, the Buffs have played the Sun Devils three times and been beaten soundly at each turn.  Arizona State comes into the game ranked #16 in the AP poll. In 2011, the Sun Devils  were ranked 23rd, and were unranked  in both 2012 and 2013.

Some older fans point out that while Arizona State is a good team and deserving of their current ranking, the fact is they are not a nationally dominant team by any stretch of the imagination. They say to look a few years (okay, 28) to the past to see what the Buffs have historically overcome.

The year was 1986. It was a turning point in Colorado Buffaloes history.

Buff faithful began the year with a swell of anticipation. The year before (1985) had seen Colorado win a total of SEVEN games. That may not seem like a lot, but the six seasons prior to 1985 saw the Buffs win only 14 out of 66 games. Fans were excited! They thought that seven wins and a bowl game would be an annual thing. Then the season started...

The CU Buffs under Head Coach Bill McCartney started the season 0-4.

That's right. They lost their first four games. Colorado State, Oregon, Arizona and Ohio State all beat the Buffs to start the season. And Oregon was pretty horrible back then.

Fans immediately started to worry that the Buffs would be back to their old ways where only a couple of wins per season was all they could expect. McCartney had been named Big 8 Coach of the Year in 1985, but some fans were calling for his head after the Buffs started the season so poorly in '86.

Then, something unexpected happened. The Buffs went to Missouri in week 5 and pulled out a thrilling 17-12 victory. The next week they dominated Iowa State in Boulder by 31-3.

The next game had big, bad Nebraska coming to Boulder.

No game on any football schedule at that time gave Buff fans more to dread than the hated Huskers. In the 24 years prior to 1986, Nebraska had beaten Colorado 23 times. They had outscored the Buffs 826-268 in that time. That works out to an average score of 34-11, which was a pretty standard ass-kicking back in the day.

How dominant a team was Nebraska back then? Year in and year out, they were one of the best in the country. During that 24 year stretch, Nebraska came into their game with Colorado ranked in the TOP 10 a remarkable 16 TIMES! In eleven of those games, the Fuskers were ranked in the TOP 5!

If Colorado fans are looking at challenges, Arizona State is nowhere near the challenge of Nebraska if taken in a historical perspective.

Even though Colorado had not beaten Nebraska since 1967, those 1986 Buffs showed up all the same. While those of us sitting in the student section were a loud bunch, many of the more than 52 thousand in attendance were wearing Nebraska red. Many Colorado fans with season tickets  paid for the rest of their games by selling tickets at inflated prices to Nebraska fans with deep pockets.

Nebraska rolled into Boulder that beautiful October day undefeated at 6-0, and sporting the #3 ranking in the country. Like they had done for almost an entire quarter century, Husker fans entered the game with Colorado with delight, because it was as certain a victory as just about any conference rivalry could be.

Three hours later, the Colorado Buffs had won 20-10. 

The final score stayed emphatically on the scoreboard throughout the day and into the night and "WE DID IT!" ran as the headline of the Boulder Daily Camera Sunday edition. The win against Nebraska was the third of six wins in seven games for Colorado to end the regular season. A nearly one hour highlight video shows the Buffs from the locker room before the game until the final celebration.

The win was a turning point toward the greatest era of Colorado football. They won seven games in '87, eight games in '88, and 11 games each year in 1989 and 1990. The Buffs were named National Champions after the 1990 season and played for the title after the 1989 season.

Those Big 8 (and one NC) championship teams came just three years after the Buffaloes had started the '86 season 0-4. Two victories set the stage for a remarkable upset that catapulted the Colorado Buffaloes to the top of the collegiate football world over the next few years.


Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre has the Buffs poised to make a turn for the better.

After winning four games last year (and quadrupling the win total of 2012), Buff fans entered the 2014 season hoping for a breakthrough. A bad loss to Colorado State and an unimpressive win over UMass has left CU fans champing at the bit and sharing their anger on social media and news outlets.

Those fans should look to the past for inspiration. The Buffs may not defeat Arizona State, and Las Vegas odds-makers believe they won't. But the entire country believed the same thing about their chances against Nebraska in 1986, and instead of another defeat, the Colorado Buffs turned the corner toward becoming a national power.

Looking for another more recent example? The 2007 Buffs were coming off a 2-10 record in 2006. They were 2-2 when undefeated and #3 Oklahoma came to town and lost by a score of 27-24.

How about another Pac-12 story? Also in 2007, Stanford was coming off a 1-11 record in 2006. They were 1-3 when they faced the #1 USC Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum.  USC was a 41 point favorite. Stanford  won the game 24-23. Point spread wise, it's one of the biggest upset in the history of college football.

There's a reason they call it an upset. Whatever happens, it will not be the biggest upset in Folsom Field or Pac-12 history if the Buffs win. It won't even be close.

Delusional CSU Fans Looking for an Upset Against Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown

Lots of folks around the country and even Colorado like to make fun of Boulder and its lifestyle. That's okay. It's all in fun. And in many cases it's jealousy. That's okay too. Nobody makes much ado about Fort Collins because, frankly, most people around the country have no idea where the home of Colorado State University is located (other than being in Colorado, that is).

Boulder, however, is a completely different matter. It's the home of the University of Colorado. It's the location of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is here. IBM is in Boulder. Google has offices in Boulder. The home of Mork and Mindy is in Boulder. A Heisman Trophy and an NCAA football championship trophy also have a place in Boulder. CU has the greatest live mascot in all of college athletics. And the magic little town below the Flatirons also has the most highly educated population level in the United States.

It's easy to see why those up in Fort Collins might be a little jealous. It also makes sense why more Ram-leaning folks go the CSU game against Colorado than to any other game. I mean, really, where else can they see a real live buffalo leading a team onto the gridiron? It's a lot more impressive than a sheep with horns.

In any case, we digress. The subject at hand was delusions. An article published earlier today in the Coloradoan talked about the three keys for CSU to beat Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver tomorrow. The first thing the article mentioned was running the ball and doing it well. Good advice nearly always.

The delusional part came next. The writer made the claim that "top to bottom, CSU has more talent at running back than it did last season." Really? Last year, the Rams had Kapri Bibbs, who set a CSU record by rushing for 1,741 yards and became only the 3rd player in D-1 history to rush for 30 touchdowns in a season. Bibbs now plays for the Denver Broncos. Unless the Rams plan to change their offensive philosophy to running the wishbone (thus having 3 backs behind the quarterback), there is no chance "top to bottom" or even sideways that they will have more talent on the field at the running back position than they had last year.

The next "key" was to keep Colorado under 300 yards passing. Sad to say, the Buff having under 300 yards passing will most likely be due to them rushing for more than 250 yards and eating up the clock while they do it. What the CSU faithful need to hope for is that the revamped Colorado line does not dominate the clock and wear down their defense. If Colorado has big passing numbers and small rushing numbers, it means that offensive line of Colorado is not doing its job.

The Buffs passed for 400 yards last year but took 46 passes to do it. Take away the 157 yards on two Paul Richardson TD catches and Colorado only had 243 yards on 44 passes, which works out to 5.5 yards per pass. Those numbers are good enough to beat the likes of CSU, but they will not hold up against the rigors of Pac-12 play.

The last "key" listed in the Coloradan was the play of CSU wide receivers. They will have their hands full since the Colorado defensive backfield finally has some depth as well as talent, and should be better than it has been since Gary Barnett was coaching. That's saying a lot, since the 2011 NFL draft took Colorado cornerbacks in the first and fourth rounds.

The real key to CSU beating Colorado is if the Buff team and its fans get stuck in construction traffic on highway 36 and don't make it to the game on time. Don't count on it, though. The best advice would be for CSU fans to stay in Denver for the weekend and take in a show or go to the zoo. That way the trip down won't be a total bust. Colorado wins this one in a more impressive fashion than last year, and won't need Paul Richardson to do it.

Boyle's Buffs Take 11-2 Record and National Ranking Into Pac-12 Play

2014 and Pac-12 play has arrived for Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffs open conference play tonight at 8 p.m. (MT) against Oregon State at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. The Buffs enter Pac-12 play with a #20 national ranking after going 11-2 in non-conference play.

CU has one of the most difficult schedules in the country, and now has an RPI that is 8th highest in the country. The Buffs' RPI is the highest in the Pac-12, with #1 Arizona's coming in at 10th best, and #10 Oregon holding onto the 12th highest RPI.

Oregon State comes to the Foam Dome with eight wins in twelve games so far this season. None of the games were against teams ranked in the AP top 25. The road to conference play was more rigorous for the Buffs. Their season has already included games against #7 Oklahoma State, # 9 Baylor (both losses), and a win against a then-ranked #6 Kansas.

Since Boyle took over as head coach for the CU program, the Buffs have a stellar 53-7 record at home. One of those losses, however, came last year when the OSU Beavers came to Boulder last March and handed the Buffs a stunning upset loss just two days after Colorado had destroyed a highly regarded Oregon team by 23 points.

Heading into tonight's game, Boyle hopes the memory of that game prevents the Buffs from taking the Beavers lightly. The Buffs hope to be 1-0 in Pac-12 play when the #10 Oregon Ducks take the court on Sunday.

Junior Spencer Dinwiddie leads the Buffs in scoring (15.8) and assists (3.8). Sophomore center Josh Scott leads the Buffs in rebounding  (9.2) and is 2nd in scoring (13.1).

Roberto Nelson leads the Beavers with 21.4 points  and 4.1 assists per game. Devon Collier averages 18 points per game and also leads the Beavers with 8 rebounds per game.

Oregon State looks to be boosted by the return of star center/forward Eric Moreland, who is returning from a suspension that has kept him off the court all season. Last year, Moreland was one of the top rebounders in the country with 10.6 per game. He also set an Oregon State record for blocked shots with 73 and scored nearly 10 points per game.

Moreland was supposed to be suspended for several more games, but coach Craig Robinson decided that Moreland should come back now after "fulfilling" all the requirements of the suspension. Some pundits point out that political rationalizations run deep in the Beaver coach's life as brother in law to President Barack Obama. After all, they say, isn't sitting out 14 games the only way to truly "fulfill" a 14 game suspension?

Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes Run Win Streak to Four Games with 23 Point Win Against Arkansas State

Following an opening game loss on the road to #20 Baylor, the Colorado Buffaloes basketball team has taken four straight games at home to bring their record to 4-1. Colorado defeated Arkansas State 93-70 at the Coors Events Center Monday night. The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara visit Boulder this Thursday.

Coach Tad Boyle knew he had a talented but young team coming into the season, and after five games he has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore Josh Scott leads the team at 14.6 points per game, followed by Spencer Dinwiddie (Jr.) at 12.4, Xavier Johnson (So.) at 11.0, and Askia Booker (Jr.) at 10.4 points per contest. Just below double figures is redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon at 9.4 ppg.

The 93 points scored by the Buffaloes against Arkansas State represented the third time in four games that CU has scored more than 90 points in a game. During the entire 2012-13 season, the Buffs scored more than 90 points only one time. For the season, the Buffs are averaging 80.2 points per game while only giving up 67. The 80.2 points per game represents an almost 13 point increase from last year.

The Buffaloes have collectively made up for the loss of Andre Roberson, one of the top rebounders in the country the last several years. A first round NBA draft pick, Roberson left Colorado following his junior year. The Buffs are averaging 39.6 boards this season, which is an additional 2.4 rebounds per game over last year.

University of Colorado Calls for Homecoming Blackout Against Arizona, but Buff Fans Should Refuse to Go Pink

The Arizona Wildcats make their way to Boulder this weekend for Colorado's homecoming festivities game. The Buffaloes have designated the night game as a "Blackout" -- meaning that fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.

Since October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, CU has added that pink is an acceptable alternative to black. Since Boulder is very progressive in their social awareness and politics, they should do the right thing and refuse to bow to the marketing of pinkwashing.

Pinkwashing is a term used to describe how companies use so-called "causes" as a way to market their products. The Susan G. Komen (For the Cure) Foundation is the entity which very effectively marketed their pink ribbons and pushed for breast cancer awareness. The NFL has donned various pink uniform parts over the last half decade, along with putting a pink ribbon on the field.

At stores around the country, thousands of products now sport a pink ribbon that indicate that money will be donated to Komen with each product purchased. The problem with all the effort going to the pinkwashing is that very little of the profits are going into breast cancer research. Many of the products donate less than a penny per purchase, and a sizable number of those will only do so if consumers mail in their proof of purchase. Worse yet, many products with the pink ribbons actually raise their price during the campaign, using the illusion of charity work to increase their bottom lines.

Critics of the pinkwashing campaign point out that many of the products that partner with Komen contain known carcinogenic ingredients that have been tied to causing breast cancer. To find out more, check out the Environmental Working Group's SKIN DEEP database about known carcinogens in cosmetics.

 And others point out that Komen spends a great deal of money pursuing legal action against other charities for "infringing" on their marketing "rights." This has led to many coming to the conclusion that Komen is more interested in the money it raises than actually finding a cure.

Groups taking issue with the "marketing" emphasis include Breast Cancer Action and Think Before You Pink. They are actively pushing for action from the federal government to eliminate known toxins and carcinogens from cosmetics and other personal care products. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and a hell of a lot more than pink helmets and towels at football games.

 Komen has also angered many by taking stands that appear to be politically motivated. The backlash to Komen cutting funds to Planned Parenthood (the largest provider of mammograms in the US) led to a severe drop in participation in Komen sponsored "3 day for the Cure" events. Komen also ended their financial support of embryonic stem cell research in 2011.

Dr. Samuel S. Epstein is an internationally recognized expert on cancer and cancer prevention. He is the founder and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. He was also the whistle-blower who made public the dangers of growth hormones given to cattle. In 2009, he published a book called Toxic Beauty which outlines the dangers of the ingredients used in cosmetics and other personal care products.

So, before you run out and buy a pink shirt to wear to the game, learn more about how to prevent breast cancer instead of being a willing lemming in the pinkwashing of a very serious disease.

Is there really ANYONE in the US or the modern world that is NOT "aware" of breast cancer? Not unless they live in a cave. Maybe it is time to end the marketing of this terrible disease and begin the process of eliminating it.

Maressa Brown at The Stir points out that The American Cancer Society only spends 26 cents for every dollar it raises to actually fund cancer work. The majority of the remainder goes to fundraising and overhead. If you think that is bad, know that only 13 cents out of every dollar at Komen goes to cancer work. Fighting cancer (or pretending to) is BIG business, and business is just fine, thank you.

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Please note -- The author of this blogpost has published a number of articles about breast cancer and also spent a year and half as a stage four cancer patient caregiver.

Lessons From Boulder for Mark Helfrich, Marcus Mariota, and the Oregon Ducks

This is an open letter to Mark Helfrich and the Oregon Ducks.

Dear Mark and your Oregon Ducks,

It was wonderful to see you in Boulder against our Colorado Buffaloes this past Saturday. Half of the teams that play each Saturday have one thing in common, a loss. Most Buff fans knew going in that the chance of a Buff victory was small. We all knew, however, that we would get to see one of the very best teams in the nation play here in Boulder. That was a thrill. It gives us something to aspire to.

Your team, especially quarterback Marcus Mariota, lived up to the wonderful billing. Your team speed is phenomenal. Your Ducks truly have the opportunity to score on darn near every play. The excitement of watching how the Ducks play is revolutionizing the game of college football. Nearly halfway through the season, Mariota must be considered the most feared player in the country and the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

That's what all the pundits are saying, so it must be true. Right?

The advice here is to try not to get caught up in the hype and focus on some problems that most followers are blissfully unaware of or choose to ignore. Right now, watching Oregon play football is like being exposed to the lights of Las Vegas for the very first time. It is stunning and spectacular, for sure, but the fact is that the spectacle only masks some problems. And good coaches down the line will make sure to unmask those problems unless you address them soon.

Before moving into the issues, I want to make it perfectly clear that I would LOVE it if Oregon or any other Pac-12 school would run the table and stake claim to the national championship. For that to happen, though, these issues must be addressed before you take on a defense of the caliber of say, Alabama or Stanford.

Issue One:
Methinks that David Shaw and Nick Saban and any other coaches of top defensive teams will make sure to harp on the fact that many of the so-called "late pitches" toward the sidelines executed by Oregon QB's are in fact illegal forward passes. They "look great" but a quick look at the video shows that the ball is often moving forward. That's certainly OK when the move is done from behind the line of scrimmage... but it becomes an illegal forward pass when done after the QB crosses that scrimmage line. Once opposing coaches start harping on this tendency by Oregon, the refs will start looking for it.

Issue Two:
Mariota has seemed remarkably poised when in the pocket. He should have been, because so far he has known that his receivers were much faster than their defenders and that invariably they would break into a wide open space into which he could throw. The problem is that Mariota has come to depend on the "idea" that his guy will break into the open and not be covered. He is so sure of this happening that he tends to focus on only one receiver and stares at them until they break clear. He does not move his focus from target to target. He does not even bounce. He tends to stand perfectly still watching one guy and waiting for him to become open before throwing the ball. That works great when your team is clearly stronger, but does not work well when playing a team of similar skill. If Oregon wants to win a national championship, Helfrich better have Mariota work on his skills of cycling through his receivers, or savvy safeties with great speed will be putting some serious hits on Duck wideouts, or worse yet, get to the ball before the Ducks do.

Compared to the issues faced by most teams, these two things seem trivial by comparison. However, they CAN and WILL make a difference if Oregon wants to take the national title back home to Eugene. They really do have to be addressed, and it is certainly easier to work on these issues when you have the talent overwhelm your opponent. If you wait until a game is on the line to address them, you run the risk of failing to achieve your objective.

And if Marcus Mariota wants to take his performance and skills to an NFL championship level in the future, it would be better to work on these things now. Just look at Tim Tebow. He won two national championships and a Heisman Trophy, but that did not make his skills good enough to succeed at the professional level.

Like Tebow at Florida, Mariota is surrounded with exceptional talent. It may or may not be enough to win the the NCAA's biggest prizes. But winning those prizes does not make one a sure fire NFL star. And it is not just Tebow, because a lot of QB's have won the Heisman over the last 20 years or so and then went on to mediocre or non-existent NFL careers. Look 'em up.

• Gino Torretta 
• Charlie Ward
• Danny Wuerffel
• Chris Weinke
• Eric Crouch
• Jason White
• Troy Smith

Work on the right skills now instead of just riding the train of a great team, Marcus. When the NFL comes along, the awards and accolades of college don't mean a whole hell of a lot if you can't stand out against guys who are just as fast and strong as you are.

PAC-12 UPDATE: Colorado Football Game Against Fresno State Postponed

University of Colorado officials finally came to their senses today by postponing Saturday's scheduled football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Even though Boulder and 150 miles of Colorado's front range were fighting through a storm categorized as somewhere between a 100-500 year storm, campus officials had steadfastly maintained that the game would go on because Folsom Field was in "great shape."

Fortunately, the rain stopped for a bit and sun came out. This allowed helicopters that had been grounded throughout the storm to get up and finally reveal the horrible devastation wrought by the disaster which dropped as much moisture in a few short days as Boulder and surrounding areas typically see over an entire year. Faced with the grim reality of the Colorado catastrophe, Chancellor Philip DiStefano opted to postpone the game and not put added stress on a city and area literally struggling to keep their heads above water.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that President Barack Obama had signed the designation of the Colorado flooding as a national disaster.

Colorado Athletic Director Rick George and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre fully supported the decision by DiStefano. According to MacIntyre, although the team expressed a strong desire to compete, they were "all 100 percent in agreement” with the decision.

Colorado and Fresno State officials will meet soon to discuss when the game could be made up. Colorado has two bye weeks scheduled this year, while Fresno State has one. Unfortunately, none of the bye weeks coincide.

The teams could  possibly play a game on December 7th, but that is the date the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference each play their championship game. It would be considered shocking for the Buffaloes to make the Pac-12 championship game as the South representative, the Bulldogs are favorites to represent their division of the Mountain West. If that date does not work out, the schools may have to put off the game for a year or two.

Flooding in Boulder Threatens Football Game Against Fresno State

It's just a game. That is quickly becoming the mantra regarding the University of Colorado Buffaloes football game scheduled for Saturday against the Fresno State Bulldogs. CU is closed today while officials evaluate damage to the campus that has affected nearly every building. There has been flooding in dorms and some 500 people living in family housing on campus have been evacuated. The City and County of Boulder are on Emergency Alert.

Sometimes it takes the wrath of Mother Nature to remind us that the things we do for entertainment pale in comparison to real world issues, especially when they slap us in the face. More than 10 inches of rain have fallen on Boulder and the University of Colorado over the last several days, including an estimated 6-8 inches overnight. On top of that, the rain continues and is expected to drop several more inches today and tomorrow.

The damage inflicted by the massive storm has not been limited to Boulder. Much of Eastern Colorado has felt its wrath. Lyons to the North of Boulder is effectively an island, with every road in and out closed by floodwaters, debris and washed out roads. In the mountain towns just west of Boulder, waters have washed away buildings and homes. So far, at least two deaths have been attributed to the 100 year-storm. With the light of day, the true extent of the damage is becoming evident.

The CU Buffs football team is 2-0 for the first time in 5 years, and after the nightmare 2012 season in which they went 1-11, the players have been fired up to play a Bulldog team which completely destroyed them last season by a score of 69-14. This CU team has improved greatly since last year, and the team has been anxious to show that improvement against a FSU team which is ranked #27 in the country.

All the desires and plans for the game by the players and head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff might have to redirected toward helping CU and Boulder recover from the worst rains Boulder has ever experienced. The amount of precipitation Boulder and CU have received in the last 72 hours is roughly the same as they would normally get in an entire year (around 16 inches). Forecasts call for several more inches in the next 48 hours. It could be less than that, but it could also be much more.

There have been no official statements from CU about the status of the game that is scheduled for kickoff shortly after noon on Saturday. This does not mean that the officials do not think it is important, it just means they have more important things to worry about right now. Not just the condition of the buildings on campus, but more importantly, the safety of the students and staff at the state's flagship university.

More and more, even the question about whether to play is met with incredulous stares. This is just as it should be. After all, it IS just a game.

The Hunt Continues: Colorado Buffaloes Look to go Sugar Bear Hunting against Central Arkansas at Folsom Field

The HUNT for victories continues! Six days after successfully bringing down the CSU Rams in Denver for the Rocky Mountain Showdown, the Colorado Buffaloes and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre open their home season at Folsom Field looking to add a Central Arkansas Sugar Bear head to the wall of their 2013 trophy room. In the process, they want to re-establish that Boulder is a tough place to play for visiting teams.

Why is that so important?

Mostly because it has been a long time since it was true. 2012 was the first time in the history of Folsom Field that the Buffs went through the entire season without a win at home. The most embarrassing loss among their 0-6 record at Folsom in 2012 was a loss to mediocre FCS team Sacramento State. It was not much better in 2011, as the Buffs won only one game at home against Arizona. That means that Colorado has only won one game at home in the last 11 tries. It is the primary reason that Jon Embree was fired.

New Honcho in Town

One of the main reasons that Mike MacIntyre was hired is that he had already demonstrated the ability to take a down program and rebuild it to respectability in a hurry. That was important because few programs in the FBS were more down than Colorado. Perhaps more important than the rebuilding itself was the fact that Mac did it right. He did not try to make things easier for the players on the field and in the classroom. NO! He raised expectations all across the board. More importantly still, he and his staff hold themselves accountable first.

One of the hallmarks of the last two coaching regimes (three if you count the last couple years of Gary Barnett) was a consistent blaming of the players when things did not go well. One of the reasons that Mac and staff will be successful in Boulder like they were at San Jose State is that they rightfully take the blame for problems their teams have on the field. It is the way it should be. After all, they and not the players are the ones making lots of money.

Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in Town

Like Sacramento State, Central Arkansas is a team from the FCS. Unlike Sac. St., the Sugar Bears are a good team. They are ranked #5 in the latest FCS poll, while Sacramento State opened the season in Tempe against Arizona State. The Sun Devils spanked 'em 55-0. Central Arkansas opened their season with a 58-7 win against the University of the Incarnate Word. (It must be true because I certainly could not have made that up!)

Check out the Bring the Buff blog by David Smith to find out lots more about Central Arkansas, their unique cereal sounding name, and their silver and purple football field.

How the game will turn out:

Central Arkansas has some good players, including more than a dozen transfers from FBS schools. They are coached very well by Clint Conque and his staff. And they are led by quarterback Wynrick Smothers, who was the offensive player of the year for his conference in 2012. They are an excellent FCS team who could play on an even keel with a good number of FBS teams. In fact, if this CA team were playing the 2012 Buffs, they would likely have smoked the Buffs.

This is NOT the 2012 Buffaloes, however, and chances are that the excellent coaching of Mac and staff will be enough to give the Buffs all they need to take down the Sugar Bears.

Connor Wood passed for 400 yards last week, and Paul Richardson is the #1 receiver in the country after week one. The defense is much more solid, the punter is one of the elite in the nation, and the place-kicker looks dangerous from 55 yards in.

Due to the offense run by the Sugar Bears, the Buffs will spend a lot of time in nickel and dime packages. Fortunately, the secondary looks much better than it has in years. The Buffs had only three interceptions all of last year. Look for their first and maybe second today against the Sugar Bears as Chidera Uzo-Diribe and his mates on the defensive front put lots of pressure on Smothers.

Central Arkansas will make some good plays, but the depth of CU, a loud and fired up student section, and the altitude of Boulder will be more than enough to carry the Buffaloes to victory. Make a place on the wall for a Sugar Bear head.

Are Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes Ready to Take the Next Big Step?

It's an old adage in college football that the greatest improvement during the season comes between the first and second games. The first game always comes with the jitters of a new season and playing with new or even freshman guys around one another. For the Colorado Buffs, those concerns were magnified by the fact that Coach Mac's staff was new, along with new schemes on offense, defense and special teams.

The Buffs passed the first test of the season with flying colors when they defeated CSU by a score of 41-27 at the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver. The next big question is whether they can improve upon their overall performance this weekend when they open their home schedule at Folsom Field against FCS powerhouse Central Arkansas.

The Bears are ranked #5 in this week's FCS poll, and last week no less than 8 FCS teams stepped up and defeated FBS schools, including a win by Eastern Washington against a ranked Oregon State team. That being the case, there is no reason for CU to be taking the Bears lightly. The Buffs must also remember that they lost at home last year to another FCS team, Sacramento State. They do not want to face the same embarrassment as last year.

The 3-play vs. 2-play debate from the RMS

Although CU came away from the RMS with a seemingly comfortable 14 point win, those at CSU could make a reasonable claim that the game turned on just three plays. Those were the two long touchdown throws from Connor Wood to Paul Richardson that were the result of blown coverages by the CSU secondary, and the stripped ball by Chidera Uzo-Diribe that was picked up by Greg Henderson and returned 53 yards for a touchdown. Take those away and CSU could very well have taken the game, it could be argued.

On the other hand, CU could rightly claim that the final winning margin was much smaller than it could have been due to two special teams plays. CSU receiver Joe Hansley returned a punt for 74 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Coffman returned a kickoff 84 yards to set up CSU's go ahead touchdown. Take those two plays away and maybe Colorado wins by 30.

It doesn't really matter. The RMS is over and the Buffs won. Coach MacIntyre and his team know that football games are often decided by big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

The game against Central Arkansas

 The trick for the Buffs this week is to continue to improve upon the things they did well in the first game, and to fix any problems they had.

The offensive line did a great job of protecting the quarterback last week but rushing yards from the backs were hard to come by. Colorado knows that was because CSU was rolling the dice that Connor Wood and his fleet of receivers could not beat them. Thanks to the great work by Wood, Richardson, Goodson and the rest of the receiving crew, the gamble by CSU was not successful.

Special teams should show significant improvement this week. Actually, that should be narrowed down. The punter and kicker for CU were outstanding in the first game. What needs to come up to par against Central Arkansas is return coverage. The Buffs know that and have been tweaking it all week. Look for someone on the return coverage units to make a play or two that is worthy of the new Sledgehammer Award won by Parker Orms in week one for his hit that cartwheeled a CSU tight end in the end zone.

On defense, the front line fought a very good CSU line to a standstill, but the lack of pressure they put on the CSU quarterback was only not damaging due to the very poor game passing by the Rams QB. The Central Arkansas quarterback is both a running and passing threat and is likely one of the most athletic quarterbacks that CU will face this season. The secondary and the linebackers must continue their fine work from the first game and the D-line needs to step it up and get pressure on the quarterback.

If the Buffs take the next big step and improve off their first game performance, the opening game at Folsom Field should be a win. If they rest on their laurels and take the Bears for granted, it could be an ugly and embarrassing day. If they play hard and fast and take full advantage of the altitude, the home field, the fans, and their strength and athleticism, the Buffs should walk away with another big win and double their win total from last year.

Go Buffs! FUCK 'EM UP, FUCK 'EM UP, GO CU!

Andre Roberson's Next Challenge the NBA

Colorado basketball star Andre Roberson has decided to forego his senior season in Boulder for the challenge of the NBA. He notified coach Tad Boyle of his decision on Sunday. The 2013 NBA draft is comprised of two rounds and will be held on Thursday, June 27th.

Roberson is generally regarded as a mid 2nd round pick, but that may change as teams get the opportunity to work him out in person over the next two months. Roberson has been one of the top rebounders in the country each of the last two years, and was also named the Pac-12's Defensive Player of the Year this past season. In addition to taking the ball off the glass, steals and blocked shots have also been mainstays of Roberson's game.

He is known as a fierce competitor, and that mindset will make him a valuable addition to most NBA rosters. While his offensive skill set is still developing, his intense defense and nose for the ball will keep Andre in the mix come draft time. On top of that, Andre has shown himself to be a TEAM player who is dedicated to the success of the team much more than personal glory or statistics.

The NBA will offer a great challenge to Roberson, but as the first notable recruit for head coach Tad Boyle, Roberson knows all about challenges. Prior to his arrival in Boulder, Colorado had only been to the NCAA Tournament two times in over 40 years. Since Andre took the court for the Buffs, Colorado has been to March Madness twice and made it to the NIT championship game in the other year. To put it bluntly, Roberson has helped head coach Tad Boyle turn Colorado into a basketball school with some of the most vocal fans in the Pac-12. Indeed, every team in the league knows about the C-Unit.

Colorado is considered to be loaded with talent going into next season, with some prognosticators having the Buffs penciled in as a top 15 team. The loss of Roberson may temper expectations a bit, but he has blazed a trail that other recruits are following to Boulder. I want to join all Colorado fans in thanking Andre for his time and dedication to the university. Although CU has had other players over the last 20 years that moved on to NBA careers, Roberson has arguably done the most to lift his team into the realm of teams that need to be reckoned with on an annual basis when it comes time for the Big Dance.

Thanks for the memories and good luck Andre!