CU Buffs: Reasons for Optimism... and an Epic Beatdown of the CSU Rams

There are reasons to be very optimistic about the University of Colorado football team this year:

The defense was vastly improved last year even though defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin did not join the Buffs until right before spring training. With a full year to evaluate talent and gear their defense to take best advantage of the Buffs' skill-set, L+T have put together the Buffs best defensive unit in a decade.

Making the job easier for the defensive gurus is the return of three key components. Man-mountain nose tackle Josh Tupou (6-3, 32 lbs) returns from suspension and will be a force to be reckoned with anchoring the defensive front. At linebacker, the return of Addison Gillam should be a huge factor. Coaches and fans are hoping that Gillam has recovered enough to return to his Freshman All-American form. And in the defensive backfield, tackling machine Ryan Moeller is starting at free safety after missing most of last season due to injuries received in a scary moped accident. Their collective impacts should be immense.

Returning offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren has rightfully taken a lot of heat over the last three years for the Buffs' inability to find an offensive identity other than being wholly predictable in their play calling. But head coach Mike MacIntyre came to the rescue and hired fireball Darrin Chiaverini as co-offensive coordinator. Lindgren's quiet and cerebral yin and Chiaverini's innovative and emotionally fire-charged yang have come together to give the Buffs something that has been missing for many years.

On the strength and conditioning front, Mac made a home-run hire in Drew Wilson following last season. Wilson combines the intellectual knowledge of the old S&C coach, with leadership and motivation that had long been missing from the program. The players rave about Lewis and what he has brought to the Buffs.

And, finally, after months and months of rehab following his devastating Lisfranc foot fracture, QB Sefo Liufau is back in the saddle and ready to go for the season. One of the good things to come out of the rehab was that Liufau's ongoing shoulder injury that had hampered him for more than a year is now also completely healed. He's also lost weight while gaining strength and coaches and players alike rave about how much more zip the QB seems to have on the ball. Playing without pain for the first time in several years, Liufau is looking to lead the Buffs to their first bowl game since 2007.

Yes, there are reasons to be very optimistic about the University of Colorado football team this year. If all goes accordingly, the Buffs should put a beating on Colorado State to open the season in a manner that hasn't been seen since 2001, when the Buffs handed the Rams a 41-14 loss.

Cherish the Wins Over Teams Coming Off 10 Win Seasons, It's What it Takes to Win in the Pac-12

Colorado Buffaloes football fans, especially those who have been around the program for a couple of decades or more, like to think of the Colorado State Rams as "little brother" and that the Buffs should never lose to their in-state rival. Guess what? Little brothers have an annoying habit of growing up and becoming as big and strong as big brother. Colorado State has grown up and is a very strong and physical football team. Make no mistake, CSU is a good football team and will be playing in a bowl at the end of the year.

Lots of fans commenting on articles and blogs have discounted the Buffs' overtime win by saying that a win over CSU doesn't count for much. That's BS to the highest degree. Colorado State won 10 games last year, and has won 18 in the last two years. It took the Buffs the last FOUR YEARS to win a total of 10 games, and the last SIX YEARS to win a total of 18.

Since 2000, the Rams have had FOUR 10-win seasons. The Buffs have had only one. Discounting the victory over a team with 10 wins last year is ludicrous because it has not happened very much to Buffaloes over the last 10 years,

In fact, this win is only one of four. In 2011, the Buffs beat a Utah team which had gone 10-3 in 2010. In 2008, the Buffs took out a West Virginia team which had won 11 games in 2007. And in 2007, the Buffs beat an Oklahoma team which had won 11 games in both 2006 AND 2007. Those are the only four times the Buffs have accomplished the deed in the last 10 years.

One thing all those four games have in common is the very close scores. Two of the victories came by 3 points in overtime, and two came by three points in regulation time.

Why is the 10 win threshold so important? The Buffs still have a lot of those games to play this year. Four of the teams the Buffs play in the Pac-12 this year won at least 10 games last year. Two more won 9 games. They are:

• Oregon (13-2)
• UCLA (10-3)
• Arizona State (10-3)
• Arizona (10-4)
• Utah (9-4)
• USC (9-4)

Stanford won only 8 games last year, but after thumping USC in the Coliseum last week, they look like they might win more games than that this year.

The Buffs only have two teams on their Pac-12 schedule which had losing seasons last year (Washington State at 3-9 and Oregon State at 5-7). Needless to say, those teams are also looking at Colorado as a team on THEIR schedules which had a losing team last year. Those two teams (and CU) are 2-1 so far in 2015.

The Pac-12 enters this weekend with six teams in the Top 21 in the country. Four of them are in the Pac-12 South with the Buffs, and the other two are on the Buffs schedule this year. For the Buffs to meet their goal of a bowl game at the end of the year, they will need to beat one or more of those six ranked teams. To make it even harder, a seventh team on the Buffs schedule (Arizona State) is just outside of the Top 25.

This weekend the Buffs will certainly win their third straight game, and that is a big deal. The last time the Buffs won 3 games in a row was in the 2008 season when they opened with wins over Colorado State, Eastern Washington and West Virginia.

For the Buffs to once again be a team that goes bowling every year, they will need to start having three game win streaks every year and perhaps more than once a year.

The Buffs are finally starting to grow up and believe in themselves. They are developing an attitude that could very well turn into a nasty streak. And a good nasty streak is what is needed these days to be a winning football team in the Pac-12.

Moment of Truth Time for Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes

In around two hours, Ralphie the Buffalo will lead the CU Buffs onto Folsom Field as they take the field against the UMass Minutemen. Last year the Minutemen held an 11 point lead in the second half before the Buffs rallied to a three point victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

It was one of only two victories for the Buffs in 2014. The other was against Hawaii, who got their revenge last week as the Buffs fell 28-20 against the Rainbow Warriors.

The Buffs came into the season brimming with confidence and spoke openly about a bowl game at the end of the season. A month's worth of miscues (or, as head coach Mike MacIntyre put it, "shooting themselves in the foot, the leg, the head") doomed the Buffs to their 9th straight loss despite a strong effort from the revitalized defense under Jim Leavitt.

The Buffs enter this game knowing that any loss before the beginning of Pac-12 play pretty much dooms this team to yet another losing year. No bowl, no nothing. That means the Buffs have to hold serve against the Minutemen, CSU next week, and then a school called Nicholls before taking on the Pac-12. To paraphrase Stuart Whitehair over at "CU at the Game" -- Who the hell is Nicholls?

The Buffs are steadfastly claiming that they have not lost their confidence. That is good. Unfortunately, the head coach and offensive coordinator (and the Special Teams guy) all seem to think there was nothing wrong last week. They seem to be in some serious denial.

MacIntyre claims that Hawaii was able to put "a little bit of pressure" on quarterback Sefo Liufau. The reality? Four sacks, numerous knockdowns, little time to throw, and unplanned scrambles because the blocking schemes were a mess. If that only qualifies as "a little bit" most fans shudder to think what it will be like when the Buffs play a top defensive team.

OC Brian Lindgren sees no problem with the Buffs play calling last week, despite the fact that the team averaged only 4 yards a play both running and passing the ball. That's pretty scary when you throw the ball 40 times and only get 159 yards for the effort. Lindgren also completely abandoned the running game after starting to dominate on the ground. The offense also wasted two of three timeouts for no apparent reason, and as the game was winding down, seemed completely oblivious to the fact the clock was running. Sure, the refs botched the last play, but that was to be expected because they were pretty awful all day.

Fans all hope that special teams doesn't do all it can to lose the game. To take a quote from the movie "The Big Chill" (they were watching the Michigan game and making many mistakes) -- "Come on, Bo (Schembechler) , teach 'em the basics!" Just insert Toby (Neinas) for Bo.

Expect the defense to take it to Mass. They know that they might be ones needing to score points if Lindgren and Neinas put the Buffs in a hole again. Mike MacIntyre does not usually panic, but if the Buffs come up short today he will need to start working on his resume.

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.

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!

A Cheese-Free Analysis of the Colorado Buffaloes and the Win over CSU

Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre warned his players after the enormous 41-27 win over CSU not to "eat the cheese" that would be headed their way following the victory. The point of his comment was that his players should expect lots of accolades being thrown their way and not to buy into the nonsense that CU is a great team. I agree with Coach Mac2, and hereby offer a cheese-free look at the team's win.

Right now, the Buffs are NOT a great team. Heck, they might not even be a very good team. But they are a much better team than they have been in years. But this is only due to their hard work and commitment to themselves, their teammates and their coaches. They were given a plan and they followed it. If they continue their dedication and work ethic, the team has the opportunity to become not only good, but perhaps pretty darn good. If they decide to eat the cheese, they will have a rude awakening very soon.

Due to the emotion that goes along with the old rivalry with CSU, many Buff fans (and many so-called CSU supporters like Kelly Lyell) have been quick to claim that CSU is a very bad team. They are very wrong. The CSU team that lost to the Buffs in the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sunday is a MUCH BETTER team than the one that beat the Buffs last year.

CSU Head Coach Jim McElwain is an outstanding coach. The CSU quarterback had a bad game. But their offensive line did a fine job of neutralizing the Buffs defensive line. The CSU running backs ran hard and with passion. The CSU defense made CU earn every yard running the ball.

It's true that CSU stacked the box to stop the running game, but that was obviously due to the fact that their game plan was predicated on the idea that they were rolling the dice that Connor Wood could not beat them with his arm. It was a reasonable bet, considering how bad the Buffs were last year. Nobody at CSU could have reasonably expected that Connor would put up the gaudy numbers that he did. Or that he would take care of the ball so well and avoid any interceptions.

Take away the two broken coverages that led to Paul Richardson scoring very long touchdowns, and the Rams did a pretty good job of containing the Buffs' passing game. Not everybody would be raving if the Buffs only put up 240 yards passing and 350 yards of total offense.

The Rams have two winnable games ahead of them before they head off to Tuscaloosa, Alabama as the guests of honor at a Ram Roast.  That said, the Rams will have had some serious trial by fire before heading into conference play. I look forward to seeing how the Rams do against Boise State this season. The wild Idahoan Broncos were corralled and broken at Washington in the first game of the season. Every team in their conference is looking for some payback. The same goes with Nevada, who was torched by UCLA in their opener. Also, Utah State, who lost to Utah.

The fact that CSU is a much better team than last year is a great sign for the Buffs. It means that CU is also a greatly improved team. But this early in the season, that improvement is precarious at best. They absolutely have to take care of business with a very good Central Arkansas team that is ranked #6 in the FCS. Many of the top FCS teams beat FBS teams in the first week, including a win at #24 Oregon State by Eastern Washington. If CU thinks they have to just show up, they will find themselves beaten like they were last year by Sacramento State.

Cheese-free player profiles for the stars of the game

Paul Richardson

Paul is very good. He is very fast. Blow your coverage on him and he can make you look very bad.

BUT, Paul needs work on his routes, especially if he is in traffic. He needs to listen to his coach Troy Walters and learn to fight for the ball. He was manhandled by the CSU secondary several times, he needs to work harder to create separation when running routes over the middle. The yards and touchdowns are going to be much harder to come by when teams learn they can disrupt his play by getting physical.

Connor Wood

Connor did a great job as the new starting quarterback in the RMS. He did not throw any interceptions and recovered a bad snap. He threw for 400 yards and completed a high percentage of his passes.

BUT, several time Connor tossed the ball away without getting it out of bounds. Do this too many times and the ball is bound to be picked off. Also, Connor has a very strong arm but needs to make sure he is using his body as well. Arming the ball while back-pedaling is very dangerous. If possible, Connor needs to make sure he steps into his throws whenever possible.

Addison Gillam

Addison is a true freshman who started the first game at inside linebacker. He was the first to do so at CU since Jordon Dizon, who went on to become an All-American. He finished the RMS with a game-high 14 tackles. He also had a sack and broke up a pass. He seemed to be everywhere.

BUT, what the hell, there really is no but here. The young man played a hell of a game and has the talent to become the next great CU linebacker. He knows the cheese is there but he will not take a bite. I look forward to watching this young man for the next several years.

The Cheese Stands Alone!

Mike MacIntyre Era at Colorado Begins with Monster Win over CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown

The Colorado Buffaloes took care of business at the Rocky Mountain Showdown and downed the CSU Rams 41-27 at the Broncos' Sponsor of the year at Mile High Stadium. (Yes, I know who the sponsor is. I am not going to give them a plug because everyone knows where I am talking about and I don't think the game should be played in Denver.)

Coach Mike MacIntyre started what (hopefully) will be a long era at CU with a win. Not a big win. Not a very big win. But a monstrously huge and important win. After seven straight losing seasons and coming off the worst season in Colorado football history last season, this win was absolutely needed for the mental well-being of the Buff players.

Colorado had lost eight straight games since their miracle last win against Washington State last year. Some may balk at the "miracle" designation, but with the worst and most disorganized coaching staff in the country last year, winning that one game on the last play after coming from way back in the last half of the fourth quarter had providence written all over it. Mike Leach must be wondering if he is cursed when it comes to CU, because his teams have lost many games to the Buffs that his teams were "supposed" to win.

When MacIntyre was hired as head coach of the Buffs, his biggest challenge was getting inside the heads of his new team. Their confidence was gone. Their game plans were a shambles. In reality, their coaches were in way over their heads and had no idea how to lead a team.

Thus, Mac and staff had to get in and get everyone started from ground zero. They got every player moving in a coordinated effort to improve every aspect of their CU experience. And the coaches only judged them on what they were doing now, this year. And the coaches gave them the opportunity to earn a good place on the depth chart based on the now, and forgetting the past.

MacIntyre and his band of brothers worked hard to rebuild the commitment that each player must have for one another. It was a tough task, and some of the players chose to leave instead of living up to higher expectations. But many of those who decided to stay have been swung over by the enthusiasm and organization that the new coaching staff brought in.

Any holdouts on the team that were still reluctant to buy in whole-heartedly to the new program have now been born again. Seeing the joy on the faces of the young men as they made their way to the student section to sing the CU fight song was a sight to behold.

Seeing the tears in the eyes of MacIntyre as he talked about his father, and the pride and happiness he felt for his players was breathtaking. Mac obviously loves coaching and teaching his team. His commitment is obvious. And his commitment, and that of his staff is contagious and spreading quickly among the players.

After losing a lead due to two long returns, the Buffs had the chance to fold. Last year, it was almost a weekly occurrence due to the lack of leadership. But this year, when their backs were against the wall, they came out swinging and dominated the fourth quarter. We can thank the new coaching staff for instilling the pride again.

I have watched the rise of enthusiasm of the Buff players during fall practice, but that enthusiasm will now be sky high, looming over the flatirons that tower over their practice fields. Those young men now KNOW that they can believe in what their coaches are trying to teach them. Many of them had started to buy in to the new program, and it showed in the win against CSU. But that belief is now becoming FAITH in themselves and each other and their coaches. They have turned the corner to becoming a team in the finest sense of the word.

This team will make the Buff faithful proud. They may not win every game, but their hearts and souls will be committed every step of the way. They will not give up and they will not back down. And every team they play will KNOW they've been in a fight. And every Buff fan should join them, standing shoulder to shoulder, and never giving in, as the Colorado Buffaloes fight for victory.

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Look for the upcoming post about the players and the game.

CU vs CSU 2013: Let the Game Begin!

It's game day Buff fans. The long wait to get out from under the cloud of bad coaching for seven years is over. No more Hawkins. No more Embree. The bright light of a team prepared by real, good, and smart coaches is here for CU. Let the sun shine in! The early days of Aquarius are upon us. Put your game face on.

The darkness that is the Denver media seemingly hate the light as much as they hate Boulder and the Buffs. It doesn't matter, because the sunny days are back in Boulder whether they like it or not. The Mike MacIntyre era has begun.

The Denver Post believes that CSU has the advantage in every aspect of the game except punting. They are living in a fantasy land! (Like where they claim to have a weekday circulation of almost half a million. They base this on internet hits instead of actual newspapers. If one counts actual papers, the numbers are closer to 250k daily.)

For the past two years, CU had the worst coaching staff in their history and arguably the very worst in the FBS. Despite that handicap, it still took a meltdown of epic proportions by CU for CSU to scrape out a win. CSU and the Post shouldn't take any comfort in that, since epically proportioned meltdowns were the norm for the coaching staff last year. It is the reason they are no longer here.

It was the 21st win by CSU in the history of the rivalry. CU, on the other hand, has ONLY managed to win a meager 61 times by comparison. With that history in hand, it is easy in fantasy land to believe the Buffs have no chance. WAKE UP! This is reality.

And the reality is that this Colorado team will look nothing like what we have seen the last several seasons. They will no longer be outcoached on a weekly basis. And the days of them standing on the field waiting for their offensive coordinator to make up his mind what play he wants to run are over too.

There will be no more quarterback sneaks on first down because the coaches did not notice the team had made a first down on the previous play. And defensive coaches will no longer have their cornerbacks playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage when the opponent is in the red zone.

The Buffs had horrible coaching and still barely lost to CSU last year and beat them by 14 the year before even with the same coaching staff. I shudder to think how the game will look when the Buffs are led by good play callers.

I look forward to a lot of shudders going up and down my spine today. The Buffs are angry and they have a flatiron sized chip on their shoulders. They are in MUCH better playing shape than they have been in years. Heck, the top 10 defensive linemen alone have lost almost 200 pounds since spring while gaining strength and stamina.

Christian Powell is down more than 20 lbs since he arrived on campus last year as a true freshman who led the Buffs in rushing. He's is still a monster to contend with when he hits you with 230 lbs of speed and muscle.

And Paul Richardson is back after missing last year. He's faster now than when he was one of the most feared receivers in the Pac-12 in 2011. Anyone remember the 11 receptions for 284 yards against Cal?

Everyone knows that the CSU coach has refused to name a starting quarterback until game time. Does anyone else think that decision was designed to prevent nightmares of Chidera Uzo-Diribe crushing his qb? This guy was damn near unblockable last year, and he's faster and stronger this year.

And lastly, Connor Wood takes over as quarterback. He was one of the best and most sought after QB's in the country coming out of high school. And now he is working with perhaps the best young QB coach in the country in Brian Lindgren. The shudders are starting just thinking about it.

You heard it here first. This game is going to get ugly. The party is going to start in Denver this afternoon and will rock throughout the night in BOULDER. For the Rams, the Rocky Mountain Showdown will end up being the Rocky Mountain Horror Story.

GO BUFFS! Or better yet...

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

Just Say No to Denver Hosting the Rocky Mountain Showdown

In just about 48 hours, the University of Colorado Buffaloes will take the field against Colorado State at the home of the Denver Broncos, known this year as Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It is a beautiful venue and a wonderful place to watch Colorado's favorite team. But that team is neither the CU Buffs nor the CSU Rams, it is the Broncos. Period.

I have been a long time fan of both the NFL and NCAA football. I have seen every Super Bowl. I attended my first college football game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ back when it held only 41,000 people. Hint: It was way back in the 1960s. I was raised on college football.

I moved to Colorado in 1983, and started to attend CU Buff games in 1985. I had season tickets for many years and followed the Buffs on the road several times, most notably to the National Championship game at the Orange Bowl in 1990, and to the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe in 1995. I am willing to travel to see the Buffs play ball.

When I was living overseas, I had my son Skype me the games by turning his computer toward the TV. This meant watching games in the wee hours of the morning. I go out of my way to watch my alma mater play.

That said, I am NOT willing to go to Denver to watch the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Yes, of course, I will watch on TV and enjoy the game immensely. But I will not go to the Broncos field to watch the game, and here are the reasons:

• The stadium is too big. If everyone who attends games at CU and CSU attended the RMS, the stadium would still look like no one was there.
• If the people who put the RMS together want a raucous crowd, the need to put them in the LOWER LEVEL.
• IF they want casual fans to attend the game, they cannot price the tickets as if it was an NFL game. The Broncos tickets are at a premium, since there has been a waiting list to get them for decades. By contrast, the Buffs sell out several games a year in a stadium which hold 25,000 fewer people, and the Rams generally draw fewer fans than Texas high school games. (As an aside, why is CSU spending so much money to build a new, bigger stadium when they can't even fill the tiny one they already have?)
• $20-30 for parking? Are you freaking kidding me?
• Numerous press releases telling folks to behave themselves, and warning people of the great number of regular and plain clothes police that will be on hand to be certain that no one has too much fun. I don't remember this many warnings when the Broncos play in front of a lot more people.
• The Denver media, particularly the Denver Post, have made it perfectly clear that they could not care less about CU or CSU. The only reason they want this game in Denver is so they do not have to drive to Boulder or Fort Collins.
  

  • PS - It really pisses me off that the media in Denver are willing participants in the extortion attempt this game presents. No, I do not care any less for the Buffs because I am not willing to spend an exorbitant  amount of money to see them in Denver.

   
• Rivalry games belong on campus, or at least in the city where the campus is located. There are no CU or CSU banners strung around Denver. College football is just a diversion for Broncomania.
• Folks running the RMS need to understand that we live in a capitalist society, where the concepts of supply and demand dictate the going market rate for anything. They have WAY more tickets than customers, yet they price their commodity as if it was in short supply.
• I have a good chuckle on a daily basis watching Craigslist and StubHub and Ticketmaster. The closer we get to the game, the lower the prices for tickets seem to go. By the time kickoff arrives, they will probably be GIVING them away for practically nothing outside the stadium. It reminds me of the CU game at the Orange Bowl. Even though the Buffs and Notre Dame were playing with a National Championship on the line, tickets outside were going for $5-10 apiece because there were no teams from Florida playing.
• I know the folks at CSU like playing in Denver. Of course they do, who wants to stay home to play in front of 18,000 people? Maybe they should start scheduling the CSU vs. Air Force game in Denver. Similar drive for both sets of fans and it gets the Ram fans a chance to get out of town. Of course, it has been a long time since CSU beat Air Force anywhere.

For some ungodly reason, this game is scheduled to be played in Denver through 2019. Somebody somewhere is apparently making good money off this. Unfortunately, I do not think it is either CU or CSU. Their fans are paying the freight, though. This game being played in Denver should be ended as soon as possible. The vigorish paid by the schools and fans is too great.

For those of you going to the game in Denver, I wish you a great time. I am going to save my money for a game out of town which will actually get me out of town. Looking forward to maybe a return trip to Sun Devil Stadium against Arizona State on October 12^th. The Phoenix Craigslist has tickets offered to the ASU vs. CU game for as little as $20. They money saved by not going to the Rocky Mountain Showdown will just about pay for my gas to get down to Tempe.

Colorado Football 2013: Connor Wood Named Starting Quarterback for Rocky Mountain Showdown

Head coach Mike MacIntyre has named Connor Wood the starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes for the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State this Sunday.

QUARTERBACK - Connor Wood (6'4" - 225 lbs)

To the surprise of no one, junior Connor Wood extended his fine showing from the spring through summer workouts to fall camp. Under the excellent tutelage of QB Coach / Offensive Coordinator Brian Lindgren, Wood is starting to resemble the player that was one of the most highly sought after QB recruits in the country coming out of high school.


BACK-UP QUARTERBACK - Sefo Liufau (6'4" - 210 lbs)

True freshman Sefo Liufau has lived up to expectations and moved to 2nd on the depth chart. This gives the Buffs two tall quarterbacks on the two-deep for the first time in years, which should allow them to see over the very tall linemen. It also will help in seeing over the sizable crown on Folsom Field.

Sophomore transfer  Jordan Gehrke (6'1" - 190 lbs) and sophomore Stevie Joe Dorman (6'2" - 215 lbs) are listed as tied for third sting.