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There have been 18 comments, post your CU memory now

 

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Rankings and Ratings 

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November 2nd

Jon Wilner … Colorado to the Rose Bowl

From the San Jose Mercury News … Washington, Washington State, Colorado and Utah are already bowl-eligible. Stanford is assured of collecting the one win it needs because of its soft finishing schedule, and USC, which also needs one win, should get there.

But that’s it, folks. Those are the only teams that are/seem safely through to the postseason — it’s entirely possible the conference will finish with six bowl-eligible teams, one year after having 10 …

Colorado
Record: 6-2/4-1
The lineup: vs. UCLA, at Arizona, vs. Washington State, vs. Utah
Bowl: Rose
Comment: Reminder: If UW jumps into semifinals, Rose Bowl would take as replacement the next-highest-ranked Pac-12 team in CFP standings.

USC
Record: 5-3/4-2
The lineup: vs. Oregon, at Washington, vs. UCLA, vs. Notre Dame
Bowl: Alamo
Comment: Projecting one more loss for the Trojans. But even at 8-4, they would be attractive to Alamo. (Last appearance: Never.)

Utah
Record: 7-2/4-2
The lineup: at Arizona State, vs. Oregon, at Colorado
Bowl: Holiday
Comment: Easy call for Holiday in this scenario. Utes would buy tickets, fill hotel rooms and have resonance in San Diego from their WAC/MW days.

… Continue reading story here …

 

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ESPN sees roses in the Buffs’ future as well

From ESPN … While playoff-wise, the Pac-12 is in a good spot, that doesn’t hold true in terms of total bowl bids. As things sit, there is a good chance the conference will not fill its entire allotment of bowls.

There is not a team in the conference that is mathematically eliminated from bowl contention (especially when considering there were five-win teams in bowls last year), but, at this point, it seems unlikely Cal (4-4), Oregon (3-5), UCLA (3-5), Arizona (2-6) and Oregon State (2-6) will reach the six-win mark.

College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl:Washington

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual: Colorado

Valero Alamo Bowl: Utah

Holiday Bowl: Washington State

Foster Farms Bowl: USC

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Stanford

Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State

Cactus Bowl: vacant

 

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November 1st

Colorado ranked 15th in College Football Playoff rankings

From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes’ turnaround season took another major step Tuesday when the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season had the Buffs at No. 15.

It’s the first time the Buffs have been mentioned in the rankings in the three years of the CFP’s existence.

The 6-2 Buffs (4-1 Pac-12) re-entered the weekly national polls earlier this year after an 11-year absence. Currently leading the Pac-12 South, the Buffs are ranked No. 20 in the USA Today/Coaches poll and No. 21 in the Associated Press poll.

But the CFP ranking is the highest the Buffs have been in a national ranking of significance since the Buffs finished the 2002 regular season ranked 14th in the AP and coaches polls and 13th in the final BCS standings.

“The ranking is great, but we have a lot of season left to play and a lot of goals ahead of us,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “But it also shows how tough our schedule has been and how good the Pac-12 Conference is and the competition we play week in and week out.”

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1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Michigan
4. Texas A&M
5. Washington
6. Ohio State
7. Louisville
8. Wisconsin
9. Auburn
10. Nebraska
11. Florida
12. Penn State
13. LSU
14. Oklahoma
15. Colorado
16. Utah
17. Baylor
18. Oklahoma State
19. Virginia Tech
20. West Virginia
21. North Carolina
22. Florida State
23. Western Michigan
24. Boise State
25. Washington State

 

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October 31st

CBS has CU as its new No. 17 team

The new CBS 1-128 has five Pac-12 teams in its top 25, two more than last week.

The Pac-12:

No. 4 – Washington (up one spot from last week)

No. 17 – Colorado (up two)

No. 19 – Utah (up one)

No. 22 – USC (up six)

No. 24 – Washington State (up five)

No. 31 – Stanford (up nine)

No. 59 – UCLA (down 11 … without playing)

No. 63 – Arizona State (down seven)

No. 64 – Cal (down seven)

No. 79 – Oregon (up 18 … but still 16 below Arizona State, the team it just mauled)

No. 100 – Arizona (down 2)

No. 104 – Oregon State (up 2)

 

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October 30th

ESPN Pac-12 Power Rankings … CU holds at No. 3

From ESPN … Welcome to the Pac-12 Week 9 Power Rankings. You can see last week’s rankings here. If you don’t like where you’re ranked, play better.

1. Washington

2. Washington State (up from No. 4)

3. Colorado (6-2, 4-1; No. 3 last week)

Coming off a bye, the Buffs should be well-rested as they prepare to make a championship run. The surprise and novelty of their ascension has worn off: Colorado is legit, and the rest of the conference knows it. The Buffaloes are home for three of their final four, but they close with Washington State and Utah — a couple of games that could shake up the rankings in both divisions.

4. Utah (down from No. 2)

5. USC

6. Stanford (up from No. 8)

7. Arizona State

8. Cal (down from No. 6)

9. UCLA (3-5, 1-4; No. 9 last week)

Coming off the bye week, the Bruins travel to Colorado on Thursday night. The big question is whether quarterback Josh Rosen will be available for UCLA, which has dropped three straight for the first time since the end of Jim Mora’s first season in 2012.

10. Oregon (up from No. 12)

11. Oregon State (down from No. 10)

12. Arizona (down from No. 11)

 

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Colorado up to No. 21 in AP poll; up to No. 20 in USA Today coaches poll

The Buffs did not play this past weekend, but moved up two spots in the Associated Press poll, and three spots in the USA Today coaches poll. Washington, a 31-24 winner over Utah, stayed at No. 4, while Utah actually moved up a spot in the AP poll, while staying at No. 16 in the USA Today poll. Washington State, which rallied from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Oregon State, 35-31, entered the polls at No. 25.

The only other team receiving votes from the Pac-12 is USC, in at No. 27 in the AP poll, No. 30 in the USA Today coaches poll.

The Associated Press poll:

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Louisville
6. Ohio State
7. Texas A&M
8. Wisconsin
9. Nebraska
10. Florida
11. Auburn
12. Oklahoma
13. Baylor
14. West Virginia
15. LSU
16. Utah
17. Western Michigan
18. North Carolina
19. Florida State
20. Penn State
21. Colorado
22. Oklahoma State
23. Virginia Tech
24. Boise State
25. Washington State

Others Receiving Votes: Houston (7-2) 65; Southern California (5-3) 40; San Diego State (7-1) 21; Troy (6-1) 20; Tennessee (5-3) 17; South Florida (7-2) 10; Arkansas (5-3) 7; Wyoming (6-2) 5; Tulsa (6-2) 3

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The USA Today coaches poll:

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Louisville
6. Ohio State
7. Texas A&M
8. Wisconsin
9. Florida
10. Nebraska
11. Oklahoma
12. Auburn
13. Baylor
14. LSU
15. West Virginia
16. Utah
17. North Carolina
18. Western Michigan
19. Florida State
20. Colorado
21. Virginia Tech
22. Oklahoma State
23. Penn State
24. Boise State
25. Washington State

Others Receiving Votes: Houston (7-2) 111; Tennessee (5-3) 38; San Diego State (7-1) 36; South Florida (7-2) 34; Southern California (5-3) 28; Arkansas (5-3) 10; Troy (6-1) 7; Navy (5-2) 6; Wyoming (6-2) 5; Middle Tennessee (6-2) 5; Appalachian State (6-2) 4; Northwestern (4-4) 3; Tulsa (6-2) 3; Minnesota (6-2) 2; Pittsburgh (5-3) 1; Louisiana Tech (6-3) 1; Ole Miss (3-5) 1

 

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October 27th

Jon Wilner Pac-12 Power Rankings … CU No. 2

From the San Jose Mercury News …

1. Washington (7-0/4-0)
Last week: 1
Result: Beat Oregon State 41-17
Next up: at Utah
Comment: Who stands between the Huskies and 13-0? Here’s the lineup: Utah (road), Cal (road), USC (home), Arizona State (home) and Washington State (road), and the conference title game

2. Colorado (6-2/4-1)
Last week: 2
Result: Won at Stanford 10-5
Next up: Bye, then UCLA (Thursday)
Comment: Buffs have gotten much credit for an offense that has scored 40+ five times, but they’ve held teams to single digits on four occasions.

3. Washington State (5-2/4-0)
Last week: 4
Result: Won at Arizona State 37-32
Next up: at Oregon State
Comment: With the Beavers, Wildcats and Bears in succession, WSU should be 8-2 headed into who-would-have-figured showdown in Boulder.

The rest of the Pac-12: 

4. Utah … 5. USC … 6. Stanford … 7. Cal … 8. Arizona State … 9. UCLA … 10. Arizona … 11. Oregon State … 12. Oregon

 

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October 26th

College Football Playoff projections … CU in the mix for the first time in school history

From CBS Sports … For the past several weeks, ahead of the first College Football Playoff Rankings release on Nov. 1, we are predicting what the top 25 would look like if the CFP Selection Committee started early. It is a warmup act for the warmup act, which are the CFP Rankings releases before the final one.

What we have learned is that this process is highly subjective. It is much more subjective than the process that the basketball committee uses, which is what the football committee was modeled after.

With all of that in mind, here is what I think the top 25 would look like this week –

The Pac-12:

7. Washington: The Huskies’ six FBS opponents so far have a combined record of 16-28. Their tougher tests are coming up quickly.

20. Utah: The Utes are another under-the-radar team, but they get a chance to make a lot of noise this week when they host undefeated Washington.

21. Southern California: The Trojans are just 4-3 but have played one of the toughest schedules in the country and have a win over Colorado.

22. Colorado: Mike MacIntyre has done a great job resurrecting Colorado football. The Buffaloes are now 6-2 after winning at Stanford.

25. Washington State: The Cougars’ two best wins have come on the road at Stanford and Arizona State, but that loss to Eastern Washington is an anchor.

 

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The Buff Nation … the Chicago Cub fans of the NCAA?

By Joan Niesen of Sports Illustrated …

I’ve decided to take some inspiration from the two teams playing in the Fall Classic. It’s been 71 years since the Cubs so much as appeared in a World Series, 108 since they won, and the Indians haven’t seen much better luck; they last won in 1948 and haven’t appeared for 19 years. With that in mind, I’ve decided to take that theme across sports and rank the five longest-suffering football fan bases. There’s no group quite as beleaguered as Chicago’s North Siders, I don’t think, but some poor schmucks do come pretty close.

*A note: These rankings are, as you might guess, purely subjective and are correct only because I decree them as such. I weighed several factors in determining this list, though, including years without a bowl berth, scarcity of bowl berths, big losses, fans’ dedication, other talented teams in different sports at the same school and near-misses. Also, I decided to restrict my list to Power 5 programs because, well, there are just too many college football teams.

So without further ado, here are some quantifications of sadness. Trust my opinion. After all, I grew up a Missouri fan.

5. Purdue

4. Colorado

The Buffaloes are on this list in large part because of what once was. In the early 1990s, they were a premier Big Eight program and even won a national championship in 1990. The team remained a power until 1997, at which point things got very mediocre and then eventually very bad. At 41–90, Colorado has the worst winning percentage (.313) of any Power 5 school over the past decade, and it also has the longest active streak of missing a bowl game, dating back to a 2007 Independence Bowl loss. Still, you can’t feel too bad for Colorado fans; Boulder is one of the best college towns in the country when it comes to scenery, weather, food and, um, diversions.

3. South Carolina

2. Missouri

1. Iowa State

 

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October 25th

Based solely on statistics … Colorado one of the top teams in the nation

From reddit.com … I simply took the average across each team’s national rank in these 8 statistical categories: scoring offense (points scored per game), rushing offense (rushing yards gained per game), passing offense (passing yards gained per game), scoring defense (points allowed per game), rushing defense (rushing yards allowed per game), passing defense (passing yards allowed per game), turnover margin (turnover differential per game), penalty yards (total penalty yards per game), and Sagarin (Sagarin’s strength of schedule rank).

So, for example, Michigan ranks 3rd nationally in scoring offense, 72nd in passing yards per game, 2nd in rushing defense, and has played the 50th most difficult schedule according to Sagarin. Also note that the raw numbers these ranks considered excluded games against FCS opponents.

EDIT: As I commented down below, I did consider weighting these categories differently, but figured people would still disagree with my decisions; so I settled on giving the most basic information and if you want to tinker with it on your own, feel free to. Furthermore, instead of complaining, you could choose to take this as just a table of national rank information and ignore the controversial new rankings.

RankTeamscoring Orushing Opassing Oscoring Drushing Dpassing Dturnover marginpenalty yardsSagarin SOSAVG RANK
1Michigan3137212112185019.1
2Alabama6866613233391122.4
3Colorado3835332041225192226.1
4Washington2233486191258527.6
5Ohio State567752248924028.8
6Auburn27395328285161928.9
7Western Michigan1020461732542299533.9
8Louisville1413291817681244235.1
9LSU551796753054372135.8
10Virginia Tech26415814105154344937.4
11Wisconsin9059834426689338.4
12Clemson33712012451679582439.8
13Washington St.1511533085731012639.8
14West Virginia3938269496931702839.9
15Florida4753492202221176842.2
16Baylor9531187318512011443.7
17Nebraska31345911254822957244.1
18USC6256403559355163545.1
19Houston17781436156792268047.2
20Northwestern59864434351064223549.2
21Oklahoma73151123112710424950.0
22Iowa574910713407012446050.2
23Boise State306915233955120436150.6
24Georgia84398651138121523251.0
25Texas A&M42157839851051080651.1

The rest of the Pac-12:

No. 31 – Utah

No. 34 – UCLA

No. 50 – Arizona State

No. 58 – California

No. 65 – Stanford

No. 87 – Arizona

No. 92 – Oregon

No. 98 – Oregon State

 

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October 24th

CBS 1-128 … Colorado up to No. 19

From CBS Sports …

The Pac-12:

No. 4 – Washington – up one spot from last week

No. 19 – Colorado – up 2

No. 20 – Utah – up 3

No. 24 – Washington State – up 5

No. 28 – USC – down 1

No. 40 – Stanford – up 3

No. 56 – Arizona State – down 10

No. 57 – California – up 5

No. 59 – UCLA – down 11

No. 97 – Oregon – down 2

No. 98 – Arizona – down 1

No. 106 – Oregon State – down 3

 

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Jon Wilner: CU’s Mike MacIntyre Pac-12 Coach-of-the-Year

From the San Jose Mercury News …

Theme of the week I: Power shift.

It’s unofficially official: The South title runs through the Mountain schools.

Utah’s victory at UCLA and Colorado’s win at Stanford lent clarity to the South race and did wonders for the interest level in the Utes-Buffs collision in Boulder on Nov. 26.

(USC, the only other team with a chance, has a head-to-head win over Colorado and loss to Utah.)

Coach of the year: Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre

Has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, with the Buffs tied for first in the South and bowl-eligible for the first time since 2007.

Might as well ship the award to him now.

Heavenly experience of the week: Colorado.

First, the Buffs defense devoured Stanford’s offense, then the entire team chowed down on In-n-Out burgers to celebrate.

… Continue reading story here …

 

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ESPN: “Why stop at 6 wins? Colorado targets a Pac-12 South title”

From ESPN … Mike MacIntyre couldn’t contain his excitement, even for the duration of his brief postgame interview on live television.

“I want to go celebrate!” the Colorado coach exclaimed mid-question. (If you haven’t seen the video, check it out. It will be the best 30 seconds of your day!).

He then bolted out of the camera frame and sprinted to the corner of Stanford Stadium, where the Buffaloes’ traveling fans celebrated a type of victory that they hadn’t experienced in nearly a decade.

Colorado’s 10-5 win over Stanford made the Buffs bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. The first step in MacIntyre’s painstaking rebuilding process — he inherited a program in shambles that went 2-25 in Pac-12 play over his first three seasons — was finally finished.

“I had all the seniors in the locker room stand up — all of the guys who could have left when everybody was saying that Colorado is terrible,” MacIntyre said. “I told them, ‘We rose from the ashes.'”

And no postgame interview could delay the hard-earned party on the back end of that resurrection. When MacIntyre reached the jubilation in the corner of the field, he darted in between the big bodies of his players singing Colorado’s fight song in unison with the fans, hugging whoever he bounced into.

… Continue reading story here …

 

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October 23rd

CBS Bowl projections … Colorado to Alamo Bowl against Baylor

From Jerry Palm at CBS Sports …

Fiesta BowlDec. 31Glendale, Ariz.SemifinalClemson vs. Washington
Rose BowlJan. 2Pasadena, Calif.Big Ten vs Pac-12Michigan vs. Utah
Sun BowlDec. 30El Paso, Tex.ACC vs. Pac-12Wake Forest vs. USC
Alamo BowlDec. 29San AntonioBig 12 vs. Pac-12Baylor vs. Colorado
Foster Farms BowlDec. 28Santa Clara, Calif.Big Ten vs. Pac-12Indiana vs. Wash. State
Cactus BowlDec. 27Tempe, Ariz.Big 12 vs. Pac-12Kansas State vs. California
Holiday BowlDec. 27San Diego, Calif.Big Ten vs. Pac-12Penn State vs. Stanford
Royal Purple BowlDec. 17Las Vegas, Nev.Mountain West vs. Pac-12Boise State vs. Arizona State

 

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College Football News has Colorado at No. 23 … but fifth in the Pac-12 

From College Football News …

The Pac-12:

No. 4 – Washington

No. 15 – Washington State

No. 20 – Utah

No. 22 – USC

23. Colorado (6-2)

CFN Week 7 Rank: 28
Final Score: Colorado 10, Stanford 5
Up Next: UCLA

Colorado is fricking bowl eligible. Who cares even the slightest bit how ugly the win over Stanford was? Win out – three of the last four games are at home – and the Buffs are playing for the Pac-12 title.

No. 31 – Stanford

No. 33 – Arizona State

No. 34 – UCLA

No. 39 – California

No. 48 – Arizona

No. 65 – Oregon

No. 85 – Oregon State

 

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Sagarin Rankings has Colorado at No. 18

From USA Today …

Pac-12: 

No. 5 – Washington

No. 18 – Colorado

No. 19 – USC

No. 20 – Washington State

No. 22 – Stanford

No. 29 – UCLA

No. 33 – Utah

No. 45 – Arizona State

No. 49 – Oregon

No. 50 – California

No. 70 – Arizona

No. 81 – Oregon State

 

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Colorado returns to the national polls

From CUBuffs.com … Fresh off a 10-5 win over Stanford, the 6-2 Colorado Buffaloes returned to the nation’s top 25 on Sunday, checking in at No. 23 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls.

Mike MacIntyre‘s Buffs returned to the rankings earlier this year after an 11-year absence when they were No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the coaches rankings following a 47-6 win over Oregon State. They dropped out the following week, however, after a loss at USC but have since been climbing steadily back up the ladder, receiving votes each week.

The Buffs are one of three Pac-12 teams in the top 25 and one of three to already clinch bowl eligibility. Unbeaten Washington (7-0), which beat Oregon State 41-17 on Saturday, moved up to No. 4 in both polls after previously unbeaten and No. 2 Ohio State was upset by Penn State and slipped to No. 8 in the coaches poll and No. 6 in the AP rankings. Utah (7-1), meanwhile, moved up to No. 16 in the coaches poll and No. 17 in the AP rankings after a 52-45 win over UCLA.

The Buffs and Utah are currently tied atop the Pac-12 South standings with 4-1 conference marks while Washington and Washington State lead the Pac-12 North at 4-0.

Continue reading story here …

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Associated Press poll:

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Louisville
6. Ohio State
7. Nebraska
8. Baylor
9. Texas A&M
10. West Virginia
11. Wisconsin
12. Florida State
13. Boise State
14. Florida
15. Auburn
16. Oklahoma
17. Utah
18. Tennessee
19. LSU
20. Western Michigan
21. North Carolina
22. Navy
23. Colorado
24. Penn State
25. Virginia Tech

Others Receiving Votes: Washington State (5-2) 84; Houston (6-2) 67; Oklahoma State (5-2) 62; Arkansas (5-3) 14; Troy (6-1) 6; Southern California (4-3) 5; Pittsburgh (5-2) 2; San Diego State (6-1) 2; Southern Methodist (3-4) 1

 

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USA Today coaches poll:

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Washington
5. Louisville
6. Nebraska
6. Baylor
8. Ohio State
9. West Virginia
10. Texas A&M
11. Wisconsin
12. Florida
13. Boise State
14. Florida State
15. Oklahoma
16. Utah
17. Auburn
18. Tennessee
19. LSU
20. North Carolina
21. Western Michigan
22. Navy
23. Colorado
24. Houston
25. Virginia Tech

Others Receiving Votes: Washington State (5-2) 93; Penn State (5-2) 80; Oklahoma State (5-2) 64; San Diego State (6-1) 15; Arkansas (5-3) 11; Southern California (4-3) 7; Troy (6-1) 6; Miami (Fla.) (4-3) 5; Ole Miss (3-4) 3; Middle Tennessee (5-2) 3; South Florida (6-2) 3; Pittsburgh (5-2) 2; Tulsa (5-2) 2; Appalachian State (5-2) 2; Wyoming (5-2) 1

 

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ESPN: Colorado Holiday Bowl bound

From ESPN … And now there are three.

A third Pac-12 team picked up bowl eligibility in Week 8, as Colorado won at Stanford 10-5 to pick up its sixth victory of the season and join Washington and Utah in being bowl eligible. The Buffs will be in a bowl for the first time since 2007. At 6-2 overall and 4-1 in league play, Colorado is off to its best start since 2005, when it opened 7-2 and 5-1 in the Big 12.

The benchmark is a long time coming for a team that had just two conference wins under Mike MacIntyre prior to this season. Asked what it means to be bowl eligible, quarterback Sefo Liufausaid: “Everything.  To go from 1-and-something to 6-2 means everything. … No one quit on each other. We all stayed here. It’s a great accomplishment, and we’re trying to go even further than here.”

And the Buffs very well could. Three of their final four games are at home, where the Buffs are 4-0 this season. They get a bye this week before a visit from UCLA and a trip to Arizona before closing out against Washington State and Utah at home. Given what we’ve seen from the Buffs, those are all very winnable games.

College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl:Washington

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual: Utah

Valero Alamo Bowl: Washington State

Holiday Bowl: Colorado

Foster Farms Bowl: USC

Hyundai Sun Bowl: Arizona State

Las Vegas Bowl: Stanford

Cactus Bowl: California

 

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Nov 3rd – UCLA – Even the Ugly Wins Count

18 Replies to “Rankings and Ratings”

  1. Yo Stuart,

    You gotta wonder about Wilner… just a couple days after picking the Buffs to go to the Rose Bowl, he also predicts that UCLA will leave Boulder with a win. Maybe he’s just hedging his bets, but chances are that a loss to UCLA will destroy any chance for CU go the Rose Bowl.

    Let’s hope that Mac has these guys fired up and understanding just how important this game is. A loss today could well lead to losing three of the next four, because Washington State and Utah are better than the Bruins. Heck, even Arizona played #4 Washington tough in Tucson. That game is no gimme either.

    Buffs have been talking about going 1-0 each week. No looking ahead and no looking back. Tonight’s game may very well be the axle this season turns on when it comes to playing in a real bowl or some lower tier wannabe.

    Go Buffs!

    Mark
    Boulderdevil

    Reply

  2. Well there ya go. Congrats to the Mighty Buffs. Finally.

    Finally the respect is given that has been earned by this team and this staff.

    As Joel stated.

    “The 15 range, defined by the committee is based on The stats and performance of the Buffs

    The 21 range, defined by the AP is based on the last ten years.”

    Well there ya go and Buffalo Up

    Reply

  3. Offense will want to get back to form and will be on fire and focused. Defense will create havoc.

    CU 35 UCLA 14

    Go Buffs!!!

    Reply

  4. Buffs by what 13?

    I predict
    Buffs 31 (yup they make a field goal)
    Bruins 17

    Then a couple of extra days then on to the most important road trip of the season. Last place Arizona. Trap game? Gotta have this one period. Good teams don’t lose games to teams like Arizona.

    Then the now #25 WSU coogies show up in Boulder. This is a worry some game. Maybe not.

    Then the uteees show up. Just not worried about this game. I expect total domination by the Buffs. This has been brewing for 5 years. DOMINATION

    I expect 4 and 0.
    But would grudgingly accept 3 and 1. But it cannot be a loss to the uteees.

    Go Buffs.

    Note: Oh ya, the Huskies must beat USC if the Buffs lose one game out of the four.

    Note 2: Uh Oh mac2 year 4 and gotta win the last 4 cause this has to be the year of the RISE OF THE MIGHTY BUFFALO

    Reply

    1. There is a lot of love out there for the Utes. Wittingham is a good coach. But, I agree with u that Buffs are due. Our D will slow down there running game and make picks. I am really looking forward to this game. I’m unsure how I feel about Cougs yet. Part of me feels that D will make them one dimensional. Historically, Leach has had difficulty in Folsom. Let’s hope that head thing continues. Then part of me feels it will be a scary game. 50/50 W/L. I will get off the fence during game week. Gotta pound AZ!

      Reply

  5. Boy, Joan Niessen at SI needs to refresh her reading. The Buffs didn’t become mediocre in 1997. Not unless missing the National Championship game by a fraction of a point (2001) counts as mediocre. I think it might be Joan’s memory and analytical skills that are mediocre.

    The Buffs being bad since 2005 season ended is not the same as the Cubs not going to the World Series between 1945 and 2016. In fact, let’s spot her 2005, when the Buffs yet again won their division of the B12, and assume 2001 cannot be counted as a mediocre year despite the bowl beatdown suffered that season.

    I have done exhaustive statistical analysis and contacted the MIT Theoretical Physics department to hire some grad students, and they ALL agree that 15 years is significantly less time than 71 years. But they are only grad students, after-all.

    But in all seriousness, sure the Buffs have had a bad decade. But it’s odd to me how the Buffs make her list of “quantifiable sadness” when Kansas doesn’t. Baylor doesn’t (for being terrible until the last 10 years). Duke doesn’t. And I’m sure I’m forgetting several other better candidates. At least she’s honest when she says it is subjective, but I don’t think I’ll trust her opinion on this list.

    Reply

  6. Yo Stuart,

    I absolutely LOVE Sagarin’s simple but elegant reliance on actual stats instead of conference ties (that means you, SEC) and geography (all those voters east of the Mississippi).

    What is annoying is that the voters take an educated guess (giving some serious benefit of the doubt) and then stick by that guess for as long as they can. Heck, even though Notre Dame is 2-5, if they win their next five games they’ll probably be ranked. That’s garbage.

    Mark
    Boulderdevil

    Reply

  7. We are going to the Rose Bowl to beat the snot out of UCLA in two weeks. I am confident that giving Leavitt two weeks to prepare should be sufficient.

    Reply

    1. Game is in 9 days (from your post) and in Boulder, but your right Leavitt has extra time to get ready, and with the game in Boulder, and on a Thursday night, and on National TV, the Buffs should be very motivated and prepared.

      Reply

      1. Ha,ha I messed that up didn’t I. Bring the Bruins to Boulder so we can beat the snot out of them at home on Thursday night. BEAT the Bruins. GO BUFFS.

        Reply

  8. Go buffs.

    Bowl games smowl games. Buffs got one and that is what matters. Now on to the next level.

    Amazing there are only four games left in the regular season. Goes by quick when you are having fun.

    3 games at home
    1 on the road

    All 4 of them are totally winnable. Why.

    Because of Leavitts Legions period.

    The kicking game is a joke. Ha Ha Ha (Lotta bad luck here with injuries…..and Mono etc etc)Punting is fine. Coverage times and return teams are okay. But if out of the blue a real kicker does not show up then those 4 games are at risk. Gotta have those red zone and a little bit beyond scores.

    The offense is a “Lingrening Mystery.” Got the talent. Gotta use it. Yup the players will have a bad game now and then, but dang it, it is up to the OC’s to give those boys a continual chance to execute. Some of those dang ol goofy plays just suck. And the predictability sill runs strong. Too much talent to have the OC’s get caught up in their own ego/lack of knowledge/lack of experience. Yup I put Chev in there too. It is cute the have the “sweet/congenial/lovely working relationship”.

    At some point the “play caller” needs to be changed/upgraded/enhanced by Mac2. He may still be blinded here by the “Lindgren my protege light” but it needs to be stepped up.

    My prediction?

    Buffs win all 4. End up 10 and 2. Go to the Pac12 Championship game. Upset Washington. Go to the Rose Bowl. Beat Ohio state.

    Go Buffs

    Reply

    1. Man,
      You and I agreed all last year on Lindgren but I need to part ways with you this year. In watching these games Lindgren has adopted the concepts from Chev and is calling a very efficient game. The route tree has consistent quick reads and releases. Go back and watch the Standford game and I saw at least 3 times when Sefo was being pressured he had an outlet ready for good yards and he either missed the throw badly, or didn’t see the outlet. You have to believe in the running game and the run play calling now. Don’t you? This “Power Spread” they are running brings more blockers to the point of attack, does it quickly (last years problem was that it was too slow developing), and is providing some gaping holes against some pretty good run defenses. Lastly, The defenses have reacted to our big chunk plays by consistently playing their safeties deep. That is why we have moved away from the deep ball. But it now opens the run game up. Lindgren is now driving the pace of the game and taking what the defense gives him.

      The plays were there on Saturday but Sefo could not execute. He went from playing lights out to playing very tight and he missed more throws than he nailed. I am not positive but I get the sense that the game plan against Stanford was “no mistakes”. This type of game plan makes sense and was eventually proven correct so I don’t have too much of an issue with it with one possible exception. Sefo will need to loose the tightness he had and just play in the next 4 games.

      Reply

      1. Hey Rob, sometimes winning clouds ones vision. And I was speaking directly about this game. But one could bring up the USC game. Not sure of the efficiency you mention. Missed field goals are terrible. Not getting the touchdown is worse.

        Sorry, but I was not impressed by the play calling in those key situations and a few others as well.

        Yup the offense is better than last year by a ton. Chev has helped in the design as you suggest.

        The play calling leaves a fair amount to be desired.

        You call it playing “with no mistakes” I call it “playing not to lose”

        And yup Sefo had a bad game.

        Hey they won and are winning all I care about. More points than the other guy eh?

        But I am hoping the continuing field goal issues which have plagued the Buffs for years will not cost them a game this year. One could also say that the “playing not to lose” offensive strategy could cost them a game this year as well, as it has the last couple of years. I am just concerned that old habits kick in. They have been seen.

        But not to Fear, Leavitts Legions are here to save the day.

        Go Buffs.

        Note: All in all the team as a whole is much better than last year on both sides of the ball. As witnessed by the results. Mac2 is reaping the rewards for his style and his Changing of the coaching staff. So much better than what he arrived with.

        Note 2: Less you miss understand. Lindgren appears to be a really good qb coach.

        Reply

  10. Yo Stuart,

    These bowl projections are such a joke. After USC beat ASU at the beginning of October, most of these clowns had USC pegged for the Rose Bowl. All they’ve done since then is win and now they are supposed to end up in the Foster Farms Bowl. Doesn’t make sense. Also, both Utah and SC still have to play Washington. If the Huskies are as good as they’ve looked, both the Trojans and the Utes could have another loss in the next three weeks.

    If the Buffs stay focused after the bye week, they really control their own destiny and should be favored each game the rest of the way, barring some serious injuries. If Washington wins out, they are clear to the Pac-12 title game. If CU wins out, the same thing applies.

    If the Buffs and Huskies face each other in the Pac-12 title game, what happens if each wins? If the Buffs win, do they get the Rose Bowl berth automatically? If the Huskies win and move on to the playoff, do the Buffs go? Or do the Rose Bowl Poobahs pick whoever they want (USC, most likely, with the huge Southern California following)?

    If the Buffs play in the Pac-12 title game, there is no way that they should EVER drop all the way to the Holiday Bowl. Granted, I will still travel to San Diego (and it will be a much better trip than San Antonio). But I would much rather go to the Rose Bowl. I’ve seen games there. I’ve seen concerts there. And it’s the most famous bowl game… by far. I would love to cheer on my Buffs there.

    Go BUFFALOES!

    Mark
    Boulderdevil

    Reply

    1. If the Buffs were to play and lose the PAC12 championship game and if UW goes to the Playoffs, then (I believe) that the Rose Bowl committee chooses the “next best” team in the PAC12, which could be a 3 loss USC team v. a 3 loss (including PAC12 CG) Buffs, then they can justify it either way. USC beat the Buffs, but the Buffs would be the South Champs AND it could come down to who is coming from the Big10; USC v. ? compared to the Buffs. Would a (if they didn’t make the Playoffs) Michigan rematch against the Buffs with a healthy Sefo be a better draw then USC?

      So, I think when they have to choose another team because the PAC12 champion goes to the Playoffs it comes down to money and the draw of the card… as much as record, all things being(seeming) equal.

      Reply

      1. Yo Marcus JBuff,

        If Washington runs the table and goes to the playoff, that means that USC will have at least 4 losses in the regular season. So if the Buffs win the South and play UW in the conference championship game, they should have the inside track to the Rose Bowl. It will probably come down to how Washington State finishes. If they only lose to the Huskies, they would have the inside track to Pasadena because that would mean they beat Colorado in Folsom.

        One game at a time. The Buffs need to take care of their own business and everything will fall into place.

        Mark
        Boulderdevil

        Reply

        1. Very true BoulderDevil, UW could win out and eliminate USC, and WSU could lose to both UW and CU, or… too many scenarios. I was being simplistic with USC and addressing your “Or do the Rose Bowl Poobahs pick whoever they want (USC, most likely, with the huge Southern California following)?” that in fact under the right scenario they probably would.

          Like you said, “One game at a time. The Buffs need to take care of their own business and everything will fall into place”, enjoy the ride… err rise!

          Reply

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