Spring/Summer – 2021

Wilner picks the Pac-12 – CU to upset Washington (but that’s it) … Associated Press Preseason Top 25 released: Five Pac-12 teams ranked … CBS Sports: CU a candidate to be one of college football’s “chaos” teams … USA Today/Coaches Preseason Poll Released, with eight Pac-12 teams receiving votes …

The conclusion of the series … Only one bowl victory out of the anniversary five seasons, coming in the 1996 Holiday Bowl win over Washington … You might like, though, my 2016 Alamo Bowl essay, “Thanks, Sefo”, or to hear about my trials and travails in Houston in 1986 in my Essay, “On the Road Again” …

1986 and 1991 – Buffs going bowling, to the Bluebonnet Bowl (Essay: “On the Road Again”) and Blockbuster Bowl (Essay: “Introducing ‘Air Bill’ “) … 1996: “The $8 Million Extra Point” … 2001: No. 9 CU takes down No. 3 Texas to claim the Big 12 championship (with video highlights) … 2016: No. 9 CU 27, No. 21 Utah 22 (with video highlights) …

Just for Laughs: Coloradoan speculates on CSU joining the Big 12 … Leftover Big 12 members “shell-shocked” – would consider “Big 20″merger with Pac-12 … USA Today: Winners and Losers from potential move by Texas and Oklahoma … CU and Nebraska: Part of the “National Athletic Conference, West Division”? …

**Neill Woelk posts his Fall Camp Preview** … Texas A&M Preview: CU is 4-1 all-time at home v. Aggies, but this isn’t the A&M of the Big 12 … CU partners with RevelXP to offer unique tailgating experience for Texas A&M game … New CU commit Simeon Harris: “I took away that we’re going to compete” …

The one you’ve been waiting for … 2001: No. 14 CU 62, No. 2 Nebraska 36 (with video highlights) … 2016: No. 12 CU 38, No. 20 Washington State 24 (with video highlights) … 1996: “Ooooh, So Close” – No. 4 Nebraska 17, No. 5 CU 12 … 1991: Buffs earn Big Eight three-peat with 17-14 win over Iowa State …

Schools like Miami, Nebraska, and Oregon have hit the ground running in the new world of NIL … Can CU compete for recruits in a world of “pay for play”? … Rick George: “I like what we have in our briefcase” – will it be enough? …

1986: Undefeated CU v. Undefeated Oklahoma … 1991: Buffs rally to top Kansas, 30-24 … 1996: No. 6 Buffs shutout No. 9 Kansas State (Essay: “In Search of Respect”) … 2001: Cortlen Johnson leads Buffs over Iowa State (Essay: “Seems Like Old Times”) … 2016: 49-24 win over Arizona (Essay: “Time to Get A Little Greedy”) …

The NCAA investigation is ongoing, but will it lead to any significant penalties? … Did you know that ASU has had more major NCAA violations than any other Power Five school? … Compare CU’s last two fights with the NCAA (2002 & 2007) and the penalties CU received …

CU goes 5-0 in Game Nines … 1986: A 17-10 win over Kansas … 1991: No. 14 Buffs defeat Oklahoma State on a fake field goal (with video) … 1996: No. 7 CU out-scores Iowa State and Troy Davis, 49-42 … 2001: No. 25 CU 38, Missouri 24 … 2016: No. 21 CU tops UCLA, 21-10, with Isaiah Oliver punt returns (with video) …

The 12-team playoff proposal went from secret discussions to almost a done deal in just a few weeks … How will the Playoffs affect the Pac-12 and CU? … And what would CU’s chances have been in prior seasons? … Plus: A look back at 2001 CU/Nebraska (62-36!) and 2016 CU/Oregon (Witherspoon!) …

1986: A big second half lifts Buffs over Oklahoma State … **1991: CU’s “Ice Bowl” 19-19 tie with Nebraska** … 1996: Detmer & Carruth set records in rout of Missouri … 2001: Buffs use 33-yard two-point conversion to beat Oklahoma State … 2016: Win over Stanford gives CU bowl-eligibility for the first time since 2007 …

In this guest editorial, CU at the Gamer Eric documents how having players to make plays is more important than the coaches on the sidelines, taking a look at the past few decades of CU football, and some of the more prominent coaches in the Pac-12 …

In his final essay, VK Berlin takes a look at CU’s defense over its Pac-12 run, and, this just in … Defense wins games … Will the new defensive coaching structure get the Buffs to the next level? Facts indicate it has a great chance of doing so this year and going forward …

**1986: “Signature Wins of All Signature Wins” – 20-10 win over No. 3 Nebraska** … 1991: A 10-0 win over an improved K-State … 1996: John Hessler to the rescue in 28-24 win over Texas … 2001: Phillip Lindsay goes for 219 yards and three scores in 40-16 win over Arizona State …

Hitting mid-season … 1986: Win over Iowa State sets up showdown with Nebraska … 1991: Buffs use two 99-yard drives to upset No. 12 Oklahoma … 2001: “This One’s For Fred” – Buffs take out No. 25 Texas A&M … 2016: Buffs’ momentum doesn’t carry over to game against USC …

Cheating in recruiting is commonplace, right? … But blatant flaunting of the rules – during a pandemic? Throw in the fact that the crack NCAA investigative staff has been given documentation of the cheating on a silver platter, and you may have a story which is not going to go away anytime soon …

1986 and 1991 – two satisfying Big Eight wins over rival Missouri … 1996: A 105-yard interception returns sparks No. 9 CU to 35-13 win over Oklahoma State … 2001: Defense shines in 16-6 upset of No. 12 Kansas State … 2016: No post-Oregon let down as Buffs rout Oregon State, 47-6 …

In VK Berlin’s third – and perhaps last? – ramblings, he takes on the preseason magazines and their distain for CU football, takes a look at the makeup of the CU roster, and … well, rambles …

1986: Close loss to No. 10 Arizona … 1991: Loss to Stanford eliminates CU from national title race … 1996: First-ever Big 12 game a big win over A&M … 2001: Game Four cancelled (story on the week of 9/11) … 2016: CU 41, Oregon 38 – Witherspoon’s interception preserves program changing victory (including videos) …

A 12-team playoff would mean a dilution of meaning for the Rose Bowl (and possible elimination of minor bowls, reducing chances for 6-6 and 7-5 teams to earn post-season berths), but, had their been a 12-team playoff in 2016, the Buffs would have been in the mix …

Big Ten matchups … 1986: 13-10 road loss to Ohio State … 1991: A 58-0 rout of Minnesota (612 yards of total offense) … 1996: Buffs fall to No. 11 Michigan with ESPN Gameday on hand … 2001: 51-15 rout of San Jose State (560 yards of total offense) … 2016: Buffs take 14-0 lead over No. 4 Michigan before falling, 45-28 …

Are past results indicative of future performance? … VK takes a look at CU’s offensive stats since joining the Pac-12, and finds them, well, offensive … Will the new coaching staff be able to field a Pac-12 worthy offense in 2021? …

While unexpected, Sam Noyer’s announcement was handled with class by both CU’s quarterback and his coach … What’s next for Noyer, and what’s next for the CU quarterbacks’ room? … Plus, a look back at two CU/Nebraska classics: “20-10” in 1986; and the Folsom Field “Ice Bowl” of 1991 …

1986: CU held a 30-23 lead over Oregon with a minute to play, but lost, 32-23 … 1991: Another last minute loss, this time to No. 23 Baylor, 16-14 … 1996: 48-34 win over WAC champion CSU in Ft. Collins … 2001: Rout of No. 24 CSU in Denver, 48-14 … 2016: Idaho State no match in 56-7 romp …

1986: An unexpected (and rare) loss to CSU … 1991: Buffs pull away from Wyoming late … 1996: No. 5 Buffs take it to Ryan Leaf and Washington State … 2001: Who knew a loss to Fresno State in the opener would cost CU a shot at the national championship? … 2016: “Welcome to the Fight” opens with 44-7 rout of CSU …

If you are familiar with the comments section, you are familiar with “VK Berlin” … Challenged to come up with a CU article, this is what I received … See what you think …

Welcome to Summer, 2021! … Over the next few months, we’ll be taking a week-by-week look at the 1986 (“20-10”!), 1991 (CU’s Ice Bowl), 1996 (First Big 12 season), 2001 (“62-36!”) and 2016 seasons (Pac-12 South Champs) … Up first: Preseason prognostications …

Countdown to Chaos Edition … June 1st marks the first time since Karl Dorrell was hired that official visits can take place (“The levee is about to break”) … Meanwhile, the countdown to NIL chaos hits the 30-day mark, with the NCAA and Congress no closer to a solution … Plus: ESPN’s (back-handed) compliment for Tad Boyle …

CU’s season can be broken down into thirds … Four “Must Win” games; Four “Likely Losses”; and Four “Games Which Will Decide the Season” … How CU fares will decide if the Buffs are going bowling in 2021 …

Despite being named the Pac-12 Coach-of-the-Year, Karl Dorrell was still ranked by CBS as the 8th-best coach in the Pac-12 (and 54th out of 65 overall) … Does Dorrell have a “high floor, but limited ceiling”? … Or will Dorrell and the Buffs prove the pundits wrong again this fall? …

Kliavkoff was an “outside of the box” hire, but perhaps just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Pac-12 … A discussion of what Kliavkoff brings to the table, and what the nation is saying about the hire … Plus: Pac-12 expansion and the claim that USC’s is more important than anything Kliavkoff can do …

The Pac-12 went “outside the box” for a second time in hiring its second commissioner … Here’s what new commissioner George Kliavkoff had to say, what others said about him, how the pundits have weighed in … and what CU (and Pac-12) fans can expect from their new commissioner …

(Updated to include Max Wray and Tarik Luckett) … When is it a good thing to add seven players while losing 12? When the seven are not only prospects who were much more highly recruited than the players they replace, but also come in positions of need …

Where were you in the spring of 1996? While waiting for the ’96 season to roll around (CU finished ’95 10-2, ranked 5th in the nation), I read a few college football-related books, books which became the inspiration for CU at the Game …