Some say Colorado coach Dan Hawkins inherited an unwinnable situation this season in Boulder, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Here’s the thing about Colorado football:
Hypothetically speaking, the Buffs could lose every game in a season except two and still be a success, at least in the eyes of their fans. While the scenario is not ideal, there’s an unspoken, built-in redemption valve attached to each year.
If Colorado defeats Colorado State and Nebraska, then a season is saved. It’s that simple.
Rivalries against CSU and Nebraska run so deep that victories over those teams trump all others. It’s as if those wins are worth two.
However, there can be complications.
This season, when a two-win finish is entirely likely, the above scenario is no longer hypothetical. CU’s Week 2 loss to the Rams put a serious kink in what might be deemed a successful season, before a string of losses made this the worst CU football season since 1984.
But there’s still hope.
The Buffs can erase the entire season, including the embarrassing loss to Montana State that started the slide, with a significant victory over Nebraska today. The Buffs must beat the Cornhuskers by at least 65 points when they meet in Lincoln at 1:30 p.m. on KMGH-7.
It is possible, Buff fans. Fret not!
Otherwise, bunker down with whatever bad Nebraska jokes are floating around. Because Nebraska is the kind of place where nearly everybody knows someone named Bubba. And that’s often her real name.
WEAK IN REVIEW
Colorado State this week suffered the embarrassment of not selling out its game Saturday against Texas Christian, a black mark for two reasons – bowl-bound TCU is one of the better teams to visit Fort Fun this season, and the game is CSU’s home finale, the last chance to see this version of the Rams in action. But CSU’s chagrin is the rest of our gain. Good seats are available – cheap, $10 for adults and $1 for kids.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Good luck to the Colorado State volleyball team, a Thursday winner over Texas Christian in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The third-seeded Rams advanced and will play in today’s semifinals in Las Vegas.
THE COUCH
ON: If you were watching college basketball on national television Wednesday, you might have noticed the abundance of Colorado kids hooping it up. That was former ThunderRidge standout and current Gonzaga freshman Matt Bouldin getting talked up by ESPN analyst Brent Musburger in the Zags’ upset of North Carolina. And there were three area players featured in the Alaska-Anchorage-Loyola Marymount late game, including Steve Mitchell, an Estes Park grad; Cameron Burney, Steamboat Springs; and Clayton Spencer, Pagosa Springs. Of course, those four players on national TV will be double the amount of locals playing for Colorado when the Buffs host Wyoming on Sunday. That game airs at 2 p.m. on FSN.
OFF: There were what seemed like thousands of Turkey Trots on Thursday, from Durango to Denver. But if you missed out, or if you’re bucking for another strenuous race this weekend, check out the Gobbler Chase 5K Snowshoe Race at Copper Mountain. The race starts at 11 a.m. and runs through the Union Creek area. Check villageatcopper.com for more information.
AROUND TOWN
Talk about getting the family together over the holidays. When the Air Force hockey team travels to Denver to take on the Pioneers in a 7:35 p.m. game today at Magness Arena, it will be like a big reunion, albeit in locker rooms that stink worse than 3-month-old rotting Jell-o mold. Falcons head coach Frank Serratore once helmed the Pioneers, from 1990-94, and Air Force assistant Mike Corbett played at Denver under Serratore. And Denver forward Steve Cook, who has two points in 12 games for the Pioneers this season, started as a freshman at Air Force. Check out the game on the radio at KCKK 1600 AM.
