All offseason, fans kept talking about September; they couldn’t get their focus off of CU’s non-conference schedule, fixated on the Buffaloes chances of starting the season on a good note.
All along, however, attention should have been on October; that’s when the season really began in Boulder. Because no matter if Colorado went 4-0, 0-4 or some combination in between to start the year, how they fared during the five Pac-12 games in October would ultimately define their season.
If they could win a couple conference games, it would be a sign that things were headed in the right direction. On the flip side, dropping all five games would kill any momentum that a good September might have brought; winless in conference would be a sign that things hadn’t improved.
So far, the Buffs are headed toward the second scenario. Three games into October, they are winless against Pac-12 foes. They were competitive at home against Oregon and Arizona, but ultimately couldn’t close out the games; as a result, people are getting antsy around the CU program.
With a game at UCLA looming on Halloween, that leaves this Saturday as the Buffs best chance to get a win this month. They are underdogs in Corvallis, but they have to find a way to beat Oregon State. That puts pressure squarely on three people:
No. 3 – Sefo Liufau
For the second-straight week, the Buffs quarterback finds himself on this list. Why? Because he’s the guy who has to make a big play or two in order to get his team over the hump. He came close last week against Arizona, having one of his best games as a Buffalo. Against the Wildcats, Liufau completed 28 of 43 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for two more scores. It’s going to take a similar effort on the road this week in order for Colorado to have a chance. Without Shay Fields, that’s going to be tough. But someone, someway, CU’s quarterback has to find a way to get it done.
No. 2 – Jim Leavitt
Last week was feast or famine for CU’s defense. To start the game, they couldn’t stop Arizona, allowing 17 points in the first quarter. Then, they pitched a shutout in the second and third quarters, which helped Colorado claw back into the game and eventually take the lead. But to start the fourth, with the Buffs leading by seven to start the final stanza, the defense fell apart, giving up three straight touchdowns that dug too deep of a hole for Colorado. Levitt came to Boulder this season with a lot of hype. But so far in Pac-12 games, his defense has surrendered 41, 48 and 38 points, respectively. That’s not getting it done.
No. 1 – Mike MacIntyre
MacIntyre took a lot of heat for guaranteeing that CU would beat Arizona, especially after his team failed to delivery, but his motivation was understandable. The past two seasons, Colorado has been close in conference games; but they haven’t been able to get over the hump. In order to get his team to believe that they could do it, the head coach decided to publicly show that he believed in them; it was a motivational tactic more than anything else, one that wasn’t that off the mark. But now, his team needs to have his back, too. That 14-game losing streak in the Pac-12 is looming, and it’s on Coach Mac to put an end to it.