Colorado has become one of the best stories of the college football season. The Buffaloes are 5-1 in the Pac-12 South, leading USC by half a game, and 7-2 overall. Their 20-10 win over UCLA last weekend vaulted them to No. 16 in the AP poll (their highest ranking since 2002) and No. 12 in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
Colorado’s opponent this weekend, Arizona, seems like a pushover on paper, having just allowed 69 points to Washington State in a brutal loss. The Wildcats’ only victories of the season came at home in early matchups against Grambling State and Hawaii. The Buffaloes are heavy favorites this weekend, but would be wise to avoid the overconfidence that can result from grand accolades.
Colorado is calling the four upcoming contests in November “the gold games,” and their importance cannot be understated for the program going forward. They control their own destiny in reaching the Pac-12 title game, likely against Washington or Washington State, and a victory there may result in a CFB Playoff berth if things break right for them across the country.
Just one loss during this stretch, though, and things become precarious, as USC holds the tiebreaker edge with them due to their head-to-head win against the Buffaloes earlier this season.
Colorado has gotten to this point for a variety of reasons, but most notably, they have two quarterbacks who have been effective when it counted.
Senior Sefo Liufau started the first three games, playing well, but has battled injuries all year. He started last week against UCLA, but another injury forced a change to Steven Montez, the freshman out of El Paso who has played well in Liufau’s absence throughout the year.
Despite the uncertainty at the position, no matter whose starting, Colorado always seems to start well: They have outscored opponents 35-0 on first half opening drives this season. Meanwhile, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez wouldn’t commit to either of his quarterbacks as the starter this weekend, as both have been banged up and have struggled mightily. This position is obviously a huge advantage for Colorado.
But hidden in the Buffaloes surprising start are a few glaring weaknesses. Their offensive line ranks 121st out of 128 FBS teams in pass-blocking efficiency. In a road game with a potentially hostile crowd, poor offensive line play can derail a team quickly. Colorado also had a huge problem with turnovers (four) and penalties (12 for 128 yards) last week, including eight personal-foul calls. Nothing can swing a supposedly mismatched game faster than mental mistakes.
Colorado needs only to remember their last trip to Arizona, when 10 penalties and four turnovers resulted in a blowout loss. All things considered, Buffaloes fans will look for Colorado to cruise this weekend in a tuneup game for next week when the Washington State Cougars visit Boulder.
