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Things really could not have gone better for University of Colorado football in its first two weeks. By trouncing CSU and Idaho State, the Buffs made a statement, and not just about who the better team was — a statement that this CU team is no longer a weakling in the college football world. Colorado is saying that it’s ready to finally succeed in the Pac-12 Conference.
But can the Buffaloes really accomplish that?
Sure, the Rocky Mountain Showdown and the home opener gave us all a few convincing reasons to believe in this team, but history and other factors make it easy to cast doubt. So before we can come to a conclusion, let’s look at the good and bad omens heading into the season.
Reasons to believe
The most impressive aspect of Colorado’s game against CSU game was its defense. CU’s ability to contain Dalyn Dawkins, who put up 118 rushing yards against the Buffs in 2015, defeated any running game the Rams brought to Denver. The result? A markedly different story line, despite similar rosters on both sides of the ball.
Keep in mind, CU’s defensive unit wasn’t terrible last year. In fact, they were the only Power Five defense to cause a turnover in every game. But the CSU game showed us that this Buffs’ defense also spent the offseason learning, practicing and bonding as a unit. Keep an eye on certified playmakers like senior defensive back Chidobe Awuzie and junior linebacker Jimmie Gilbert.
The defense isn’t just containing teams, they’re preventing them from getting even a semblance of momentum. CSU couldn’t achieve a first down until the second quarter. Idaho State’s offense could only muster 96 total yards. In fact, through two games, the defense allowed only a measly 14 points and 338 total offensive yards. This Buffs’ defense looks solid, and I expect them to continue playing at a high level.
On offense, senior quarterback Sefo Liufau looks poised and beyond capable. With an injury and three losing seasons on his collegiate resumé, Liufau is no stranger to looming doubt, but he’s the most experienced candidate to lead CU’s offense in 2016.
Liufau heads an offense that appears faster and more variable this year — more similar to the high-octane offenses of other Pac-12 teams like Oregon and USC. And the loss of wide receiver Nelson Spruce hasn’t stung as much as anticipated with juniors Devin Ross and Shay Fields racking up yards on surprisingly frequent long-bombs from Liufau.
Expect this offense to be more efficient and yes, more successful in 2016.
Reasons to be skeptical
The first and most obvious way to discount Colorado dominance is to look at the Buffs’ recent level of competition. Yes, CU may have gotten better since last year, but CSU also got a heck of a lot worse. Losing eight starters on defense and two star receivers is bound to hurt any team.
Consider also that the Rams lost the coach who recruited all that talent. Idaho State is so irrelevant that their week-one matchup was against Simon Fraser University, whose only notable aspect is being the only Canadian school in the NCAA.
Despite the easy competition, the Buffs still made mistakes that a harder schedule will amplify. Ball security is the most obvious one, but Liufau has also missed some throws downfield. Those factors are easily forgivable when you’re up by 30-plus points. Against the tougher defenses of the Pac-12, fumbles could mean the difference between victory and defeat. So could missed throws.
Last, let’s look at history. There have been plenty of years where the Buffs dominated in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, crushed an FCS opponent and still suffered a losing season. We know this a team has a history of disappointing, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them fail to close out at least a few more times this season. After all, CU is a team that many thought would finally get tangibly better, record-wise. That has yet to happen.
So how much weight can we put on these wins? I would say a good, cautious amount. The Buffs have impressed so far, but they could still be the victims of their own mistakes in 2016.
That being said, we haven’t seen the Buffs come out of the gate with this level of strength in over a decade. It’s one thing to beat your lower-division opponents; it’s another to blow them out of the water in the first quarter. Even the AP voters are starting to recognize this team’s potential. All in all, I would say at least 85 percent of the buzz around this team is real. A couple major upsets could be in the works for CU this season. We’ll see what this team is really made of at the big house on Saturday in Ann Arbor. Until then, let the hype train roll.
Contact CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Kyle Rini at kyle.rini@colorado.edu.
