Paul Chapman-USA TODAY Sports
Gary Barnett relives Colorado's historic rejection through FSU's Playoff snub: "We had our warts"
Your scribe was minding his own business and walking past the television set. With my darling wife somewhere else, ESPN was on. Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was sharing the difficulty of inspiring a team to get ready to play in the Orange Bowl against a very good Georgia team. The ‘Noles got dismissed at playoff selection time, which caused quite a bit of controversy.
After hearing Norvell’s thoughts it left me marinating. It immediately took my mind to former Buffs head coach and current radio commentator Gary Barnett and the 2001 Colorado team. The Big 12 Champions smacked around top-ranked Nebraska 62-36 in Boulder and then, in the conference championship game at Texas Stadium outside Dallas, slipped past the Texas Longhorn who had beaten the Buffs earlier in a regular season matchup. But, the way it was two decades ago, metrics and the mighty BCS computer decided Nebraska should play for the national title with the Buffs having to “settle” for a Fiesta Bowl matchup against Oregon.
I was curious what the last coach to win a conference football title for the Buffs thought about what’s going on today with Florida State. Many feel the ACC champion was screwed out of a playoff shot. Others? Hey, because of an injury to their talented quarterback and questions about strength of schedule, the Seminoles had a magical year, but ain’t one of the best still standing.
Barnett offers, “I would have not a problem with that had the committee communicated from day one that at the end of the season? It’s gonna be a contest between the schools we believe are the best right now. It’s about being the best, not the most deserved.”
We dug deeper into CU’s 2001 season. What the affable guy said next was interesting. “We had our warts. We opened the season losing to Fresno State at home with an inexperienced quarterback, Craig Ochs, making his first start. Then we lost at Texas later in the season. We knew it was anything but a sure bet we’d be chosen for the title game.”
A leader of the non-profit Buffs4Life won’t say it but the former host of his television coach’s show will state the obvious. Having to stomach Nebraska earning a shot at a national title despite Colorado stampeding to a dominant late-season win? Jeez.
“I’ll never forget the moment. We were in the middle of our football banquet. The place was on fire for the success of a team that overcame a lot of odds to win the conference championship. I had to step outside the banquet hall, take the call and then go back inside and share the news.”
Ouch. Talk about a major letdown in a heartbeat.
Barnett, the golf enthusiast who won whenever called to coach, adds, “But there’s only so much time you can feel sorry for yourself. You got to move on.”
The CU staff and players tried to put the thoughts of injustice behind and focus on Oregon. Outstanding quarterback and future first round NFL pick Joey Harrington led the Ducks. They were good. The Buffs were deflated and dominated on a beautiful Arizona winter day at Sun Devil Stadium by a final score of 38-16
“We made some mistakes in our bowl approach,” Barnett admits. “We didn’t have any real strict curfews and stuff like that.” The 77-year-old said something that rattled thy marrow and, my thoughts here, were the challenge a team faces when disappointed by a system depriving them of something many feel they earned. It led to distractions. “We treated them like men and they acted like boys.”
Given the age of the athletes, the chagrin of having to settle for less than hoped for and not being mentally ready? The stage was set for a less than spectacular Buffs performance against the Ducks. It will be interesting to see what goes down in the Orange Bowl between Florida State and Georgia. The ‘Noles don’t have their stud quarterback, were snubbed for the playoffs, and now face the ‘Dawgs, who’re a team licking wounds as well after Alabama snapped the two-time defending national champ’s 29-game winning streak.
Football fans will tune in and watch it all unfold. The buildup conjures memories of Barney and the 2001 Buffaloes. The Big 12 conference champions, despite their warts.