Colorado is ThisClose to Being a Top 10 Team
Colorado is something like, oh ... two or three plays away from being undefeated, leading the Pac-12 and creeping up against the Top 10.
If overtime goes the other way against Air Force and Daniel Arias catches that touchdown pass against Arizona, CU would likely be the only undefeated team left in the Pac-12. It would have two Top 25 wins on its resume and it would find itself somewhere in the range of No. 9 Notre Dame (3-1), No. 10 Florida (5-0), No. 11 Texas (3-1), No. 12 Penn State (4-0) and No. 13 Oregon (3-1).
This is immensely frustrating.
Before the season, CU was picked last in the Pac-12 South. Everybody knew the defense would be a problem and everybody knew the offensive line would have its ups and downs on account of some new personnel.
What nobody knew was how well coach Mel Tucker would do with all this. He put a heavy emphasis on toughness and physicality during spring ball and fall camp, and you could tell he wanted to be an old-school SEC-type team.
It hasn't worked out exactly that way. CU's running game is OK, but it's the passing game that is carrying the team. What's been encouraging for CU fans is that Tucker seems to have rallied his team around an identity, which isn't the easiest thing to do in your first year, with a lot of roster turnover, and a team that's supposed to stink.
It's obvious Colorado is a confident team that is taking its cues from Tucker, who despite his conservative demeanor has shown himself to be a sucker for a trick play -- and they keep working.
The Buffaloes aren't the most talented team in the Pac-12, but on offense they aren't far off, even with Laviska Shenault on the sidelines.
They just ... ugh ... they do things bad teams do. Like drop passes in the end zone, jump offsides, ruin drives with holding penalties. And as a result a team that woulda coulda shoulda been ranked something like 12th when the polls came out today, is now having to worry once again about bowl eligibility.
CU is almost a great team, which is the most frustrating kind of team there is.
