Buffs ranked in college football polls for first time since 2005
Wait, since when are we good at football?
We’ve been the underdogs for quite a while and it looks like the luck has finally gone the Boulder way. We’re ranked people!
After a smashing win against Oregon State 47-6, the Buffs moved to 4-1 and 2-0 in the Pac 12 for the first time in 11 years (since November 6, 2005)! Under the fourth year head coach Mike MacIntyre, the team was on the upwards climb towards a turnaround and after the game against Oregon State, MacIntyre couldn’t be more proud.
He stated after the victory, “What they’ve been through has fortified them as a group of men. It’s given them an unbelievable depth in character as far as understanding, ‘Never say die, never give up’.” The Buffs are now ranked number 21 in the Associated Press Poll and number 23 in the Coaches Poll a.k.a bragging rights are slowly getting more official people.
A heartbreaker of a loss to USC
On Saturday, October 8th, the Buffs suffered a defeat to USC on the road. But despite the loss, the team is more fired up than ever. “I think it’ll help us in the long run,” said quarterback Steven Montez. “It’ll keep us hungry and get us refocused. We can take it, we can grow from it and we can move on.”
Additionally, the game led to CU gaining its running back, Philip Lindsay, to get 100 receiving yards for the first time since Cortlen Johnson in 2001 against Iowa State. “We’re an older team and we’re going to keep pushing because that’s what we do,” he said. “We’ve made some mistakes; we can’t control that now.”
As the team moves forward they stick with their motto “One snap and clear.” The meaning is plain and simple, after each play, each day, each win or loss of each game, they forget it, wipe the slate clean and move on to what’s next. CU has had an incredibly strong start to the season and at the midway point are tied atop the Pac-12 South Division. This is something that quite frankly, no one really expected them to see when the season started.
After a sting like the USC loss, the Buffs mantra will be heavily tested as they move forward. During the past few years, CU hasn’t had a lot of games where an extra win would have made much difference. A non-conference loss to Michigan in September didn’t come close to Saturday’s loss knowing they lost the chance to bury USC in the standings and solidify a spot at the top of the division. “We have one goal, to be Pac-12 Champions, and that still hasn’t changed. We’re going to regroup and get ready to play,” stated running back Philip Lindsay.
A rise in football fandom
As the Buffs prepare for their upcoming game against ASU October 15th, there’s no doubt they will have a huge crowd ready to cheer for them at our home field. Thanks to a new surge in football wins, the crowd for their determined team continues to grow bigger. Already this season, the Buffs have had their most attended game of 46,839 fans on October 1st against Oregon State. CU has already sold more than 44,000 tickets for Saturday’s game against ASU, so the expectations for fans exceeding the 46,000 that came to the game against Oregon State, is very high.
The lowering of prices of tickets from $175 to $99 definitely helped motivate fans to attend. After selling 7,000 student passes last year, the Buffs have now sold more than 9,000 this year and the hope that we’ll reach 10,000 is becoming more and more real. Out of the 18 home games from 2013-2015, attendance of 40,000 people was marked just three times. In just two games this year (both for Oregon), this mark was topped at 45,000 people TWICE.
Fans finally have something to cheer for and the determination of the players and dedication of the team is inspiring for the college football spirit. To push for more fan support CU is launching “CU in 60,” encouraging fans to get to the stadium 60 minutes prior to kickoff so there’s not a huge rush in the last minutes. Students in the stands as long as possible for their team would be fantastic.
Get out. Cheer loud. Stand proud.
So to every CU student, alum and fan, get involved and be part of the rise of CU football. Our Buffs are playing their hearts out and they deserve a loud crowd to cheer them on. Get some CU black and gold spirit going, you don’t want to miss out on an epic rise to the Pac-12 Championship!