Just .05 more computer points and the Colorado
Buffaloes wouldn’t even be thinking about Oregon or
Tostitos right now.
Instead, head coach Gary Barnett’s crew would be
smelling roses and watching game film of undefeated
Miami.
But as it turns out, the much-debated Bowl
Championship Series chose Nebraska for the national
championship game at the Rose Bowl, a team that ended
its regular season with a 62-36 loss to Colorado on
Nov. 23.
The third-ranked Buffs (10-2) went on to defeat Texas
to win the Big 12 championship.
“The guys have handled the whole BCS (controversy)
really well,” Barnett said. “I think when it happened,
they were over it the next Monday.”
There is still an outside shot that the winner of the
New Year’s Day Fiesta Bowl could claim a share of the
national championship if Nebraska defeats Miami in
Pasadena. The Associated Press media poll has both
Oregon (No. 2) and Colorado (No. 3) ahead of
fourth-ranked Nebraska, and could give the title to
the winner of the Fiesta Bowl.
What-ifs are of no concern to the Buffs, though.
“We can’t let anything concerning the BCS trouble us
right now,” Colorado senior quarterback Bobby
Pesavento said. “This team is too mature to be
bothered by what should have or could have happened.
Right now, we just need to focus on Oregon and take
care of business. If we do that, everything will work
itself out.”
With more than two weeks off after winning the Big 12,
sophomore quarterback Craig Ochs, the opening-day
starter, has been able to recover from a strained
ankle tendon suffered against Oklahoma State on Oct.
27 and is competing to get his starting job back.
“They (Ochs and Pesavento) have both proven they can
lead this team to wins,” Barnett said. “They are both
healthy right now, and I know Craig feels he is ready
to go again. We are going to put the guy who we think
gives us the best chance to win out there. And whoever
that is, we’ll deem as the appropriate starter.”
In Ochs absence, Pesavento has led Colorado to five
straight wins and finished the season with 1,234 yards
on 85-for-139 passing and eight touchdowns.
“Craig is our starter and he has been all along,”
Pesavento said. “I think I have played well in the
past few games, but I know the part I play on this
team and when he went down, I just filled my role.
Needless to say, I am here to win and I will support
any decision that is made – as I know Craig will.”
Running wild
Regardless of who takes the snaps, Colorado will run
the ball – and if the regular season is any
indication, the Buffs will run the ball well and
often.
Much like Oregon’s 1-2 punch of Maurice Morris and
Onterrio Smith, Colorado has two tough runners in
Chris Brown and Bobby Purify. And like Morris and
Smith, the Colorado backs could both reach the
1,000-yard mark in the Fiesta Bowl.
Colorado runs the ball 65 percent of the time, with
Brown tallying 946 yards on the ground this season and
15 touchdowns, while Purify has 916 and six scores and
third-string tailback Cortlen Johnson has 567 yards.
“What stands out is they’re committed to running the
ball and they’re good at running the ball,” Oregon
defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti told The
Register-Guard. “We know it’s pick your poison, but we
have to stop the run. We’ll move around and stunt and
change our fronts and twist and do everything we can
to try to keep them guessing.”
When a pass play is called for, Colorado will look for
All-American tight end Daniel Graham, who leads the
team with 51 receptions this season with six
touchdowns.
The series
A rivalry that dates back to 1949, the Ducks and Buffs
have a storied – and heated – history, especially in
recent meetings.
The Rick Neuheisel-led Buffaloes defeated Oregon in
the 1996 Cotton Bowl and in the 1998 Aloha Bowl.
Oregon’s last victory against Colorado came in the
Bill Musgrave’s first season as a the starting
quarterback in 1987, when the Ducks defeated the Buffs
in Boulder, 10-7.
Overall, Colorado leads the all-time series with an
8-6 record.