10/2/2016 football Edit

Colorado ranked 23rd in Coaches Poll, 21st in AP Top 25

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For the first time since 2005 Colorado Football is nationally ranked (No. 23 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Top 25 Rankings) after an impressive 41 point victory over Oregon State to move to 4-1 and 2-0 in PAC 12 Conference play through the first five weeks of the college football season.

Colorado is No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Top 25

Last week the Buffs earned 33 votes in the AP Poll (today they are No. 21) and while the Buffs might not care about midseason rankings, they’ve earned the right to be considered among the Nation’s top college football teams. Yes, this is Colorado we’re talking about who in the past three seasons has a combined record of 10-27.

Colorado’s only loss comes against 4th ranked Michigan on the road at the Big House losing 45-28, a game which they were leading early on 21-7.

In week 4 Colorado defeated Oregon 41-38 in Autzen Stadium, and as you watched on Saturday, Colorado buried the Beavers by 41 points to earn their second conference win of the season, something they have never done under 4th year Head Coach Mike MacIntyre.

5 Reasons Colorado Should Be In The Top 25

1. Offensive Potency - Colorado is scoring an average of 43.2 points per game on offense. As mentioned, Colorado is riding their best season start since 2005 when they started 4-1 under Gary Barnett. Their quarterback play has been tops in the PAC 12 earning two PAC 12 Offensive Player of the Week Awards, Sefo Liufau who played the first three and a half games for the Buffs is 54 of 76 passing for 768-yards with 6 touchdowns, Steven Montez who has started the last two games is 48 of 76 passing for 743-yards with 8 touchdowns.

2. Defense Has Shined - Colorado has held their first 3 out of 5 opponents to a touchdown or less. Defensive Coordinator Jim Leavitt has plenty of talent to work with and they are proving to dominate in the trenches, their linebackers have shown improvement, and their secondary is among the best in the nation. Colorado beat Colorado State 44-7, Idaho State 56-7, and beat Oregon State 47-6 this past Saturday. The Defense has also forced a turnover in 18 consecutive games.

3. Recent Play - Are you not entertained? Colorado beat Oregon 41-38 on the road and then throttled Oregon State 47-6, two key PAC 12 victories to start conference play and you get a strong sense from watching Colorado that their mantra to be uncommon is running throughout the team. Head Coach Mike MacIntyre is also coaching at another level, if you watch any behind the scenes footage of MacIntyre talking to his group, he’s emotional and said it best at the Saturday press conference, "We want to be able to beat the best, so they'll be ready to play, I guarantee. They've tasted it now and it tastes sweet and I know they want to keep tasting it, so they'll keep moving in the right direction. What they've been through has fortified them as a group of men, it's also given them an unbelievable depth and character as far as understanding never say die and never give up."”

4. Proved It At The Big House - Michigan is the best team Colorado has played as the Wolverines are ranked Top 5 Nationally. The Buffs were leading Michigan 21-7, then 28-24 before starting quarterback Sefo Liufau went out with an ankle injury and Colorado’s special team's errors lead to a 45-28 victory for Michigan. Everyone who watched that game saw what Colorado is capable of and they followed that game up with continuing strong play reeling off two conference wins.

5. Beat Oregon State by 41 Points - Colorado was heavily favored against the Beavers coming into Saturday’s game, in-fact the Buffs were 16.5 favorites. Colorado came out and did what good teams do against teams they are supposed to beat: Win convincingly. The Buffs outgained Oregon State 563-226 in total yards, held Oregon State to 31% on 3rd down efficiency, forced two turnovers and really put the game away by half as they led 37-6.

Do October 2nd rankings really matter? Depends. For a team that has not been ranked in the AP Top 25 or had a winning season since 2005, it means a great deal. Especially under 4th year Head Football Coach Mike MacIntyre and those faithful Colorado fans who have to endure 11 consecutive losing seasons and zero Bowl Appearances.

Comparing The Coaches Poll and The AP Top 25

Coaches Poll vs. AP Top 25

Coaches Poll	AP Top 25
1. Alabama 5-0	1. Alabama 5-0
2. Ohio State 4-0	2. Ohio State 4-0
3. Clemson 5-0	3. Clemson 5-0
4. Michigan 5-0	4. Michigan 5-0
5. Houston 5-0	5. Washington 5-0
6. Washington 5-0	6. Houston 5-0
7. Texas A&M 5-0	7. Louisville 4-1
8. Louisville 4-1	8. Texas A&M 5-0
9. Tennessee 5-0	9. Tennessee 5-0
10. Miami 4-0	10. Miami 4-
11. Baylor 5-0	11.Wisconsin 4-1
12. Nebraska 5-0	12. Nebraska 5-0
13. Wisconsin 4-1	13. Baylor 5-0
14. Ole Miss 3-2	14. Ole Mis 3-2
15. Stanford 3-1	15. Stanford 3-1
16. North Carolina 4-1	16. Arkansas 4-1
17. Arkansas 4-1	17. North Carolina 4-1
18. Florida 4-1	18. Florida 4-1
19. Boise State 4-0	19. Boise State 19
20. West Virginia 4-0	20. Oklahoma 2-2
21. Florida State 3-2	21. Colorado 4-1
22. Oklahoma 2-2	22. West Virginia 4-0
23. Colorado 4-1	23. Florida State 3-2
24. Utah 4-1	24. Utah 4-1
25. Western Michigan	25. Virginia Tech 3-1

READ: Steven Monte continues to shine at Quarterback

Over the last two weekends Colorado RS-Freshman Quarterback Steven Montez is on fire. He's thrown for 42 of 59 passing for 626-yards and 8 touchdowns.

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Poll: Who should start for Colorado at QB against USC

READ: Recruits love visit to Boulder

Colorado hosted plenty of big time talent this weekend for their 47-6 victory over Oregon State. We caught up with several Class of 2017 commits following the game.

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READ: Colorado moves to 2-0 in Conference Play in 47-6 rout over Oregon State

Boulder, Colorado - The Rise Continues for Colorado as the Buffs move to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in PAC 12 Conference play with a 47-6 victory over Oregon State. For the first time of the entire season, Colorado trailed an opponent in the first quarter. Oregon State’s Garrett Owens hit a 32-yard field goal to put the Beavers up 3-0 with 8:15 in the first quarter.