If you would have told me prior to last week's game that Colorado would hold USC to 21 points and that the Trojans would turn the ball over 4 times, I would've definitely expected a Colorado victory. It just didn't work out that way though. The offense was sputtering in the first half, which was uncharted waters for this team that was lighting up the scoreboard early in games. The offensive line was getting bullied, and Steven Montez wasn't able to make as many plays as previous weeks with the defense constantly getting to him in the backfield. What was most frustrating, though, was the lack of deep shots. The offense all-in-all was pretty bland (other than one perfectly executed trick play (and who knew Bryce Bobo was a lefty?) and they were not able to take the top off of the Trojans defense like they have done to opposing defenses many times this year. Simply put, the Buffs played by far their worst game of the season, but that's okay.
The Buffs are still in a great position to make some noise in the wide-open Pac 12 South. Arizona State is looking like a very winnable game, and there's a good chance that a healthy Sefo Liufau is back this week. The Buffaloes also are fortunate enough to avoid a matchup with the impressive Washington Huskies, while other South teams (Utah, USC, and ASU) can't say the same. The offense will almost definitely improve against the Sun Devils porous defense. Not to mention Colorado still sits tied atop the South division and has 4 home games and 2 road games for the second half of the season. So not all is lost Buff fans. USC has talent, and their talent showed up and made just enough enough plays to win. The Buffs matchup well with most of their remaining opponents, and I just can't see their dynamic offense struggling that badly against any remaining defense (including Stanford). So don't lose hope. A 4-2 record at this point of the season exceeds many of the preseason predictions, and there is still a lot to look forward to the rest of this year.
CU Buffs enter another week with QB questions - Buffzone
"We're going to work this week like we did the previous few weeks and see how Sefo is feeling and go from there," coach Mike MacIntyre said.
It's why Arizona State is ranked 120th in total defense in the nation, giving up nearly 500 yards offense per game, and is 98th in scoring defense, yielding 33.0 points per game. But so far, the gamble has paid off for ASU. Graham's team is 5-1 (2-1 in the Pac-12) and this week worked its way into the nation's top 25, landing at 24th in the coaches poll while also receiving the 27th most points in the Associated Press poll.
Bryce Bobo, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver, making most of opportunity
It helps that Bobo’s hands are about as big as you’ll find at the position. During his high school days in southern California, Bobo often had to travel 30 miles or more to find a store that made receiving gloves big enough for his hands.
Settling for late FG a passive move for CU Buffs - Buffzone
A lot of people criticized Mike Macintyre for settling for the field goal late in the game, and they may definitely have a justified point.
ESPN Pac-12 Blog: Pac-12 Week 6 Power Rankings
"One conference loss -- 21-17 to USC -- isn't going to bump the Buffs from contention. Especially in the getting-crazier-by-the-second Pac-12 South. The defense played well enough to win against the Trojans, and that should be encouraging. But failing to capitalize on four turnovers was the difference. Colorado can stay in the South hunt next week with Arizona State coming to town."
Arizona State racks up QB injuries as quickly as wins - Today's U
This is something to note throughout the week. Arizona State had to burn a redshirt on their 4th string quarterback because he was their last option in the UCLA game. If they can't get another quarterback healthy, they likely will struggle against our stout defense.
Taylor Kornieck leads CU Buffs soccer in record-setting win over Oregon State - Buffzone
The freshman is starring this year for the soccer team, and CU rolled over Oregon State this weekend and extended their win streak to 9 games along with a 5-0 conference record (a CU first). Kornieck also scored for the 5th straight game which ties a school record.
Tied Atop Pac-12 South, Buffs Still Control Their Destiny - cubuffs.com
As I mentioned above, the Buffs still are tied for the division lead. This team's mindset will not change, and I think Arizona State will be playing an angry and confident Colorado team.