Colorado just got smoked in Eugene - couldn't make any sort of stop on defense (besides a missed throw from Bo Nix that turned into an INT), O-line got dominated, Shedeur Sanders was playing like the Ducks D-Line was a bunch of high schoolers and he could make throws with two guys on him, but reality struck quickly and he could not find any momentum.
Losing by five touchdowns in any game is a solid beating, but the attention that Colorado has been getting since their win at TCU in week 1 has amplified damn near everything they do in Boulder these days - may need Producer Reese to fact check me here, but I'm pretty sure ESPN, Fox Sports, The Rock, and Snoop Dogg have been up there just in that short time span (Snoop Dogg may have been made up but feels like it could also be true.)
The buzz bubble was destined to pop, and it happened today - kind of like any new startup or new media conglomerate that launches out here in SF that hits their buzz upon staring out, then they hit reality with the trough of disillusionment. I thought they would cover as 21 point underdogs (congrats to my friend and colleague on his great bet) but they didn't - on to Cincinnati we go, we are back to reality and the story moves on.
But what came off as surprising to me was the vitriol with which the Oregon head coach Dan Lanning spoke before the game of Colorado - here was the quote, and the video shows some legit negative emotion towards a team he is favored to beat by three touchdowns - here is the excerpt from ESPN's postgame article:
The dominance was so thorough that, in the first half, the television broadcast showed video of Lanning's pregame speech, during which he said Oregon was "rooted in substance not flash."
"They're fighting for clicks; we're fighting for wins," Lanning said in the video. "The Cinderella story's over."
This wasn't Lanning's first vocal foray about Colorado and Sanders. Before the season, Lanning was asked at Pac-12 media days about Colorado's move to the Big 12.
"I'm trying to remember what they won to affect this conference and I don't remember," Lanning said. "Do you remember them winning anything? I don't remember them winning anything."
ESPN (thank you and god bless)
Cinderella story? This is a week 4 game against a team that had one win last season, who is ranked below you, and you are significantly favored against. I guess he's trying to drum up some storyline for himself and his team that doesn't appear to exist? Guarantee you Coach Prime wasn't worried about what Oregon was doing, he's focused on what he and his team are doing. When the coach is so focused on the opponent, and mostly the other coach who isn't playing a snap, and now what they are doing... it reeks of short-sightedness and a focus on a single opponent. When in reality, if you want to get anywhere in college football especially, you need to have that long term mindset the Nick Saban's, the Bobby Bowden's, and the Mack Brown's of the world have/had.
Not Deion's fault everybody wants to talk about him. Not Deion's fault that he's brought life into a dormant program that hasn't been relevant since the early 90's. Not Deion's fault that every other program in college football had the chance to give him a job over the last three years and all passed. Deion didn't call himself Cinderella...
Colorado is playing the long game, Oregon is playing for the win today. So credit to them... happy for your win and hope they have a great season, it's anybody's national title to claim this year. But if we're betting futures, it's Colorado over Oregon any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Colorado is playing a on a different plane than others, and that's what will always bother the haters. It bothers them viscerally... and whenever this happens in life, those who feel strongly about it will always have difficulty explaining. That's the difference between working for a W, or working for a purpose... the difference between working for a what instead of working for a why.
So congrats to the Colorado haters and Dan Lanning today... glad you get your short term dopamine hit. But they ain't goin anywhere... it's about the program.
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