Op-Ed: The Rocky Mountain Showdown is Colorado's statement game

Buffs can't afford just another win against the Rams

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

For the third straight week, FOX Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will be broadcasting live prior to a Colorado Buffaloes football game. There's no doubt the popularity of Coach Prime has pushed everyone into Boulder for the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

FOX isn't the only ones either. ESPN GameDay, First Take, Pat McAfee Show, and even your grandma's favorite news program, CBS' 60 Minutes will be on hand to document Coach Prime's journey in Week 3. I honestly can't remember the last time, if ever, one flagship pregame show was live covering the same storyline for the same team three weeks in a row. Also, having a competing network join them might be even more surprising. What does not seem surprising about all of this is the ‘why’.

Coach Prime’s Buffaloes are without question the story of college football through three weeks, if not the biggest story in all of sports at the moment. Out of the gate, everyone wanted to see how Sanders' new look Buffaloes would fare against a ranked opponent and last year’s darling, TCU. The result was a shocker to some with a win earlier than expected.

The next hurdle was yet another game many thought CU would blow. A "Red Letter" rivalry game against the despised Nebraska Cornhuskers. Once again, another win for Prime with the home crowd behind him and the team. Next up, Colorado State. A game no one after two weeks thinks CU will lose. While it’s not a trap game, Colorado State is a team these Buffs cannot afford to overlook. The Rams didn't look impressive against Washington State, but when it comes to bad blood between in-state foes, don't knock them until you get on the field.

The Buffaloes have had a start few outside of the Centennial state believed they would have prior to the season. It's easy to jump on the bandwagon now. But this is where things start getting interesting. The vast majority of college football pundits and fans bought into Vegas’ 3.5 win total. In hindsight, it was a disrespectful projection.

Most of those who believed that saw Colorado State as one of the few games CU had an opportunity to win. With two marquee games firmly in the win column, expectations are being adjusted. The momentum and winning in ‘style’ are two things Coach Prime and his Buffs cannot afford to not have.

After the Rocky Mountain Showdown, CU enters the heart of the Pac-12 schedule with back-to-back big time opponents-- Oregon and Southern Cal. You better believe Autzen Stadium will be rocking with Prime's arrival and Nike will throw together a nice set of jersey combinations for each team. The USC game finds the Buffs back home at Folsom Field with all eyes on a QB battle between Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders. Both games will have hype and NFL scouts by the dozens.

The Buffaloes cannot afford to be anything other than dominant against Colorado State. The Rams are underdogs by a 23.5-point margin to the Buffaloes, according to Vegas sportsbooks. To put themselves in the best position before facing Oregon and USC, Colorado needs to meet or exceed that point spread.

No matter what Colorado State does this season, this game will be viewed by those in a position to affect rankings and even possible bowl game assignments, as a game you are supposed to win with ease. With nine games left on CU's schedule that should be considered “not easy wins”, this game against Colorado State needs to feel like it was.

The Top 25 math starts to become important now. Whether it’s as true today as it was decades ago, it doesn’t matter. The Buffaloes have to make a statement against the Rams. We’re out of the first couple games so the ‘lose early and recover’ stretch is over.

Now, they need to be concerned with winning in style and how that could influence rankings. Without making any bold predictions on how the bulk of this season will go, if playoffs or a marquee bowl game are the goal, they cannot miss out on this opportunity to meet or exceed expectations.

There's no shortage of doubters or non-believers to use Coach Prime’s vernacular. Since that aspect is likely not going away any time soon, they must capitalize on these games most people now think, “they should win.” If Colorado goes out and makes a statement against CSU and wins by three scores or more, there is a real possibility that Colorado could find themselves inside the top 15 prior to facing off against Oregon. Then that game next week would be another marquee Pac-12 matchup.

In week one, CSU got doubled up by a ranked Washington State team, 50-24. In that game starting QB Clay Millen was sidelined with an injury. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi came in and played admirably, going 13-for-20 with 210 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Washington State QB Cameron Ward plays an awfully similar game as Shedeur Sanders, and in fact, the two have relied on each other for advice since being at seperate FCS schools. If it's any indication what Sanders might do against CSU, Ward finished with 451 yards and three touchdowns two weeks ago. The Rams running game was less impressive, but still shouldn't be overlooked.

CSU has two receivers with over 80 yard, including 123 yards on five receptions from Justus Ross-Simmons. The Rams' offense is dependent on a heavily-favored passing game, which gives CU a defensive avantage with strength in the secondary. On CSU defensive side, the bulk of the production came from 3 DBs and a LB. All of this is promising for the Buffaloes considering they'll have a lot of weapons ready to go. The matchup in almost every way should favor Colorado. Shedeur will create problems for CSU secondary and expect Dylan Edwards to be utilized out of the backfield often.

While The Rocky Mountain Showdown may not feel like a huge matchup everyone nationally needs to watch, they most likely will because it’s Coach Prime and the top story right now. The Buffs have become the Game of the Week, no matter who they play. Whether it’s FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff or ESPN’s GameDay, it isn’t a huge stretch to think either of those networks (combined) could broadcast from a CU game for the first five games of the season. Which would have to be some sort of broadcasting record within the scope of college football.

For Coach Prime and Colorado’s hype train will continue to gain speed. They cannot just win this game. Depending on the other games involving top 20, a small win from CU could negatively impact their top 25 ranking at a time when they need to gain as much ground as possible before facing two top 15 teams.

A higher ranking going into Week 4 makes for a better ranking outcome the following week. If CU can play reasonably well, it would put them in a much better situation for the second half of the season.

It’s too early to talk about ranking math or full season projections, but considering Coach Prime and these new look Buffs are completely rewriting their own narrative in real time, it's nice to add in the conversation. It’s now time to confirm Coach Prime and the Buffs have a killer instinct and know when to keep their foot on the gas against teams everyone thinks they should beat.