This is Stuart Whitehair, publisher and editor for the CU at the Game website, and your host for the CU at the Game podcast. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will open with a review of CU's hard-to-take 34-31 loss to No. 23 Arizona. As is our custom for the post-mortem on a game, we give our grades for what about the CU effort was Excellent, what was Satisfactory, and what still Needs Improvement for a tough loss - a game in which the Buffs never trailed the Wildcats ... until the clock read 0:00. We will then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the upcoming matchup against Washington State. Our preview will look at the game from the perspectives of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for a game which will be played under the lights on a crisp Friday night in Pullman. So ... In a game featuring two of the top ten passers in the nation, and two of the bottom ten rushing offenses in the nation - which team has the edge? ... Will the Court hearing on the dispute between the “Pac-2" and the “Pac-10" have an influence on the Cougar coaches and players, who are two weeks away from officially being orphans? ... Which team - the team which started out 3-0 and ranked 19th, or the team which started out 4-0 and ranked 13th - has enough emotional energy left in the tank to end their losing streak? ... Let’s find out ...

First, before we talk football, a tip of the CU at the Game hat to the Colorado women’s basketball team. The 20th-ranked Buffs opened their season with a 92-78 win in Las Vegas over the No. 1 ranked - and defending national champion - LSU Tigers. The win represents the second time the CU women’s team has knocked off a No. 1 team, with the other coming in 2021 against Stanford, and the victory certainly bodes well for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will review CU’s 26-19 loss to No. 16 Oregon State. As is our custom for the post-mortem on a game, we give our grades for what about CU's effort was Excellent, what was Satisfactory, and what still Needs Improvement. We will then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the upcoming matchup against No. 23 Arizona. Our preview will look at the game from the perspectives of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game which will be played before a sellout crowd at Folsom Field on Senior Day. So ... Can the Colorado coaching staff finally find a way to protect its most precious resource, quarterback Shedeur Sanders? Or, will the most sacked quarterback in the FBS continue to be harassed by opposing defenses? ... Is it possible that Arizona, which has played five straight games against ranked opponents, winning the last three, will be looking past the Buffs? ... Can the Buffs find enough defensive and special teams magic to assist CU’s struggling offense, enough to cobble together enough points to send the Buff Nation home happy, with a victory in the final home game of the season? Let’s find out ...

I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will review CU’s final trip to the Rose Bowl as a member of the Pac-12. The Buffs fell to No. 23 UCLA, 28-16, and we will do the post-mortem on the game, giving out our grades for what about the CU effort was Excellent, what was Satisfactory, and what still Needs Improvement. We will then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the upcoming matchup against No. 16 Oregon State. Our preview will look at the game from the perspectives of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game to be played before a sellout crowd at Folsom Field for Homecoming. So ... Can the Colorado coaching staff find a way to protect its most precious resource, quarterback Shedeur Sanders? Or, will the most sacked quarterback in the FBS continue to be harassed by opposing defenses? ... Will the Buffs come up with a defensive game plan to stop Oregon State running back Damien Martinez, who has been a force for the Beavers this season - and who had over 170 yards and three touchdowns rushing the last time CU played Oregon State? ... Will the Buffs be able to regain a little Folsom Field magic, and restore the nation’s faith in Coach Prime and Co.? Or, will the national narrative about the Buffs continue to sour as the calendar turns to November? Let’s find out...

The Buffs have been nursing their injuries, both physical and mental, as they begin their preparations for the second half of the 2023 season. I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will take a look back at the first half of the season, and give you our midterm grades for CU’s offense, defense, special teams, and coaching staff. We’ll then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the upcoming matchup against No. 23 UCLA. Our review will look at the game from the perspectives of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game to be played before a sellout crowd in the Rose Bowl. So ... Does CU’s prolific passing game, behind record-setting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, deserve an “A” for the first half of the season? Or does the lack of a running attack tarnish the Buffs’ overall grade? ... Does the sieve of a defense give the CU defense a failing grade? Or does the talented secondary give the Buff Nation hope for a more productive second half? ... Can the Buffs find a way to resurrect its rushing attack against one of the best run defenses in the country in UCLA? Or will it be "Shedeur or bust" for the Buffs in Pasadena? ... Let’s find out ...

So ... Did you take CU and the over six weeks ago? Vegas prognosticators had the over/under for CU at 3.5 wins for the season, so if you bet on your Buffs and took the over, you can cash in your ticket. Midway through the 2023 campaign, the Buffs are 4-2, with CU traveling to Tempe and coming home with win No. 4, taking out Arizona State, 27-24. I am joined for this podcast by Neil Langland, and we will present our review of the ASU game, using categories of Excellent, Satisfactory and Needs Improvement to sift through yet another comeback win in the first year of the Coach Prime era. We will then turn our attention to the upcoming Friday the 13th matchup against Stanford. Our “T.I.P.S.” will take you through the categories of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game against the Cardinal. So ... Will the bye week for Stanford before facing the Buffs prove to be a positive for the Cardinal, as it did for the CSU Rams a few weeks ago? ... Can the Buffs find a way to exploit one of the worst pass defenses in the country? ... Will the Buffs, a double-digit favorite for the second time this season, take care of business early against Stanford, or will this game be another fourth quarter nail-biter for the Buff Nation? ... Let’s find out ...

When does a loss feel like a win? I’ll tell you - It’s when 54,000 members of the Buff Nation witness a furious comeback against the No. 8 team in the nation. The Buffs came up short against USC, falling 48-41, but did build some momentum for the rest of the season as the gauntlet of CU’s September schedule is finally behind us. I am joined for this podcast by Neil Langland, and we will present our review of the USC game, using categories of Excellent, Satisfactory and Needs Improvement to sift through yet another exciting game in the first year of the Coach Prime era. We will then turn our attention to the upcoming matchup in the desert against Arizona State. Our “T.I.P.S.” will take you through the categories of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game against the Sun Devils. So ... Will Arizona State quarterback Trenton Bourguet, who had over 400 yards passing and three touchdowns against the Buffs in Boulder last fall, be able to duplicate his numbers against Coach Prime’s defense? ... Will the CU players be able to handle the afternoon heat of Tempe, with a forecast high at kickoff of 100-degrees? ... Will the Buffs find a way to play a solid first half, and not have to rely on a second half comeback - again? ... Will the Buffs take the positives from the USC game, and turn them into win No. 4 of the season? ... Let’s find out ...

The Buffs took one on the chin last weekend, falling on the road to No. 10 Oregon, 42-6. I am joined for this episode by Neil Langland, and we will do the post-mortem on CU’s first loss in the Coach Prime era, and speculate as to what lessons, if any, the Buff players and the Buff Nation can take from the defeat. We then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for CU’s last chance as a member of the Pac-12 to take down the Trojans of USC. Using the categories of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, we break down what the eighth-ranked Trojans are bringing to breakfast in Boulder, and what the CU coaches and players might exploit in their bid for an upset. So... Will the 9:00 a.m. body clock kickoff work to USC’s disadvantage? ... Will former Buff Brenden Rice be featured in his return to Folsom Field? ... Will the CU coaching staff follow the Arizona State template, and throw in every trick play in the playbook in an attempt to stay with the high octane scoring machine which is the USC offense? ... Will the Buff players rebound from their first loss at CU with renewed swagger, or will this turn into a second consecutive rout, a game which is out of reach by halftime? Let’s find out...

Well, it’s never easy being a Buff fan, but it continues to be rewarding, as Colorado pulled out a double-overtime win over Colorado State, 43-35. I am joined for this episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will discuss the Buffs’ late night comeback, and what the win means for the program going forward. We will also give you our grades for the game, breaking down the Rocky Mountain Showdown into what was Excellent, what was Satisfactory, and what still Needs Improvement. We then turn our attention to CU’s trip to Eugene to face the tenth-ranked Oregon Ducks. Our “T.I.P.S.” discussion will do a deep dive into categories of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation and Statistics. So ... A week after failing to hold a CSU freshman quarterback in check, how will the CU defense fare against Heisman trophy candidate Bo Nix? ... Can Buff quarterback Shedeur Sanders find a new security blanket, now that all-everything Travis Hunter is out for the next several weeks? ... Can the CU defense, which leads the nation in turnovers, continue to produce opportunities for the CU offense, giving the Buffs a chance to defeat yet another ranked three-touchdown favorite on the road? ... Let’s find out ...

So, are you still savoring the Buffs’ 36-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, or are you ready to move on the Rocky Mountain Showdown? I am joined for this podcast by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we are going to take a few extra minutes on this episode to revel in CU’s huge win over the Big Red from Lincoln. We will also break down the game against the Cornhuskers into what elements of CU's performance we feel could be rated as Excellent, what was merely Satisfactory, and what are areas which still Need Improvement. We will then move on to our “T.I.P.S.” for the renewal of the rivalry against Colorado State. The Buffs have won five straight in the series overall, but the teams haven’t met since 2019. We will review the Blackout game in terms of Talent, Intangibles, Preparation, and Statistics, before giving you our predictions for the game. So ... Are the handful of first-team All-Mountain West performers in the CSU lineup enough to make it a game? ... Will the Rams have a big enough chip on their shoulder, or will the Buffs have too great of a hangover, to give CSU a chance at an upset? ... Will the extra week of preparation - yes, CSU had a bye week last week - give the Rams an added advantage? ... And are there any stats from the games played to date which could lead you to believe that the 23.5-point spread is way too great? Let’s find out ...

So... How was your Labor Day weekend? If you are a Buff fan, it was one for the books, as Colorado, a 20.5-point underdog, went on the road and upset No. 17 TCU, 45-42. I am joined by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we take a little time to talk about and savor one of the most significant CU victories in years. But, Coach Prime, his staff, and his players don’t have time to relish the season opening win and all of the accolades, as rival Nebraska is coming to Boulder for Coach Prime’s Folsom Field debut. We will dissect the upcoming roster matchups, using our “T.I.P.S.” process - analyzing Talent, Intangibles, Preparation and Statistics - before giving you our predictions. So... Will the Buffs continue to shine on offense? Will the CU coaching staff be able to make corrections on defense and special teams? What will be Nebraska’s game plan, coming off of a disheartening 13-10 season opening loss to Minnesota? What will be the emotional levels for both teams, in a rivalry game which means so much to both fan bases? Can Coach Prime coax another winning performance from his Buffs? Let’s find out...