In 2017, the Buffs lost back-to-back games against Arizona and UCLA by less than a touchdown. The margin of victory in both of these games likely came down to a matter of several plays. When reflecting on the season, the outcome of these divisional matchups helped determine the team’s fate and kept them from reaching a bowl game. Had they won just one of these games, Colorado likely would’ve drawn a game in December.
It was no coincidence that Coach MacIntyre thought about the what-ifs when reflecting on last season at media day, talking about how the trajectory could’ve been substantially different had they won both of them and traveled to Corvallis riding a 5-1 record.