The return of University of Colorado football was an emotional ride.
Not so much for the 35-7 win over the University of Northern Colorado. To be honest, the outcome was expected. In fact, some might argue it wasn’t impressive enough since it wasn’t more lopsided. The spread going into the game was around the Buffaloes -37, give or take a .5/full point.
No, the emotion came from the fans being back at Folsom Field.
And then fans got the appearance of Ralphie VI. The Colorado mascot made her first run and it was such an awesome sight. It was better than awesome.
Needless to say it was a great start to the 2021 college football season for the Buffs.
Now comes the biggest test of the season, a showdown with No. 5-ranked Texas A&M (1-0) at 1:30 p.m. MT this Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High. It’s this week’s PlayColorado College Football Game of the Week.
Texas A&M vs CU odds
To the surprise of no one, the college football betting odds aren’t favorable to the Buffs. Colorado is a huge underdog to the Aggies.
But those odds can lead to some decent college football betting opportunities.
If you think the Buffaloes will keep it close, mainly because of their defense, that’s one place you could place a wager.
There’s also the over/under, and that’s the most interesting play for this game. Right now it sits at . If the Colorado defense can repeat what it did against the Bears, you might consider the under. However, Texas A&M is a whole different beast. There’s a reason it’s ranked No. 5 in the country.
Keep in mind, Colorado does not allow college football prop bets.
How the Buffs cover
First and foremost for head coach Karl Dorrell and his football team, it starts with the defense. If the Buffs want any chance, the defense has to do its part to keep the game close. That’s a tall ask.
The Aggies bring a triple-threat offense of running backs Devon Achane and Isaiah Spiller to go with receiver Ainias Smith. As The Associated Press points out, in Texas A&M’s 41-10 win over Kent State to start the season, both Achane and Spiller topped 100 yards rushing, while Smith had 100 yards receiving and two scores.
Meanwhile, the Buffaloes held Northern Colorado 20 yards rushing. There’s your key matchup for Saturday.
As for the CU offense, it’s all about the running game. If Jarek Broussard and Alex Fontenot are able to get positive yardage and take the pressure off quarterback Brendon Lewis, the Buffs can eat some clock and keep the Aggies offense on the sideline.
Set for the biggest test of the season, it’s not so much the win but how it looks and plays against an opponent that has a great chance to play in the National College Football Playoff.
The start of the season was an emotional and fun ride, how Saturday unfolds could tell us what the season has in store.
