Brooks: Buffs Fully Focused At Season's Halfway Point

BOULDER - With six games behind them and six ahead, the Colorado Buffaloes are halfway to somewhere - the postseason or the off season.

Convincing them that it's the former scenario really shouldn't take that much convincing if (and the "ifs" always seem huge with this team) the Buffs have turned their focus inside.

After exiting non-conference play with a respectable 3-1 record then losing consecutive Big 12 Conference games, the buzz outside of Buffsville either has been reduced to a barely discernible hum, or has been replaced altogether by chatter about change for 2011.

But with good reason, Buffs players and coaches claim they aren't allowing themselves to be caught up peering into the not-so-distant future. Nothing to be gained there, and sitting at 3-3 now with half a dozen games remaining isn't exactly a road to nowhere.

To the contrary, it can be a rewarding final half of the season, and that's what CU coach Dan Hawkins and his staff want this team to realize - if it already doesn't.

"There's still a lot of football to be played, a lot to be decided," Hawkins said Wednesday.

Hawkins recounted a Tuesday night conversation with Chris Petersen in which he and the Boise State coach chuckled about the all-consuming national conversations centering on which two teams will play for the 2010 BCS championship.

Ah, Hawkins' team won't be one of them, but his former team hopes to be. The Broncos are 6-0, but ranked behind No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Oregon in the first BCS poll. Hawkins said he and Petersen marveled at how intense the speculation is with so much season remaining.

"I know there's things that have to be talked about on some level, but you're going, really? With six games left?" said Hawkins, who for different reasons has as much on his plate in Boulder as Petersen does in Boise.

With Texas Tech visiting Folsom Field Saturday (1:30 p.m., no TV) and a pair of Big 12 road games looming (Oct. 30 at Oklahoma, Nov. 6 at Kansas), the Buffs need to win their first conference game this weekend and take a step beyond .500.

The Red Raiders also are at 3-3 overall (1-3 Big 12), and new coach Tommy Tuberville and his staff are intensely aware that Tech has made 16 consecutive postseason appearances. Count on "Tubs" not wanting the streak to end in the first year of his watch.

CU is 2-0 against Tech at Folsom Field and 4-2 against the Red Raiders in Big 12 competition. Still, Tech can refer to Baylor's 31-26 win last weekend at Folsom and know the Buffs aren't close to being dominant at home. What's more, if comparative scores mean anything, Tech won a shootout (45-38) with Baylor and pierced the Bears for 635 yards of total offense the weekend before Baylor visited Boulder.

Hawkins wants his players to know that "every game is going to be a grind . . . so strap it up and get going, because it's not going to be easy." Moreover, though, he wants them to be aware of the possibilities packed into the final six games - "Big games, ranked teams, big rivals . . . there's a lot of things going on," he reminded.

Quarterback Tyler Hansen doesn't believe the Buffs will have any difficulty concentrating on the goals they still can realize, or reminding themselves that half a season remains.

"We've got half the year left and still a lot of winnable games and a lot of goals to accomplish," Hansen said. "We're just kind of taking it one day at a time and dealing with what we've got to deal with as a team.

"The way we're looking at it now, we can maybe win three or four games and make a pretty good bowl game and have a great year - send these seniors off on a good note. Maybe we can surprise Oklahoma, beat Nebraska and maybe have a real special end of the year."

First-year secondary coach Ashley Ambrose simply hopes the Buffs have enough pride to fashion a strong finish.

"Anytime you play this game it's about pride," Ambrose said. "This season is not over. We're trying to focus to get at least five out of six of these games. We won't be satisfied if we don't have a winning record on the back end of it. That's just the nature of it; you've got to have pride in what you're doing."

BUFF BITS: Hawkins sees merit in the NFL's tougher stance on helmet-to-helmet hits, but wonders whether it initially might lead to defenders being overly aware of being suspended. "You may see some situations where a guy doesn't get tackled because, "Ooh, I thought I was going to hit him in the head.' But I think it's good they're worried about that. It's taken a long time to get used to the whole quarterback deal (roughing penalties)." . . . . Defensive end Josh Hartigan (knee) and corner Jimmy Smith (concussion) worked lightly Wednesday. Hawkins said it was too early to count either player in or out for Saturday . . . . Defensive back Travis Sandersfeld (broken lower leg) practiced Wednesday, but his availability this weekend probably won't be determined until week's end. Hawkins said DB Paul Vigo's recovery from the same injury was slower . . . . Tuesday's and Wednesday's practices were shortened to allow all the Buffs more recuperative time. "When you get beat up (at this time of season), you get done what you have to get done," Hawkins said. "We went hard in pads both days." . . . . CU's current depth chart lists senior Aric Goodman and freshman Justin Castor even at No. 1 at placekicker. Add junior Marcus Kirkwood and make it a three-way tie, said Hawkins: "We always leave it a little nebulous . . . it gives you guys (media) a little curve ball."

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU