UCLA Football: 3 takeaways from home victory over Colorado
By Zach Bigalke
3. Colorado won’t be repeating as Pac-12 South champ this season
Last year, Colorado surprised the field to snag the Pac-12 South title from the preseason favorites. The Buffaloes entered the 2017 season hoping to maintain their position atop the division. It looked possible as they started the season 3-0, and even a loss to Washington State last week wasn’t necessarily going to eliminate them from the race.
The Sunday stumble in Pasadena, though, confirmed the fact that the Buffaloes just aren’t as good as the team that took the division crown last season. Steven Montez has looked decent replacing Sefo Liufau at quarterback, but he has been less prolific throwing the ball as the season progresses.
More than the loss of Liufau, though, the defense has reeled both from the departure of key talent and the defection of coordinator Jim Leavitt to Oregon. Last year the Buffaloes were among the nation’s leaders in multiple defensive categories, but the unit has regressed under new coordinator D.J. Eliot.
Next: Complete 2018 NFL First Round Mock Draft after Week 4
The result is that Colorado now finds itself in a 0-2 hole in Pac-12 play right out of the gate. With games against USC, Utah, and Washington State still on the schedule, the Buffaloes will be battling just to reach bowl eligibility instead of contending for the conference crown.