Analysis: Why you need to pay attention to Colorado

Colorado’s theme for this season has been "The Rise." The Buffaloes have personified this vision by winning nine games for the first time since 2002, including the 38-24 win over Washington State on Saturday.

Colorado is now one victory over Utah away from winning the Pac-12 South, an outstanding achievement for a team that continues to fly under the radar.

While Washington earned national attention with its dominating play, and USC has started to turn heads fueled by its aggressive defense, Colorado has been a constant in the Pac-12 without garnering much attention. The Buffs' only two losses have come at the hands of Michigan and the Trojans, two of the better teams in college football.

However, the Buffaloes deserve inclusion in the conversation as one of the country's better teams thanks to their incredible turnaround this season. The Buffs had won only five conference games in five years since joining the Pac-12, but they've won seven conference games this year alone and there are several reasons why.

For one, Colorado has the versatility to play a wide variety of tempos. In a defensive slugfest against Stanford, the Buffaloes held the Cardinal rushing attack to 93 yards, and Christian McCaffrey to 92 yards on the ground - his second-lowest output of the season.

At the same time, Colorado can win shootouts too. Against Oregon, in a game that featured 1,101 total yards, the Buffaloes used a late interception to beat the Ducks for the first time since joining the conference in 2011.

Speaking of defense, Colorado's has risen to the occasion at the most important times. Against Washington State, the Buffaloes prevented the Cougars from scoring on their last four drives of the game. Most important, Colorado forced turnovers on Washington State's last two drives to clinch the victory.

On the other side of the ball, the Buffaloes have employed a balanced offensive attack to keep defenses like the Cougars' on their toes.

Quarterback Sefo Liufau had a huge performance against Washington State, throwing for 345 yards, rushing for 108 yards, and scoring three touchdowns, while running back Phillip Lindsay added 144 yards and two scores. This marks the fourth time in the last five games Lindsay has rushed for at least 100 yards in a contest.

Here's the exciting thing for Colorado fans: The Buffaloes are one win away from playing in the Pac-12 title game. All that's standing in the way is the Utes, but that is no longer the only goal for Colorado. The Buffaloes have the opportunity to finish the season in emphatic fashion.

After beating No. 22 Washington State, Colorado faces Utah, which is currently No. 12, although they will surely drop after being upset by the Ducks. Should the Buffaloes win that contest, they could face a top-five caliber opponent in Washington in the conference title game, should the Huskies beat the Cougars in the Apple Cup next week. This means Colorado has the opportunity to win three straight games against nationally ranked teams and earn a possible Rose Bowl berth.

No one outside of Boulder expected this type of potential, yet the players and coaches did. They used the mantra "Rise Up" to develop what has become a surprising season full of promise. And if the Buffaloes continue to play with that competitive fire and focus, there's no reason they couldn't finish the season having accomplished everything they've set out to do.