Two years ago, Colorado and Washington State finished last in their divisions. When the Cougars visit Boulder on Saturday, both teams will be in first place and in control of their own destiny. This could very well be a preview of the Pac-12 Championship Game, and that may be one of the biggest surprises of the season.
Washington State vs. Colorado 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
The Buffs and Cougs get together in Boulder for maybe the most unlikely big game of the season.
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The Cougars snapped out of their losing funk last year, winning nine games for the first time since 2003 (they won 10 that year). They are exactly what a Mike Leach team should look like, with a potent and persistent passing attack that has the Cougs ranked as the No. 8 scoring offense in the nation.
Colorado, meanwhile, has come out of basically nowhere to grab control of the Pac-12 South. The Buffs still have a chance to win 10 games, which hasn’t happened since 2001, the last time they won a conference title. They can still win that title, but they will probably need to beat Washington State and Utah to stay ahead of USC in the Pac-12 South. Easier said than done.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX
Radio: Washington State | Colorado
Online streaming: FOX Sports GO
Spread: Colorado is favored by 4.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at CougCenter for Washington State fans or The Ralphie Report for Colorado fans.
Three big things to know
1. Washington State will be playing without extremely productive slot receiver River Cracraft, whose college career ended with a torn ACL against Cal last week. The Cougars have one of the best passing offenses in the country and will surely be able to keep going without Cracraft, but don't underestimate his loss.
2. The advanced stats like Colorado here. The Buffs are No. 14 in the S&P+ rankings, while the Cougars are down at 43rd. Colorado’s defense should be the best unit on the field and is especially strong against the pass. Washington State is going to score points, but it will be interesting to see just how much the Buffs can slow down an opponent that averages 44.3 points per game.
3. Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay should top the 1,000 rushing yards mark sometime in this game. Lindsay is part of a formidable one-two punch with Sefo Liufau, and they should be able to make hay against a Washington State defense that is certainly the weakest unit of any on the field on Saturday.
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