“It’s Deja Vu All Over Again”

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“It’s Deja Vu All Over Again” – Yogi Berra

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In case you missed it, Montana State won its fourth national championship in school history this past Monday, with a thrilling 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State. The game had everything you would want from a championship game – a gutsy comeback by the underdog Redbirds, a blocked field goal by the Bobcats to send the game into overtime, a blocked extra point by the Cats in overtime, then the Bobcats converting a fourth-and-ten at the 14 in their overtime possession to pull out the heart-stopping victory.

It’s been a fun week in Bozeman.

No, this doesn’t mean I’m dumping my Buffs for the Bobcats. Though, true be told, I was a Bobcat fan years before ever setting foot on CU’s campus.

This fall, I did get to attend three Bobcat games, including a regular season game during one of CU’s bye weeks, then the first two home playoff games against Yale and Stephen F. Austin (I watched the semifinal game against Montana from home – tickets for that game started at $600!).

A quick side note … Despite what ESPN posted during the FCS title game, MSU’s title was actually the fourth in school history. MSU is the only school in the country to win titles in three different divisions, winning the NAIA title in 1956, the Division II title in 1976, and its first FCS title in 1984.

That’s all fine and good, you may be wondering … But was does the MSU championship have to do with my Buffs?

I’m getting there …

In 1984, as MSU was winning its first FCS title, Colorado was going 1-10.

Let’s see where this goes … as there are some parallels between 1984 and 2025 which are worthy of note.

The 1984 campaign was Bill McCartney’s third season in Boulder.

The 2025 campaign was Coach Prime’s third season in Boulder.

(See – I told you I’d bring this back to your Buffs!).

In 1984, the Buffs were terrible. The only thing keeping CU from going 0-11 was a 23-21 win over Iowa State in Folsom Field in October.

In 2025, the Buffs were pretty terrible. CU’s last win of a 3-9 campaign came in a 24-17 win over Iowa State in Folsom Field in October.

In 1984, the Buffs limped into the offseason with losses at home to Oklahoma (by the score of 42-17) and on the road against Kansas State.

In 2025, the Buffs limped into the offseason with losses at home to Arizona State (by the score of 42-17) and on the road against Kansas State.

Starting to see some parallels here?

Now, the 1984 team’s 1-10 finish gave Bill McCartney a three-year record of 7-25-1. His predecessor, Chuck Fairbanks, had left town with no CU fans shedding tears after posting a three-year record of 7-26.

And yet, despite posting as bad a record as had Fairbanks, Bill McCartney was not only not fired, he was given a contract extension, leaving the Buff Nation shaking their heads about the dark days to come.

The 3-9 finish to the 2025 season left Coach Prime with a three-year record in Boulder of 16-21. Not as bad as Bill McCartney’s record, but far from what many in the Buff Nation were expecting.

CU ended last season on a five-game losing streak, and there hasn’t been much better news since. As the current off-season began, with CU fans already discouraged, began hearing news of defections from the roster.

While players were not officially allowed to enter the Transfer Portal until January 2nd, word of players leaving began almost immediately.

At first, it didn’t seem like it would be too bad, with a few non-starters announcing on social media that they would be departing. There was still hope that Coach Prime would be able to keep much of his roster together, and have a strong base to build upon for the 2026 season.

Then, the trickle became a steady stream, as players Buff fans were counting on to become the foundation for the 2026 team announced their intentions to defect. Defensive linemen London Merritt, Alexander McPherson, and Brandon Davis-Swain all left, leaving the roster devoid of defensive tackles. Other promising talent, like wide receiver Omarion Miller and safety Tawfiq Byard, also decided to leave town.

With the Transfer Portal not yet officially open, it was all “out-go” from the CU roster, with no new talent coming in. Yes, the CU Recruiting Class of 2026 was signed in early December. But, as is his formula, Coach Prime signed a small Class. To be sure, some talent was joining the team, but a Recruiting Class ranked 64th in the nation (and 14th in the Big 12) was hardly enough good news to offset all of bad news about the decimation of the CU roster.

But, while the Transfer Portal takes, it also gives.

Since January 2nd, when the Transfer Portal opened, the CU roster has been supplemented with over two dozen new players. Many of the positions of need are being filled, with a sprinkling of high profile talent to keep the naysayers at least mollified for the time being.

There are more additions to the roster to come. We will have several months to dissect how the 2026 team will be able to compete, so we’ll save comment on the status of the roster for later.

For now, though, I want to leave you with one more 1984/2025 comparison.

It’s not just the two seasons both ended in Montana State FCS titles.

It’s not just the two seasons both ended in CU’s third-year coaches being questioned.

There is also this … 

What saved Coach McCartney’s job, and started CU on a path towards a national title, was his willingness to completely start over with his offense.

In 1984, CU quarterback Steve Vogel passed for 1,432 yards, which was then (believe it or not) the second-highest total for passing yards in a season in CU history.

For the 1985 season, though Coach McCartney scrapped his passing offense and went to the wishbone. Mark Hatcher, CU’s starting quarterback that fall, passed for 325 yards … for the season. Future CU head coach Jon Embree, then a tight end, led team in 1984 with nine receptions for 140 yards (after leading team with 51 receptions for 680 yards in 1984).

The experiment, though, worked. The Buffs were the most improved team in the nation, going 7-5 and earning a trip to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim … and things only got better from there.

Now, on to 2026 … While Coach Prime’s job is not in jeopardy, his team needs a jump start heading into the season.

Instead of reverting back to the wishbone, however, Coach Prime is instead embracing the “Go-Go” offense of his new offensive coordinator, Marion Brennan.

Brennan’s offense can be briefly described as involving the following:

• Creativity – Often using a two-back set, the Go-Go offense puts skill position players in position to make plays, sometimes even having five players all on the same side of the ball;
• Toughness – Prioritizing a downhill running style, Marion’s team averaged 262 rushing yards per game. Beating down opponents on the ground then opens the vertical passing threat, giving the offense chances at big plays; and
• Pace – Brennan talks about having a “fifth quarter” of football, with his teams playing fast, creating more plays, and, ultimately, more opportunities to score.

While Coach Prime’s move to a new “Go-Go” offense is a dissimilar from Coach Mac’s move to the wishbone, his move could have a similar effect. The skill position players CU is signing on to play for the 2026 season are tailor-made for Brennan’s “Go-Go” offense. If CU can bring in a few more talented offensive linemen, the sky may be the limit for the Buff offense this fall.

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A great deal happened in 2025 which seems eerily familiar to what happened in 1984, from MSU’s title runs to CU’s woes.

There is no guarantee that the parallels between 1984 and 2025 mean that the Buffs are in for a marked improvement on the field in 2026.

So, it may not be deja vu all over again … but we can hope.

Or, if you don’t like Yogi Berra, there is always Mark Twain, who wrote:

“History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”.

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Below: The ESPN Analytics “Win Probability” chart on the MSU/Illinois State game. The Bobcats had it  in the bag … until they didn’t … Illinois State was primed for a comeback win – twice! – but couldn’t hold on … with the Bobcats first blocking a field goal at the end of regulation, then converting on a fourth-and-ten for a touchdown in overtime …

This post, about the Postseason game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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