“We’re here to win championships,” Mel Tucker said upon his hire. “That’s OK with me” … The Buffs opened with a heady 3-1 record, but reality (and injuries) have set the program back (again) … What will it take to push the program back to where we know it belongs? …

No. 7 Oregon puts Clay Helton back on the hot seat with 56-24 rout … No. 9 Utah takes control of the Pac-12 South with road win over Washington … Arizona drops fourth in a row in 56-38 home loss to Oregon State …

Pat Rooney: Is CU/UCLA a litmus test for which program will reach contender status first? … Buff bowl chances rest on win in Pasadena – Montez: “It’s extremely motivating” … CU rushing attack has been good – just not good enough – the past few games …

With Oregon’s and Utah’s wins over USC and Washington, the Pac-12 has two legitimate contenders for the College Football Playoffs … After those two, however, who is the No. 3 team? Only Arizona State has three or fewer losses, and the Sun Devils have lost two straight …

Neill Woelk’s Friday Fast Five … Injury Report (Pursell back practicing) … 1991 memory: “We Don’t Go Out in That Kind of Weather to Play for a Tie” … Can going 0-for-260 be a good thing? … CU and UCLA are neck-and-neck in all-time winning percentage …

Mel Tucker: “I’m not into any type of moral victories. There’s a saying, ‘If you could’ve won, you should’ve won'” … CU could have (and should have) beaten USC. Can the Buffs finally get over the hump and win against a team they can beat? … What is your prediction for the game? …

Oregon and Utah continue to separate themselves from the rest of the conference, but after the Ducks and the Utes, where do you place the rest of the league? … Where do the Buffs stack up in the bottom quadrant, with Arizona and Cal struggling? …