Where does the University of Colorado’s shocking 45-42 win over No. 17 Texas Christian University rank on the list of the school’s 10 greatest football victories? Well, no such list officially exists, but here’s a fully speculative attempt intended for friendly bar-argument purposes only:

10. CU 27, Clemson 21, Jan. 1, 1957: CU’s first-ever bowl victory was a bit of a cheat. The 6-2-1 Buffs advanced to the Orange Bowl over national champion Oklahoma only because of a Big Seven Conference rule that blocked member schools from making consecutive bowl appearances. Still, history is history. The Buffs sealed the win on a Bob Stransky interception with time running down.

9. At CU 18, Colorado School of Mines 0, Nov. 30, 1884: This was not the first year CU ever fielded a football team, but it was the first time they hired a head coach (Harry Heller), and it yielded the school’s first Colorado Football Association conference championship. That year’s 8-1 Buffs hammered what would eventually be called Colorado State University, 67-0. But, just so you know … two of their opponents that season were Denver East and Montbello high schools.

8. CU 42, Colorado State 35, Aug. 30, 2003: In his first start, CU quarterback Joel Klatt (who called Saturday’s win over TCU for Fox TV) threw for 402 yards and four TDs in his first game as a starter. Klatt drove the Buffs 75 yards in 70 seconds to set up the winning score at Mile High Stadium – a 9-yard run by Bobby Purify.

7. At CU 63, Nebraska 36, Nov. 23, 2001: After years of mediocrity, the No. 15 Buffs relentlessly abused the 11-0, top-ranked Cornhuskers, ending a streak of nine straight losses to Nebraska. Running back Chris Brown scored six touchdowns. Sports writer Jeff Hauser called it “one of the most cathartic (butt)-kickings in the history of college football.”

6. CU 41, Notre Dame 24, Jan. 2, 1995: Rashaan Salaam capped CU’s first Heisman Trophy season with three touchdowns as the Buffs battered the Irish in the Fiesta Bowl. QB Kordell Stewart racked up 348 yards of total offense that game. But the 1994 season, ending with the Buffs at No. 3, will be most remembered for Salaam’s school-record 2,055 yards. He became only the fourth college running back to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

5. CU 29, Houston 17, Dec. 31, 1971: CU opened the 1971 season with a 31-21 win over No. 9 LSU. Two weeks later, Eddie Crowder’s Buffs beat Woody Hayes’ No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes 20-14. The Buffs would finish third in the Big Eight, and, remarkably, third in the nation that year after beating Houston in the epically named Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl behind 202 rushing yards from Charlie Davis. That gave the Big Eight credibility like never before: A final AP poll ranking Nebraska No. 1, Oklahoma No. 2 and Colorado No. 3.

4. At CU 20, Nebraska 10, Oct. 25, 1986: Forever known for coach Bill McCarney’s “I think we have a rivalry now” postgame quote, the Buffs used trick plays to break an 18-game losing streak to Nebraska dating to 1967. Trick plays like halfback O.C. Oliver connecting with Lance Carl on a 52-yard touchdown pass, and wide receiver Jeff Campbell scoring on a 39-yard run. “Up to this point, I don’t think we’ve beaten a great team,” McCartney said. “We did today.”

3. CU 27, at Michigan 26, Sept. 24, 1994: “The Miracle at Michigan.” It was a play so big it has its own Wikipedia page. Kordell Stewart’s 64-yard Hail Mary to Michael Westbrook – caught on a planned deflection from Blake Anderson – is still regarded as one of the greatest single plays in college football history.

2. CU 45, at TCU 42, Sept. 2, 2023: Fielding a team with only three returning starters, the Buffaloes lived up to all the considerable hype surrounding Coach Deion Sanders by beating national champion runnerup Texas Christian University in Sanders’ groundshaking debut. Time will tell whether this game proves to be the most significant in CU history. But as of right now, it certainly feels like the most significant turning point in program history. “Shock the world” has begun.

1. CU 10, Notre Dame 9, Jan. 1, 1991: The Buffs won a piece of their only national championship by beating the Irish in an Orange Bowl rematch. But how does the No. 1 team in the country lose half its title after beating the No. 5 team in the biggest bowl game of them all? Bitterness over a referee’s decision to call a clipping penalty when Irish flanker Rocket Ismail returned a punt for an apparent touchdown in the final minute. CU remained No. 1 in the final Associated Press media poll, but the coaches punished the Buffs by moving Georgia Tech ahead of them by one point in the UPI poll.

Bonus: CU 17, at Utah 7, Nov. 6, 1937: Future Supreme Court Justice Byron “Whizzer” White had touchdown runs of 85 and 37 yards, a field goal and two extra points to improve CU’s record to 6-0 on its way to the Cotton Bowl. White became the first Buff to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He led the nation in scoring, rushing, total offense and all-purpose running while averaging 246 yards a game – a record until 1988.

What are the odds? CU’s biggest upsets by spread

CU’s 45-42 win at TCU marked the fourth biggest upset against the spread in school history:

• Sept. 29, 2007: At CU, 27-24 (Oklahoma, favored by 22)
• Nov. 25, 2011: CU, 17-14  (at Utah favored by 22)
• Sept. 22, 2012: CU, 35-34 (at Washington State favored by 21)
• Sept. 2, 2023: CU, 45-42 (at TCU favored by 20½)
• Oct. 25, 1986: At CU, 20-10 (Nebraska favored by 17½)
• Oct. 21, 1972: At CU, 20-14 (Oklahoma favored by 16)
• Oct. 15, 2022: At CU, 20-13 OT (California favored by 15½)
• Nov. 16, 1974: CU, 37-20 (at Oklahoma State favored by 14)
• Nov. 1, 1980: At CU, 17-9 (Iowa State favored by 14)
• Sept. 28, 1985: CU, 14-13 (at Arizona favored by 14)
• Nov. 23, 2019: At CU, 20-14 (Washington favored by 14) 

Provided by David Plati, CU historian and Sports Information Director Emeritus