What an emotional ride tens of thousands of Coloradans (and honorary Coloradans) went on this afternoon. Last year my team rejoined one of my favorite rivalries, and they managed to win in Lincoln, NE. This year the Cornhuskers came with revenge on their minds, and for the first thirty minutes of game play, they seemed to get it in abundance. Despite last week's score in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, I just didn't see a team with a fire lit under their butts. The first half of this game, I was convinced my trepidation from the previous week was justified. I predicted I'd be heading back from T's early, and that I'd pull off my Run Ralphie Run t-shirt before I went out in public. At the half, I came back home to do a little more painting on my half-finished game table, and when he hollered at me over the fence that the game was back on, I took my time to finish the section I was working on, and to rinse out the paintbrush in the sink. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue to watch.
I arrived back at his house four minutes into the third quarter, after Nebraska's first possession ended. CU was still down 17-0, but not long after I arrived, it became obvious that an entirely different team came out of the locker room while I was painting. Suddenly the CU quarterback learned how to throw the ball on time, not tap dancing around too long and getting sacked like he did in the first half. The play calling was significantly improved in the second half. And by the fourth quarter, they had come back from the dead to tie the game, twice. They went into overtime, and through a series of good play and lucky moments, CU eked out a win.
I will give credit where credit is due, Nebraska played very well. On the whole, their fans show a lot of class, especially the ones I know personally. There were a few times that emotions ran high, and the kids on the field got a little snippy. But a lot of energy was put into building up this renewed rivalry, so that was to be expected. I bet this team bounces back and does well over the course of the season.
I had plans to get things done tonight. Yeah, after that emotional roller coaster, I came home and spent the evening yawning as I came down off the adrenaline rush, and wondering how soon I could call it a day. Yet another Buffs team is earning the right to be called the Heart Attack Kids. It's going to be another one of those seasons, isn't it?
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