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Most Frustrating losses

Unleash Hell

Well-Known Member
The ones that stick out to me in my time.

1988 @ Nebraska L 0-7
Flannigan’s infamous fumble on his way to a touchdown.

1990 OB vs. Notre Dame L 6-21
Buffs had multiple chances in red zone to put points up that included a missed FG, a failed fake FG and a turnover on downs inside the 1.

1990 @ Illinois L 22-23
Win here would have undoubtedly given CU the National Title in both polls.

1992 @ Nebraska L 7-52
The Freshmen duel between Koy Detmer and Tommie Frazier turned into a Halloween Nightmare as Nebraska crushed CU, ending a 3 game winless streak vs the Buffs.

1993 vs. Miami L 29-35
Buffs rally falls just short after huge bench clearing brawl before halftime resulting in multiple ejected players for both teams.

1994 @ Nebraska L 7-24
In a battle of unbeatens, the Buffs can’t do anything on offense. Game likely cost Buffs another title.

1995 Kansas L 24-40
Game ended a 40 game unbeaten streak vs Big 8 teams not named Nebraska.

1996 @ Nebraska L 12-17
In a top 5 battle, Buffs have to settle for FG’s after several dropped TD passes.

1999 Nebraska L 30-33 OT
Buffs rally and miss what would have been the game winning chip shot FG in final seconds (some fans still claim it was good). Game goes to OT where NU ultimately wins.

@ Nebraska 2000 L 32-34
Buffs take lead with less than a minute to go. Buffs then squib kick to NU allowing huskers to get into FG range in a couple plays and kick winning FG.

2001 Fresno St. L 22-24
Craig Ochs throws INT in end zone in final minutes. Buffs would have been in Rose Bowl playing for National Title with win in this game.

2002 Fiesta Bowl vs Oregon L 16-38
After getting “snubbed” out of Rose Bowl, Buffs play a lackluster game and get blown out. Huge disappointment to end a great season.

2005 @ Iowa St. L 16-30
Buffs came in at 7-2 and ranked. This would be the start of a 4 game losing streak that was the end for Barnett.

2006 Montana St. L 10-19
In Dan Hawkins 1st game, the Bobcats stun the Buffs in one of the worst defeats in program history.

2010 @ Kansas L 45-52
Buffs blow 28 point 4th quarter lead. The doing in for Hawkins.

2016 Alamo Bowl vs Oklahoma St. L 8-38
What is with the Buffs not showing up in big bowls after food seasons?

2018 Oregon St. L 34-41 OT
Buffs blow another 28 point lead. This time the doing in for Mike Mac

2019 USC L 31-35
Buffs held lead for most of the game and it was looking like they were going to finally exorcise the Trojan demons until they blew a 10 point lead in the 4th to go to 0-14 vs the Trojans.
 
I thought my wife turning me down on our tenth anniversary yesterday was depressing. I was at 7 of those games. Guess i have hit a new low after reading that chit.

Who invited this guy?
 
Not the most historically significant loss but that 2000 squib kick absolutely enraged me. It was the first game to enter my mind when I saw the thread title.
 
@ UGA in 2006 was frustrating...we unexpectedly controlled the game for most of it and blew a 13-0 lead in the fourth quarter...
 
First Orange Bowl against the Domers, damn, I didn't want to go to school the next day. 1994 Nebraska was pretty ****ing bad too. The '94 team was probably the best overall since I've been watching. They didn't show up that day, crappy game plan too.
 
2007 Iowa State really pissed me off.
This one and 2005 against ISU (which was on during my then girlfriend now partner's birthday party with her family) were the ones that immediately sprung to mind.

the other was the 2019 USC game.

How about 2015 Hawaii, where they failed to get off the final play from the Hawaii 8 to go for the tie? Especially when I stayed up until ****ing 2AM to watch the end?
 
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2014 and 2015 were just amazing (terrible) years for this sort of loss. The stakes and national implications weren't as high, but for a program trying to rebuild each one just felt like a huge missed opportunity to get "that win" that would get us over the hump. Finally happened in 2016 against Oregon.

2014:
Cal - I respect going for it from the two in double overtime instead of kicking the field goal, but the play call was not the best

Oregon State - bogus PI call on an interception. Oregon State goes on to score a TD on that drive. Buffs score a late TD, then force a 3 and out, then take over at midfield needing a TD to win. Turnover on downs.

UCLA - 17 point comeback, force a FG on UCLA's first drive in overtime, can't get into the endzone, lose in 2OT.

Utah - had the ball and the lead in the fourth quarter, Sefo throws a pick six

2015:
Hawaii - don't wanna talk about it

UCLA - ran over 100 plays and repeatedly shot ourselves in the foot

USC - had a two touchdown lead at half despite losing Sefo. Couldn't finish.

Doesn't even include Oregon and Arizona where we were tied at halftime at home, or Utah where we improbably had the ball down 20-14 at the end of the fourth quarter with Jaleel Awini at QB.
 
1998 UCLA - Oregon WR fumbles through the EZ in the final minute to lose the game.
1999 Michigan State - Herman Ho-Ching fumbles 3 times in a game Oregon mostly dominates on the road in East Lansing, costing the Ducks a win.
2000 Wisconsin - Also on the road, Oregon dominates UW's offense except for 3 plays. Those plays combine for 200 yards and 3TDs for Michael Bennett. Sickening.
2001 Stanford - Bad calls galore, including a missed fair catch call by an Oregon fielder on a kickoff, he got LEVELED and "fumbled". Stanford wins, no shot at Miami for Oregon.
2002 Throw a dart. I don't want to talk about it.
2003 See: 2002
2004 Indiana - Ducks turn the ball over SEVEN time and and have TWO punts blocked in the loss. Indiana then backs out of the return game.
2005 Kellen Clemens breaks his leg, 11 win season out the window with Brady Leaf at the helm in a 3 point loss to Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl.
2007 By far the best team in the nation, Oregon plays 5 quarterbacks and goes 9-4. What a gdamn shame.
2008 Boise St headhunts multiple Duck players, including the starting QB. Late game heroics fall short. Dirtiest team I've ever seen those Broncos.
2009 Stanford. All 3 losses were bad. Ohio St was the better team. BSU was the better team. We just couldn't stop Stanford, 51 points allowed on the farm.
2010 Auburn. Nobody EVER talks about the strip sack fumble return for touchdown that was ruled as a sack. The Dyer play was bad, but Oregon was robbed of a defensive TD that probably wins the ****ing National Championship.
2011 USC - Kickers suck. FFS.
2012 Stanford. If DAT just looks back and puts his arm on a Stanford receiver, Mariota walks into the EZ and Oregon goes on to destroy Notre Dame in the natty. One of the most heartbreaking plays ever.
2014 Ohio State. Ducks go up 7-0 in the Natty and then...get destroyed. Got those hopes right up.
2015 TCU - Oregon was up 31-3 and lost after starting C and QB went out.
2016 Throw a dart.
2018 Stanford - CJ Verdell picks up a first down with 90 seconds left in the game and Stanford with no time outs, but fumbles the ball. Stanford marches down to tie, and win in OT. FML
2019 Auburn. Oregon leads wire to wire but TERRIBLE coaching and play calling doom them to a last second loss. Despite leading by two scores most of the 2nd half, Oregon continually snaps the ball with 15 seconds left on the clock, and goes into a complete shell on offense. Marcus Arroyo, eat a dick.
 
The 1994 Nubs game was the worst, but the 2000 loss 17-14 at USC was a crusher. I went to that game in Winnie at the Coliseum. Marcus Houston played awesome and the young Buffs made a bunch of plays. Would have won but for two fgs, one blocked (30 yrd), and Mariscal (he was a pretty solid kicker) missed from 40 with 1:17 left. Then Carson Palmer drove the length of the field and they kicked the game winner with 17 seconds left. Except for the 2016 season, this was the best shot at beating the Trojans. The curse has not yet been broken. It was a long ride back to Boulder.

 
The 1994 Nubs game was the worst, but the 2000 loss 17-14 at USC was a crusher. I went to that game in Winnie at the Coliseum. Marcus Houston played awesome and the young Buffs made a bunch of plays. Would have won but for two fgs, one blocked (30 yrd), and Mariscal (he was a pretty solid kicker) missed from 40 with 1:17 left. Then Carson Palmer drove the length of the field and they kicked the game winner with 17 seconds left. Except for the 2016 season, this was the best shot at beating the Trojans. The curse has not yet been broken. It was a long ride back to Boulder.

This game defined Marcus @ CU as to what could have been. Marcus had a problem from my view and it was shared by EB...he shied away from contact. Perfect body...the mind wasn't willing.
 
The 1994 Nubs game was the worst, but the 2000 loss 17-14 at USC was a crusher. I went to that game in Winnie at the Coliseum. Marcus Houston played awesome and the young Buffs made a bunch of plays. Would have won but for two fgs, one blocked (30 yrd), and Mariscal (he was a pretty solid kicker) missed from 40 with 1:17 left. Then Carson Palmer drove the length of the field and they kicked the game winner with 17 seconds left. Except for the 2016 season, this was the best shot at beating the Trojans. The curse has not yet been broken. It was a long ride back to Boulder.

Should have beaten USC the last 4 years.
 
Kansas 1995. I was a freshman, and the football team played a large role on me deciding to attend CU. I wanted that experience. We smoked #21 Wisconsin in the opener on the road. Smoked CSU at my first home game the next week. Folsom still had beer and was on fire that night. Beat #3 Texas A&M with Heisman favorite Leeland McElroy. After trailing early, we easily beat #10 OU on the road with Hessler after Schnellenberger said he didn't want an asterisk after beating our ass. We head into week 6 undefeated with Kansas at home. ISU the following week. Two easy wins and we have an undefeated Nebraska at home which would have the feel of a national title game.

We sh*t the bed and lost to f*cking Kansas. At home. That was the worst.
 
This game defined Marcus @ CU as to what could have been. Marcus had a problem from my view and it was shared by EB...he shied away from contact. Perfect body...the mind wasn't willing.

Agreed. He was so special in that USC game. I don't remember if it was late in that game or the next v. Washington when he hurt his knee or high ankle sprain and was just not the same after. I think he probably would have finished his career at CU but Brown and Purify beat him out-- when was the last time CU rolled box-cars at one position in a single off-season?
 
Kansas 1995. I was a freshman, and the football team played a large role on me deciding to attend CU. I wanted that experience. We smoked #21 Wisconsin in the opener on the road. Smoked CSU at my first home game the next week. Folsom still had beer and was on fire that night. Beat #3 Texas A&M with Heisman favorite Leeland McElroy. After trailing early, we easily beat #10 OU on the road with Hessler after Schnellenberger said he didn't want an asterisk after beating our ass. We head into week 6 undefeated with Kansas at home. ISU the following week. Two easy wins and we have an undefeated ****braska at home which would have the feel of a national title game.

We sh*t the bed and lost to f*cking Kansas. At home. That was the worst.
This game always sticks with me and was my first thought as well. KU just nickel and dimed CU all day long and CU had no answer. It was so frustrating.
 
The disappointing on field performances blend together. Probably Hawk seeking stats for his son and costing CU a win in Kansas stands out as the worst.

When this topic first bounced up, Tucker was what jumped out to me. That carpet bagging low life had me believing.
 
This game always sticks with me and was my first thought as well. KU just nickel and dimed CU all day long and CU had no answer. It was so frustrating.

Was that Winbush game? That guy gave me nightmares for a few years thereafter.
 
this period was torture to me. All nailbiters to the end. 15 points. :mad:

55November 29, 1996 Lincoln No. 4 Nebraska 17No. 5 Colorado 12
56November 28, 1997Boulder No. 2 Nebraska 27Colorado 24
57November 27, 1998LincolnNo. 14 Nebraska 16Colorado14
58November 26, 1999BoulderNo. 3 Nebraska 33Colorado30OT
59November 24, 2000LincolnNo. 10 Nebraska 34Colorado32
60November 23, 2001BoulderNo. 14 Colorado 62No. 2 Nebraska 36
 
I forgot about the Fresno State game in 2001, that ****ing sucked. Cost them a shot at a natty after wrecking Nebraska. I doubt they could have beat that Miami team, but they'd at least had the chance to.
 
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