A year removed from a thrilling race to the Pac-12 South finish in which the Buffs went on to play in the Pac-12 Championship game, Colorado and USC are now on opposite ends of the football spectrum this season. However, the Buffs find themselves in the position to play spoiler in the Pac-12 South race and become bowl eligible with a win. It won’t be just any win against No.11 USC Trojans – it would be a win against a team they’ve never beat before. Here’s what can happen on Saturday for a Buffs win to send the senior class out in style in their final game at Folsom Field.

For Both Sides, The Magic Number is One

On the Trojans’ side (8-2), with six of their wins coming in Pac-12 play, USC is already bowl eligible and is just a single win away from clinching the Pac-12 South title game after their convincing 49-35 win last week against Arizona. They also own tie breakers over the Wildcats and Arizona State. A victory over the Buffaloes would lock up a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game, so expect to see a big game from the Trojans.

For the Colorado side, bowl eligibility is the goal. The Buffaloes sit at 5-5 and need a single victory over either USC or Utah in these final two weeks to earn a second straight bowl game. Both opponents have looked great as of late, so the Buffs will need to be flawless in their pursuit. One win in the next two weeks can keep the Buffs afloat in a season that has been taking on water for weeks now.

Stop the Run Game

The Buffaloes hit a season low when they allowed 381 rushing yards in their loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils last week. The Sun Devils aren’t known for their run game, but no one told Demario Richard as he carved the Buffs up for 189 yards on 25 carries. Colorado has allowed 199.3 rushing yards per game this season, and it doesn’t look like it’ll get any easier as they now welcome in Ronald Jones II whose year has been spectacular. Sam Darnold has garnered most of the headlines, but it’s the running back that’s been the difference maker for the Trojans. He’s had five touchdowns and 410 yards on the ground in the past two games and doesn’t look as if he’s slowing down. Through nine games, Jones has 1,082 yards and needs only 19 more yards to pass Reggie Bush to rank ninth in USC history for career rushing yards. That’s a great name to pass, and while we can’t expect the Buffs to disallow him from getting there, how much more damage will they allow could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Phillip Lindsay on Senior Day

Saturday is Senior Day for the Buffaloes as 21 seniors will be running out behind Ralphie at Folsom Field for the final time in their careers.

Amongst those seniors are: Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, Devin Ross, George Frazier, Afolabi Laguda, Leo Jackson, Jeromy Irwin, Derek McCartney and, the heart and soul of the football team, Phillip Lindsay. The senior running back ranks eighth nationally with 1,334 rushing yards and will be looking to end his run at Folsom with a bang. Expect Coach MacIntyre to feed the beast and let him go out with a big game in front of the home crowd. Winning this game will be a tall task for these boys, but they’ve sacrificed it all for the school. This is Senior day — it’s time to get crazy.