CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1972 Colorado

8–⁠4 (4–⁠3 Big Eight), coached by Eddie Crowder, finished No. 16 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Colorado in 1972, game by game: won vs. California 20–10; won vs. Cincinnati 56–14; won at Minnesota 38–6; lost at Oklahoma State 6–31; won at Kansas State 38–17; won vs. No. 18 Iowa State 34–22; won vs. No. 2 Oklahoma 20–14; lost at Missouri 17–20; lost vs. No. 3 Nebraska 10–33; won vs. Kansas 33–8; won at Air Force 38–7; lost vs. No. 6 Auburn 3–24+42−25Won 20–10 vs. California+10CaliforniaWon 56–14 vs. Cincinnati+42CincinnatiWon 38–6 at Minnesota+32MinnesotaLost 6–31 at Oklahoma State-25Oklahoma StateWon 38–17 at Kansas State+21Kansas StateWon 34–22 vs. No. 18 Iowa State+12No. 18 Iowa StateWon 20–14 vs. No. 2 Oklahoma+6No. 2 OklahomaLost 17–20 at Missouri-3MissouriLost 10–33 vs. No. 3 Nebraska-23No. 3 NebraskaWon 33–8 vs. Kansas+25KansasWon 38–7 at Air Force+31Air ForceLost 3–24 vs. No. 6 Auburn-21No. 6 Auburn
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 9vsCaliforniaW 20–⁠1076%
Sep 16vsCincinnatiW 56–⁠1476%
Sep 23atMinnesotaW 38–⁠675%
Sep 30atOklahoma StateL 6–⁠3172%
Oct 7atKansas StateW 38–⁠1760%
Oct 14vs18Iowa StateW 34–⁠2264%
Oct 21vs2OklahomaW 20–⁠1448%
Oct 28atMissouriL 17–⁠2079%
Nov 4vs3NebraskaL 10–⁠3343%
Nov 11vsKansasW 33–⁠882%
Nov 18atAir ForceW 38–⁠755%
Dec 30Bowls & playoffvs6AuburnGator BowlL 3–⁠2446%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Auburn 24–⁠3 in the Gator Bowl; No. 16 in the final AP poll; tied for 3rd in the Big Eight.

In program history: The 13th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 125 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 2
  2. Wk 2: 2
  3. Wk 3: 3
  4. Wk 4: 3
  5. Wk 5: 12
  6. Wk 6: 13
  7. Wk 7: 9
  8. Wk 8: 7
  9. Wk 9: 15
  10. Wk 10: 16
  11. Wk 11: 15
  12. Wk 12: 13
  13. Wk 13: 13
  14. Wk 14: 13
  15. Final: 16

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1972.

Consensus All-AmericanCullen Bryant, DB

Record
8–⁠4
Conference
4–⁠3 tied for 3rd in Big Eight
AP final
No. 16 peak No. 2
Points
313–⁠206
Coach
Eddie Crowder
Elo
1669 +17 this season
SP+ rating
15.4 No. 19 of 121; offense No. 20, defense No. 34
SRS
17.1 No. 14 of 127 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Kay Dalton
Defensive coordinator
Dan Radakovich
Captains
Cullen Bryant, Rick Kay and Chuck Mandrill
Most valuable player
John Stearns
Offense
Slot-I triple option
Defense
4–⁠4

Drafted in 1973

The 1973 draft
Rd 2Cullen Bryant DBLos Angeles Rams

All-Big Eight

4 first team

First team

From Wikipedia’s 1972 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1972 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Oklahoma6–⁠111–⁠12
Nebraska5–⁠1–⁠19–⁠2–⁠14
Colorado4–⁠38–⁠416
Oklahoma State4–⁠36–⁠5
Missouri3–⁠46–⁠6
Iowa State2–⁠4–⁠15–⁠6–⁠1
Kansas2–⁠54–⁠7
Kansas State1–⁠63–⁠8

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.