BOULDER — Only one regular-season game remains for this iteration of the Colorado Buffaloes.
The Buffs will take on the Utah Utes, Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Following a win over No. 2 Arizona, there’s plenty on the line for CU. The Buffs are currently in fifth place in the Pac-12 but fourth place, and the bye in the Pac-12 Tournament that comes with it, could be within reach.
How does CU finish in fourth?
The Buffs need to surpass Oregon to take fourth place in the Pac-12 regular season. Right now, CU is 11-8 and the Ducks are 11-7. The tiebreaker will be the better record against the highest-finishing team. If it’s the same then they’ll go to second-highest, etc.
As of now, Arizona is in first place with a 15-2 record. USC is 14-4. UCLA is 13-5. Assuming the tiebreaker comes into play (which means Oregon and CU are tied) UCLA can’t win the title. While the Wildcats are in comfortable position, they’ll hit the road in the season’s final week to play both Los Angeles teams, before capping the season off with a home game against Cal (5-13).
The easiest solution to the tiebreaker is for Arizona to beat USC on Tuesday and lock up the conference crown. But if USC wins Tuesday and again against UCLA, the Wildcats would have to win its final two games to take the crown. If USC loses to UCLA, Arizona would finish ahead of the Trojans regardless of how the Cats finish.
If Arizona wins the crown, Colorado has the tiebreaker. So, the Buffs could either beat Utah and have Oregon split its road trip against the Washington teams. Or, the Buffs could lose and Oregon could lose both.
If USC wins the crown, Colorado would need to beat Utah and see Oregon lose both of its remaining games.
So there ya go.
Could the Buffs make the NCAA Tournament?
If they win the Pac-12 Tournament, they’ll be locked into the NCAA Tournament.
Otherwise, they’re probably on the outside looking in.
Colorado is currently in 77th place in the NET Rankings, which is far from the tournament bubble. A win over Utah and a run to the Pac-12 championship game could get them to the bubble, but even that is unlikely.
