Some poor, misguided souls, most decked out in red to match their faces, figured Colorado would need a miracle to beat Nebraska. Not so. In the end, the Buffs needed Steve Spurrier.

How's that?

If Spurrier, the Sultan of Sportsmanship, had been on the CU sideline, he no doubt would have told Bobby Pesavento to throw it in the end zone in the closing seconds instead of taking a knee on the Nebraska 15-yard line. Then he would have gone for two to give the Buffs a nice, even 70 points.

	Chris Brown, Colorado's leading rusher last year, leads a talented trio of backs in Boulder.

Maybe that would have done it. Maybe reaching the big 7-Oh instead of a mere 62 points would have convinced the coaches who vote in the ESPN/USA Today poll to put CU ahead of the once-proud Huskers. Instead, the coaches have Nebraska ranked fourth, one notch ahead of the hottest team books and tuition can buy.

No really, we're not making this up. In what ranks as the greatest upset since Lyle Lovett married Julia Roberts, the coaches have the Huskers ranked ahead of the Buffs, who suffered a major letdown a week later in the Big 12 championship game. Or should we say a Major letdown? Your final score from Texas Stadium: Colorado 39, Texas 37. Not that it was that close. Afterward, Mel Kiper, Jr. was probably thinking Chris Simms had a bright future as an NFL safety.

To review, CU has beaten Nebraska, the BCS' top-ranked team at the time, and No. 3 Texas in consecutive weeks, scoring 101 points in the process. For their efforts, the Buffs are fifth in the latest BCS rankings. The Huskers? They had a better chance of tackling Ralphie the buffalo than CU's stable of running backs, but they're ranked fourth.

Wait, there's more controversy where that came from. The Scripps-Howard computer, one of the eight the BCS utilizes, ranks Nebraska second, Texas fifth and Colorado sixth. Which, of course, begs the question: Why did CU bother playing the past two weeks? With the price of jet fuel and all, everybody should have stayed home and gotten a jump on their Christmas shopping.

There's something to be said for staying home. Just ask the Huskers. They were looking at a well-deserved Holiday Bowl berth after being buried in Boulder. But after watching CU beat Texas and Tennessee sneak past Florida, they're back in the mix for the national championship. In fact, the way things stand today, they'll play Miami in the Rose Bowl if the Volunteers lose Saturday to LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game. And to think, the only time the Huskers lifted a finger was to change channels. Is this a great country or what?

If only Frank Solich had coached as good a game as he has talked since the Huskers were hammered by CU. Ever since Florida and Texas lost, Solich has been networking like an Amway salesman to try to drum up support for a possible Nebraska appearance in the Rose Bowl. Did we say networking? OK, begging. Hey, if having a team hang 62 on you in late November isn't cause for drastic measures, what is?

According to the Nebraska party line, the Huskers just had a bad day at the office. Happens to everybody, right? OK, so CU was playing without its No. 1 tailback, quarterback and wide receiver. So the Buffs led 35-3 before the first TV timeout. So Chris Brown scored six touchdowns and ran for more yards than Forrest Gump. So Bobby Purify had a 78-yard touchdown called back for holding, though the CU coaches still haven't seen it. So the Buffs averaged a first down (11.4 yards a play) on first down. Did we mention the Huskers knocked the white off Rice in early September?

Besides, say Solich and his cronies, CU doesn't deserve to play in Pasadena because the Buffs have two losses. Right. Let's put all the emphasis on games played two or three months ago. If that were the criteria, Fresno State ought to be playing in the Rose Bowl.

Let's not go mentioning any minor details like, say, Nebraska not playing for a conference championship, much less winning it. For that matter, who who needs to know that Colorado beat three Top 15 teams, two more than the Huskers? Or that CU played half of its 12 games against ranked teams? Or that the Buffs racked up 916 yards against Nebraska and Texas, the nation's sixth- and second-ranked defenses?

Nebraska ought to play for the national championship, all right. Come to think of it, we ought to give Germany another shot at World War II. Not that the situation can't be rectified. If the coaches stop long enough to realize the absurdity of it all, CU has a chance. Provided, of course, Tennessee loses. The Vols beat LSU and they're in, no questions asked. If Tennessee slips, CU would need to flip-flop with Nebraska in the coaches' poll. If so, ESPN.com BCS guru Brad Edwards, among others, believes the Buffs could move into the No. 2 spot, setting up a CU-Miami Rose Bowl.

What does Colorado coach Gary Barnett have to say about all this? Geaux Tigers, for one thing. He also remains a staunch supporter of the BCS and believes, one way or another, justice will prevail.

"... It would be hard for me to put a team that had 62 points scored on them ahead of the team that scored those 62 points," Barnett said. "If LSU should defeat Tennessee, I would hope that Colorado should be given serious consideration as the number two team in the nation, given what this team has accomplished. I just think people will do the right thing, and whatever is right will happen next Sunday."

Barnett may have faith in his fellow coaches, but history tells us it isn't always a good idea. Take the case of the Big Eight coach whose team was blown out by Colorado in 1990, but voted Georgia Tech No. 1, three notches ahead of the Buffs, forcing CU to settle for a split national championship.

The coach's name? Tom Osborne.

Jim Armstrong is a columnist for The Denver Post.