Walk into any Colorado fan gathering, mention the phrase “split national title,” and watch the mood shift. Eyes roll. Voices get louder. Someone will eventually slam a fist on the table and say it plain: “There is no split."
That’s the energy heading into tonight's game when Coach Prime’s Buffs take on Georgia Tech for the first time since both schools were crowned champions of the 1990 season. It’s been 35 years, and the trash talk still burns as hot as the old AstroTurf in Columbia that day Missouri gave us “Fifth Down.”
And if you think Buff Nation is ready to call it even? Think again.
The ring doesn’t lie
Ask Chad Brown, Eric Bieniemy, or any of the Buffs who wore black and gold in 1990: there’s only one ring that matters, and it says national champions. The AP Poll had Colorado No. 1. End of story.
Sure, Georgia Tech went undefeated. Sure, they thumped Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl. But this is college football. We're not UCF, we don’t hand out hardware for “almost” or “what if.” Colorado played the toughest schedule in the country, battled through tragedy with Sal Aunese’s death still fresh in their hearts, and stood tall in the Orange Bowl against mighty Notre Dame.
You don’t erase that with a coaches’ poll decided by a single vote.
Tom Osborne’s “Vote”
If you want to fire up any of us, just mention Tom Osborne. Nebraska’s legendary coach admitted he switched his vote to Georgia Tech after the bowls. That move swung the coaches’ poll and gave Tech its “split.”
This is personal. Colorado had walked into Lincoln that year, into the most hostile environment in college football, and beat Osborne’s Huskers. Then he turned around and robbed us of unanimous recognition.
To this day, that decision stings more than the Fifth Down game.
Finally settling it on the field
So here we are, three-and-a-half decades later. Colorado and Georgia Tech finally meet on the field at Folsom.
The game itself may not rewrite history, but it feels like a chance to plant a flag. To say, once and for all, we’re the rightful champs.
This isn’t just exciting—we're ready for closure. And with Coach Prime at the helm, you better believe Folsom will be rocking tonight like it’s 1990 all over again.
This still matters
Some will ask: Why does this old argument even matter? Why can’t we just let it go?
Because championships are rare. Colorado hasn’t hoisted another since 1990. Georgia Tech hasn’t either. That year isn’t just history—it’s legacy. It’s a bond between players and fans that refuses to fade.
So no, we’re not calling it “split.” Georgia Tech can keep its one-vote banner. In Boulder, there’s only one truth: the Buffaloes were, and always will be, the 1990 national champions.
And tonight, we finally get the chance to show them—on the field—what that means.
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