Colorado Is Reaching for a Rocky Mountain High : Orange Bowl: Buffaloes can wrap up the national championship and a measure of respect with a win against Notre Dame.

Since the University of Colorado started playing football 100 years ago, the school has won 11 national championships.

Unfortunately, they all came in skiing.

Now, after a century’s worth of football memories--some actually fond--the Buffaloes find themselves ranked first in the polls, but second in Las Vegas. Turns out that oddsmakers like No. 4-ranked Notre Dame’s chances in tonight’s Orange Bowl game, a disclosure that surprises CU Coach Bill McCartney not one bit.

“Notre Dame, based on the fact that they’re the national champions, certainly entitles them any margin (at last look, 1 1/2 points) the oddsmakers give them,” McCartney said.

In fact, when discussing the various scenarios involving a national title, Colorado is rarely given equal billing. Popular opinion has Notre Dame beating CU, Miami beating Alabama, followed by much wringing of ballots by assorted poll voters.

One local newspaper, operating under the assumption of a Colorado loss, went so far as to contact 56 of the eligible 60 Associated Press voters. According to its calculations, Miami would easily win the poll war.

Meanwhile, the Buffaloes would return to whatever Rockies mountaintop they came from and exchange high-fives until their hands swelled, the inference being that they were lucky to get this far.

“Everyone seems to be writing off our chances of remaining No. 1,” McCartney said.

Not even the constant warnings by Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz, the consummate worrywart, has been able to sway CU doubters. Holtz has done everything possible to convince America that Colorado is a team to be feared. Hardly a day has gone by when he doesn’t launch into an eloquent, fact-filled speech citing the many statistical accomplishments of Colorado’s team.

The Buffaloes are second in the country in rushing, third in scoring offense, first in rushing touchdowns, sixth in scoring defense and touchdowns allowed, first in net punting, first in kickoff returns, second in punt returns and second in fewest turnovers, a particularly impressive stat considering the high-risk option attack the Buffaloes run.

“We’re not talking about a football team that isn’t outstanding,” Holtz said.

Holtz has said Colorado’s offense has more weapons than Miami, the team that ended Notre Dame’s 23-game winning streak. And he’s been told that Colorado’s defensive line is quicker than Miami’s, considered one of the finest in the country.

“If that’s the case, then they better learn how to take a handoff,” he said.

Of course, Holtz’s praise might have been taken more seriously had he not been overheard by a Denver television crew on Thursday telling his team that “we’re gonna whip ‘em.” Or, “No. 1, they’re used to scoring a lot of points. They ain’t playing any Kansas State.”

This is true. Notre Dame has played eight bowl teams this season. Colorado has played three. Notre Dame is accustomed to constant scrutiny and the pressure that comes with it. Colorado is not. And Notre Dame is, after all, the defending national champion. Colorado? A team a game away from perfection or heartbreak.

Last month, at a banquet in New York, McCartney saw his former boss at Michigan, Coach Bo Schembechler. At one point, Schembechler, who was sitting two seats away, leaned over to his ex-defensive coordinator and said, “Bill, I hope you win.”

And that was the extent of the conversation.

“I believe deep down inside that ‘ol Bo wants us to win,” McCartney said.

With that in mind, McCartney had his team pack their things and board buses to a “secret” hotel, where they spent New Year’s Eve, supposedly with their thoughts rather than party favors.

“There’s not going to be a lot of ringing in the New Year,” McCartney said. “There will be a lot of counting down.”

To the game, not 1990.

Holtz chose to have his team stay put. The way he worked the Irish last week, they’re probably too tired to zipper a suitcase.

This is the game McCartney has wanted since he arrived at Colorado in 1982. He told athletic department administrators back then that reconstruction of the football program might take a decade. He was off by seven years.

Colorado went 7-5 in 1985 and hasn’t had a losing season since. Still, this is Colorado’s first legitimate chance at the NCAA’s national championship trophy and its first real opportunity to earn lasting respect. All the Buffaloes have to do is beat a Notre Dame team that has won 23 of 24 games.

“Our (success) has been growing ever so slowly,” McCartney said. “You expect (to be ignored). When people look back a year ago at West Virginia (which played Notre Dame for the No. 1 ranking at the Fiesta Bowl), their quarterback got hurt early in the game and they didn’t play as well as they wanted to . . . then people expect Colorado to fall in that category. But for me personally, we have to earn our stripes. If we’re worthy of our ranking, we have to beat Notre Dame head-up in the Orange Bowl. So that’s going to tell the story, regardless of what people speculate, whatever the conjecture produces now.”

Colorado, according to McCartney, matches up well against Notre Dame. And while McCartney has said that he can find no Irish weaknesses, he also has said, “It’s not like we don’t have a chance winning that game.”

Then again, Notre Dame is loaded. Despite Holtz’s earlier worries, Raghib (The Rocket) Ismail, the Irish’s all-purpose offensive threat, will return to the lineup, sore shoulder and all. And no one should forget that Notre Dame has scored an average of more points, gained more yards, rushed for more yards, allowed less rushing yards, caused more turnovers and punted better than it did last year, its championship season.

“We’re going to play awfully, awfully well,” Holtz said.

“We’ll give a good account,” McCartney said. “We’ll be ready to play.”