If indeed you have designs on playing for conference titles and being a contender in the national picture, there's no better barometer than playing the best.

Say hello to the big dogs, Colorado. The Oklahoma Sooners are in town.

If the Buffs want to know how they measure up in the big picture, they'll have a very good idea by day's end.

Almost nobody — at least nobody willing to bet their next pay check — believes the Buffs have even a puncher's chance today. The oddsmakers are giving at least three touchdowns to anyone who has the urge to place a wager on the black and gold. The general consensus is the Buffs will be more black and blue when this one is finished.

The Sooners are considered to be among the big three this year in college football, joining Southern Cal and LSU. A half-step behind is Florida, with another half-dozen or so doing their best to jump from pretender to bona fide contender.

This isn't Arizona State or Florida State.

The Sooners are the real deal.

No. 3 OU is the highest-ranked team the Buffs have played since 2005, when they got two shots at No. 2 Texas. In case you've forgotten, that didn't turn out so well. The Longhorns won the first matchup, 42-17, then drilled the Buffs 70-3 in the Big 12 title game, putting the final touches on Gary Barnett's exit.

Fact is, the Buffs haven't fared well against top-10 teams in years. They've lost nine in a row against top-10 foes, with their last victories coming in 2001, when they knocked off No. 2 Nebraska and No. 3 Texas in back-to-back weekends.

There are all kinds of theories — that's code for wishful thinking — on how the Buffs can spring an upset of epic proportions today.

They all involve mistakes by the Sooners and a perfect game by the Buffs. CU faithful envision some early turnovers by the Sooners (OU has turned it over only five times this year), or a big special teams play (the Buffs haven't produced any big returns since the season opener vs. Colorado State).

Thing is, Arizona State attempted to hand CU half that recipe, and the Buffs politely handed it back. ASU gave the Buffs a 14-point lead and a chance for more, but the Buffs couldn't capitalize.If the Buffs are to have a legitimate shot today, they can't depend upon fluke occurrences.

More than anything else, the Buffs have to prove their offense can move the ball against a good — in this case, very good — defense.

It's already been the difference in two games this year. If the Buffs could have mustered any kind of consistent offense against either ASU or Florida State, they would have had a better-than-even chance of winning those games.

If they can't move the ball today early in the game, it will be a long, long day.

Thus far, we've seen good things from CU's defense. While today will be by far the biggest test yet for Buff defenders, CU fans still like to think the CU defense can at least keep the game close early.

But if the offense can't produce anything more than four- or five-play drives, the defense will wear down. It happened at ASU, and it will happen today.

Colorado fans are also hoping (again, wishing) that the Sooners will be looking ahead to next week's Red River Shootout with Texas.

Not gonna' happen. OU coach Bob Stoops has made sure his team will not look past anyone.

It still comes back to CU's offense. The Buffs have to be able to move the ball, keep the defense off the field and shorten the game.

Not that a CU win is impossible. Remember, this is already a season when Appalachian State knocked off Michigan.

But if the Buffs are going to have a chance, they will have to play a perfect game.

That's not something we've seen thus far.

Today would be a heck of a time to start.