Bu≠aloes’ impressive 4-1 start earns No. 21, No. 23 rankings

boulder» For the first time in 11 years, the Colorado Buffaloes are a ranked football team. The Buffs are No. 21 in The Associated Press top-25 poll released Sunday and landed at No. 23 in the coaches top-25 poll.

CU, which routed Oregon State 47-6 at Folsom Field on Saturday to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12, is ranked for the first time since Nov. 6, 2005, when the Buffs were No. 22 in The Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the coaches poll. That team dropped out of the top 25 the next week after a loss to Iowa State.

The Buffs are in first place in the Pac-12’s South Division and play Southern California in Los Angeles at 2 p.m. MDT this Saturday.

The debut in the polls is just the latest step in a resurgent season for the Buffs under fourth-year coach Mike MacIntyre. The Buffs entered the season with only two wins in conference play in the previous three seasons, but MacIntyre insists he saw the turnaround coming.

“What they’ve been through has fortified them as a group of men,” he said after the victory over Oregon State. “It’s also given them an unbelievable depth in character as far as understanding: ‘Never say die. Never give up.’ ”

Support around the program has grown as well. The 46,839 fans at the Oregon State game was the largest attendance at Folsom Field since MacIntyre took over the program before the 2013 season.

“We almost packed this place out at a 12:30 p.m. game,” senior center Alex Kelley said. “It’s never happened before. The main thing is not letting it get to your head and realizing that every week is a new week.”

CU is one of four Pac-12 teams in the AP top 25, joining No. 5 Washington, No. 15 Stanford and No. 24 Utah.

Air Force, which is 4-0 after a 28-14 victory over Navy, received votes in both the AP and coaches polls.