Yak, that is a good question/comment. The term "trap game" is almost like Bobby Knight answering the "game-face" question. You may remember or should find the clip. Knight: "what the f is game face" . . . then he makes faces.
I always feel like it is a game you are favored to win; should win; looks like an easy win throughout the season/schedule, however for whatever reason the game has outside factors/pressures and sneaks up on you. I said "trap game" for this week based on the following:
(1) Lubbock is extra fired up--Big Noon, otherwise their fans are just coming to a conference game against a favored team;
(2) generally it is played on the road, where the home team gets out early and your better team runs out of possessions after playing flat or tight (try to do too much, frozen on some plays);
(3) the opponent is either coming off a big win maybe riding unusually high for some reason, or coming off a bad loss thus POd;
(4) on paper your team loves the match-ups with more talent, depth etc... thus rides in confident;
(5) your team starts the game slow out of the gate coming off a bye (this should be an advantage, but can throw of rhythm too) or not great previous performance the week prior;
(6) your team faces great or new expectations--so the pressure is new or can be ramped up on the road, hence the team or certain players play tight;
(7) your team could be caught looking ahead--IMO, Utah was CU's "circled game," as they looked like our toughest league opponent until recently and we really want to break the losing streak against them, sort of a Sub-Rivalry of sorts;
(8) the other team might have a player that can gash you--here Tech has the good RB, but sometimes it is an unknown player too--see examples below;
(9) I'm not sure, but is this CU's 1st game on turf this year, which could be an adjustment?? Thankfully, the weather is good, so field conditions will be good. CU does practice on turf, but practice it is not the same as gameday with all the intangibles + pressures + intensity. I would think turf gives CU's O speed a huge advantage, but the D reactions could also take an adjustment period too. Their RB may look/play faster; and
(10) the game has a chance to be a real let-down rather than an opportunity. UCF had all the feel of an opportunity... @AZ too because, CU could sort of smell blood for a road game. This one pressure is there, not necessarily opportunity.
The thing I like about "Trap Games" is the favored team wins as many or more than they lose, just sometimes they do not play all that great, or the opponent plays over their heads. CU trap games are mostly from many year's past, since CU's program has been down, thus rarely favored. Some examples:
(1) CU biggest trap game which they won was the 5th down game @Missou, which we won. Missou had the Crisco oil field and terrible weather but played way over their heads. We pulled it out.
(2) WSU nightmare last year: they had Cam Ward and were good team, we were banged up and exposed, not favored, but the game was really out of control early--not indicative of the CU team ending the season @UT with a good game playing Staub. We played much better @UCLA;
(3) a Kansas road game under GB where a unknown but good RB Windbush ran all over CU;
(4) that Arizona home game under Mike Mac where we knocked out their starting Sr. QB Dawkins on 2nd series, Frosh Tate rips off his RS coming in with an S on his chest;
(5) a home Baylor game under Coach MAC, where undersized QB JJ Joe somehow went wild on the defense--they got him in great 3rd downs but he somehow converted them;
(6) GB's 1st loss @ Baylor, where they were on an like an 0-18 league streak, CU was heavily favored but played flat; and
(7) a some other road games where CU was favored and an otherwise good/great team, but just came out flat early, played tight, had breaks go against them, and could not recover.
We have caught Tech in a few "trap games." Hawkins last road win in his 2nd season v. very good Texas Tech team that was already bowl eligible. Leach was their coach, Graham Harrell their QB, the @Tech match-up looked horrible, and B12 South was way stronger. We made it to a bowl that year, but outside of the upset of OU, we were not really a comparable team by any means. Tech was just flat. CU did not win another road game for almost 5 seasons.
Another odd game CU almost won was @#8GA losing 14-13 in last minutes in Hawkins 1st year. We went 2-10. Matthew Stafford was awful being pulled and their Frosh QB finally won it with 2 tds in the 4th Q. GA was riding high, CU 0-3 losing to CSU, Ariz St. and Montana State. GA was looking way ahead that game to their SEC opener but pulled the game out. Oddly, that season we had Tech's too number winning Hawkins 1st game after going 0-6. There team went 8-5.
I still think CU wins. Go Buffs!!