The University of Colorado Boulder’s Football team’s Travis Hunter scoring touchdown during their match against Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Scott Tan/CU Independent)
Following the Colorado Buffaloes 34-23 win over Cincinnati late Saturday night, Head Coach Deion Sanders pleaded to the voters of the Associated Press Poll to not rank the team. The next morning he was coaching the 23rd-best college football team in the country, according to the Week 10 AP Poll.
The Buffs had a three-week ranked trip last season, reaching No. 18, but then self-destructed and ended the year 4-8. This year’s team is a night and day difference, sitting at 6-2 with four more games to play. Here’s how the Buffs can finish with ten wins for just the ninth time in the program’s 123-year history.
Coach Prime and the team get a well-deserved bye week before traveling to Jones AT&T Stadium for a match-up with Texas Tech University. The Red Raiders face No. 11 Iowa State University on Saturday and will have to go in brave-faced as 14.5 underdogs.
If Vegas stands true, the ranked 6-2 Buffs will play a 5-4 Texas Tech team on November 9th. Even including one extra game, Shedeur Sanders will likely have more passing yards and touchdowns than Tech’s quarterback Behren Morton at the time of the game. Not to mention the Red Raiders’ .500 conference record, this should be the Buffs’ game to lose.
Outside of their game against the University of Nebraska, Colorado has gone into opposing territory and shut down teams all season, with blowout wins over Colorado State University, the University of Central Florida and the University of Arizona on the road. Around two weeks out from the game, ESPN’s Match-up Predictor gives the Buffs a 67% chance to win, and for good reason.
Texas Tech University will likely have three straight losses attached to them and a defense that has struggled as of late. Through eight games the Red Raiders’ defense has allowed more passing and total yards than the offense has produced, and even allowed 59 points against Baylor two weeks ago. All of this leads to a Colorado win, advancing the team to 7-2 and 5-1 in Big 12 play.
Win No. 8
The Buffs welcome the University of Utah to Folsom Field on November 16th. Expect this to be home to the Big Noon Kickoff show, with major Big 12 stakes at hand. Utah started the season on a 4-0 bender, reaching as high as No. 11, but evened out their record after dropping four games in a row with some ugly losses.
Once Utah’s star quarterback Cam Rising injured himself in the third game of the season, the team hasn’t been the same. They’ve gone from beating a ranked Oklahoma State University team and an undefeated record to losing to Texas Christian University 13-7.
The Buffs have only lost one game at home this year, falling just short to Kansas State University in Week 7. They have nearly a 75% chance to win per ESPN and match up well against the Utes. Isaac Wilson, Utah’s backup quarterback has done the job but has a bad turnover ratio, with eight touchdowns to eight interceptions. Facing a short-handed offense, Colorado should win this game for their fourth in a row, and improve to 8-2 with six conference wins.
At this point in the season, with two games to play, the Big 12 should have a race-and-a-half on their hands. Four major teams will compete for the conference at the end of the season. Brigham Young University, Iowa State, Kansas State and Colorado.
There is a good chance that all four will win out for the rest of the season, with one catch, Iowa State and Kansas State play in the final week. That could put the fate of the Buffaloes season in that match-up since Kansas State has the tiebreaker over CU.
Wins No. 9 and No. 10
The Buffs end their season against the University of Kansas and Oklahoma State, who both graced the AP Poll in the early season but have had disappointing seasons. Kansas, currently at 2-6 goes on a gauntlet over the next three weeks, playing Iowa State, BYU then Colorado. All three teams are ranked.
Oklahoma State has lost five games in a row after starting 3-0, currently at the caboose in the Big 12 with an 0-5 conference record.
Even if the Buffs win out, they will likely need big losses from the other three teams to try and squeak into the Big 12 title game. With BYU being a near lock, a lot will likely come down to the Kansas State and Iowa State games in the final week.
Nonetheless, the Buffs have pivoted from a 4-8 season and are now bowl-eligible for the first time in eight seasons. But, as Coach Sanders said, the job’s not done. There is lots of football left to play, and knowing college football, anything can happen.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Baylan Wysuph at baylan.wysuph@colorado.edu
