Colorado walked out of Arizona State with more than a 20-13 loss on Nov. 7. The Buffaloes also left with their margin for error nearly gone.
What was supposed to be the easier stretch of the 2026 schedule has turned into a mess for Deion Sanders and his team, and the problems that showed up in Tempe were the same ones that have followed Colorado all season. The offense keeps drifting between serviceable and broken, and the broken stretches are showing up more often.
The line hasn’t been steady enough to create running room or keep Isaac Wilson clean. Wilson, for his part, has also held the ball too long at times and made damaging decisions as games have worn on. That combination has left Colorado’s attack stuck in place far too often.
There’s another issue that has become impossible to ignore: the Buffaloes still don’t have a dependable third receiving threat. Joseph Williams has carried the passing game, and DeAndre Moore has settled in as the clear No.
- San Jose State transfer Danny Scudero was expected to join that mix, but a nagging foot injury kept that from happening and has clearly affected the offense.
Colorado still hasn’t gotten more than four catches in a game from anyone stepping into that third role.
Now the pressure only ramps up. No.
16 Houston comes to Folsom Field on Nov. 13, and it arrives on a short week. Signs are already pointing toward a difficult night for Colorado, and a loss would wipe out the Buffaloes’ bowl hopes.
Even if Colorado beats Cincinnati and UCF after that, the path still looks steep. Those teams are both above .500, and a loss to Houston would leave the Buffaloes needing help that may never come.
The Arizona State game stings even more because CU had a chance against a Sun Devils team starting freshman quarterback Jake Fette and still couldn’t finish the job. A win there would have given Colorado a better shot at carrying momentum into this final stretch. Instead, the Buffaloes are 3-6 and staring at the possibility of needing to win three straight just to stay in the bowl picture.
That’s where Sanders’ season sits now: under real pressure, with the outside noise growing louder. He hasn’t gone into his job security, and he remains confident he can steer the program and coach up a highly ranked 2027 recruiting class. His contract buyout also factors into any decision Colorado would make.
Still, if the Buffaloes finish 3-9, the temperature around Sanders’ seat figures to rise. A 2-1 finish would at least give Colorado a better record than last season’s 3-9 mark, but the road to get there runs through three opponents above .500, starting with a ranked Houston team.
In Other News...
Arizona State Just Added Another Backfield Piece Dillingham Can Build Around
Arizona State kept its momentum on the recruiting trail with another addition to the backfield, landing four-star Alabama running back CJ Cowley for the Class of 2027. Cowley announced his commitment after weighing several other programs, giving the Sun Devils another young piece with the kind of versatility that tends to matter in Kenny Dillinghams offense.
Cowley arrives with a senior season resume that includes 13 total touchdowns and 757 all-purpose yards, production that helps explain why so many schools stayed involved until the end. He joins a recruiting class that now sits at 13 commits, a group with a mix of star ratings and another sign that Arizona State is trying to stockpile talent at the skill spots for the future. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Keeps Winning But One Offensive Issue Still Looms
Arizona State kept the momentum rolling with a 20-10 win over Colorado, and the offense had enough flashes to suggest there is still room for growth. True freshmen Jake Fette and Cardae Mack helped drive the attack, while the Sun Devils leaned into trick plays and the wildcat formation to keep the Buffs off balance. It was the kind of performance that showed creativity and resilience, even if it did not always look clean.
The concern, though, is that the same offense can still drift into predictability at times and leave points on the field in the red zone. Against a tougher stretch ahead, including Central Florida, that inefficiency looms larger than it did in a comfortable win. Arizona State has found ways to keep winning, but the next step is proving it can sustain that edge when opponents start adjusting to what it likes to do. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona States Final Home Game Just Got More Interesting
Arizona States final home game of the season now has a little more clarity, with Oklahoma State set to come to town on Nov. 21 and the kickoff time recently announced. It will be the seventh meeting between the programs, and the series has been perfectly even so far at 3-3, which gives this late-November matchup a little extra edge beyond the usual senior-day backdrop.
Oklahoma State arrives under first-year coach Eric Morris, adding another layer of unfamiliarity to a game that already carries some intrigue for the Sun Devils. For Arizona State, the timing also matters because Dillingham has not lost a homecoming game since 2023, and this one figures to close out the home schedule with plenty still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]