Colorado is heading into the 2026 season with plenty of optimism around the program, but ESPN’s latest bowl projections delivered a blunt reminder that belief and outside respect are two very different things.
On Aug. 22, ESPN rolled out its updated postseason picture, from College Football Playoff matchups down through the rest of the bowl slate. The outlet sees 11 Big 12 teams reaching a bowl game - just not the Buffaloes.
That’s the part that will sting in Boulder. While BYU and Texas Tech drew the strongest postseason buzz from the conference, other Big 12 teams such as Arizona State, TCU, Cincinnati and Houston were also projected to land in bowls. Houston was even picked by the most voters to face USC in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29, which would be Colorado’s last bowl game.
Even teams that finished at .500 or worse were projected ahead of Colorado. Kansas, UCF, West Virginia, Kansas State and Baylor all got bowl nods, with Baylor landing a Liberty Bowl projection against Missouri, the former Big 12 program now in the SEC.
For a Colorado team trying to shake off a 3-9 season, the lack of bowl love is another shot across the bow. Deion Sanders has said he’s back to his old, confident self, a point he made during Big 12 Media Days, and the program has reasons to feel better about itself. The staff likes the additions of cornerbacks Cree Thomas and Boo Carter, the buzz around defensive tackle Quency Wiggins, and the energy brought by new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
But projections are just projections, and Colorado still has a chance to change the conversation on the field.
That process starts Sept. 5 at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets aren’t ranked, but they’re coming off a 9-4 season, and a road win there would give the Buffaloes an early jolt of credibility.
The next major checkpoint arrives Oct. 3, when No. 12 Texas Tech visits. Colorado’s chances of being seen as a real bowl team would look much better if it enters that game at 2-2 or better.
Two weeks later, Utah comes to Folsom Field, giving the Buffaloes their second nationally ranked opponent of October. Then on Nov.
14, No. 23 Houston rounds out the group of ranked teams on Colorado’s schedule.
The path to 6-6 is there, but it won’t be easy, and it may not be enough unless the Buffaloes can steal at least a couple of those games against ranked opponents. Wins over Baylor or a rebuilding Oklahoma State team probably won’t move the needle much with a bowl committee.
Still, the season hasn’t been played yet. And in college football, these early projections have a way of looking foolish by the time the games are done.
In Other News...
Colorado Gets An Early Sign Two Transfers Could Raise The Ceiling
DeAndre Moore Jr. and Boo Carter arrived in Boulder with the kind of reputations that can change the tone of a roster before they ever play a snap, and now both transfers have already shown up on the radar of the next level. The wide receiver and defensive back were named to the 2027 Senior Bowl Top 300 watch list, an early nod that reflects both their NFL upside and the expectation that they will matter plenty for Colorado in 2026.
For the Buffaloes, the timing is notable because this is more than just preseason buzz. It is an early sign that two newcomers are viewed as possible difference-makers, the sort of players who can raise the ceiling if they settle in quickly and deliver on that promise. Colorado does not need long to imagine the value there, but the real answer will come once the season starts and both transfers begin trying to turn that watch-list recognition into production. [Read more 🡒]
Former Buffs Are Giving Colorado Fans A Real Reason To Watch Preseason
The second week of the NFL preseason gave Colorado fans a familiar kind of reason to keep flipping on the TV. Several former Buffs turned in noticeable outings across the league, with Shedeur Sanders making his first preseason start for the Cleveland Browns and showing the kind of poise that has already made him a name to watch beyond Boulder. He completed 9 of 11 passes and accounted for a touchdown and an interception, a solid line that kept the attention on a group of Colorado alumni making their mark in pro camp settings.
Sanders was hardly alone in giving Buffaloes followers something to track. Will Sheppard, LaJohntay Wester, Isaiah Oliver, Jimmy Horn Jr., Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and Amari McNeill all found ways to contribute, whether through receptions, touchdowns, tackles or interceptions for their respective teams. For a program that has spent plenty of time under the national microscope lately, the preseason has offered a reminder that Colorado's footprint is showing up on Sundays and the weeks leading up to them. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Is Counting On One Defensive Connection Right Away
Colorados defense is leaning on a familiar connection almost as soon as the season begins, with safeties Naeten Mitchell and linebacker Tyler Martinez expected to step into major roles after following each other from New Mexico State. Both transfers were tackling leaders for the Aggies, and the Buffaloes have been quick to value not just their production, but the way they already operate together on the field. Defensive coordinator Chris Marve has stressed communication as a backbone of the unit, and this pair arrives with a shared feel that should help them settle in faster than most newcomers.
The timing matters because Colorado does not get much of a ramp-up before the pressure starts. The Buffaloes open against Georgia Tech, where the defense will be tested right away by an offense that can force quick decisions and punish hesitation. For Colorado, the hope is that Mitchell and Martinez can give the secondary and the front seven some immediate stability, even as the rest of the unit keeps sorting itself out around them. [Read more 🡒]