Colorado’s latest trip through the national power rankings brought another rough landing.
After finally grabbing its first Big 12 win of the season against Kansas State, the Buffaloes couldn’t carry that momentum into their road game at Arizona State. The result was another loss - Colorado’s fifth in Big 12 play and sixth overall - and USA TODAY Sports responded by dropping the Buffs six spots in its 1-138 rankings.
That slide leaves Colorado at No. 97 nationally, which also makes it the lowest-ranked Big 12 team in the poll.
The road ahead doesn’t get any softer. Colorado is set to face Houston this week, and the Cougars sit at No. 15 in the rankings.
From there, the Buffs still have Cincinnati on the road and UCF at home. All three opponents have winning records, and Cincinnati and UCF both enter Week 11 with five wins as they chase bowl eligibility of their own.
With no margin left, Colorado needs to win out to get to six victories and become bowl eligible.
The Buffaloes are bunched in the rankings with several other Power Four programs, including Stanford at No. 94, Cal at No.
100, Georgia Tech at No. 102 and Maryland at No. 103.
At the top, the rankings shifted again. Georgia moved into the No. 1 spot, Utah climbed to No. 2, and Notre Dame, Miami and Indiana filled out the rest of the top five.
The Big 12 still has a strong presence near the top of the list, with Utah at No. 2, BYU at No.
12, Houston at No. 15, Texas Tech at No. 17 and Arizona at No.
In Other News...
Colorado Recruiting Suddenly Has A Deion Sanders Problem
Colorados 2027 recruiting class has taken a hit late in the cycle, with three verbal commits backing off their pledges in recent days. Three-star tackle LiMarcus Jones has already flipped to Mississippi State, while linebacker Jahmiere Portis-Daniels and wide receiver Ryan Ferdinand have also decommitted, leaving the Buffaloes to regroup as the class comes into sharper focus.
For a program that has leaned heavily on momentum and visibility under Deion Sanders, the timing makes this a notable stretch. Sanders has acknowledged the situation, but he has kept his attention on the players already in the building and has brushed aside any concern about his own job security, even as the recruiting board suddenly looks a little less stable than it did earlier in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Just Helped Expose A Colorado Crisis Deion Can't Ignore
The loss to Arizona State left Colorado in a spot it can no longer afford to shrug off. With the Buffaloes now needing to win out just to reach bowl eligibility, the margin for error has disappeared, and the frustration around a season that has not matched the talent on the roster is only growing. What was supposed to be a step forward has instead turned into a reminder that potential means little without results.
Deion Sanders is now coaching under heavier scrutiny, with the conversation around his future only getting louder as the losses pile up and the financial realities of a major buyout loom in the background. The bigger concern for Colorado may be what this slide says about the program itself, from recruiting misses to underachievement on the field, because the issues go beyond one bad night in Tempe and into the foundation of what Sanders is trying to build. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Moore Jr. Just Reframed Colorados Biggest Offensive Problem
Colorados offensive frustrations have been easy to spot during the recent skid, but DeAndre Moore Jr. pushed the conversation in a different direction when he spoke with reporters. The wide receiver said the issue is less about the coaching staff or the system and more about the players executing it, a notable defense of offensive coordinator Brennan Marions Go-Go scheme at a time when the Buffaloes are searching for answers.
Moores comments came with the season still hanging in the balance and a bowl chase still in view, even as the losses pile up. On a personal level, he has continued to produce and is on pace to top his previous receiving marks, which only adds to the contrast between his individual progress and the offenses broader inconsistency. [Read more 🡒]