Colorado’s path to a bowl game is still alive, but the runway is getting short.
The Buffaloes dropped three straight before their Week 6 bye, and the schedule doesn’t exactly offer much breathing room coming out of it. Two ranked opponents wait in the two weeks after the break, which means Colorado will have to find its wins somewhere else if the Coach Prime era is going to keep its bowl hopes intact this season. The number that matters now is four - the Buffs need at least four more victories down the stretch.
That leaves a handful of games that look more manageable than the rest, and the best place to start is the late-November matchup with UCF. Colorado gets that one at home, and the circumstances should tilt heavily in its favor.
The Knights have been one of the Big 12’s least convincing teams so far, and they’ve already let three close games against strong opponents slip away. Their only win over a Power Four opponent came against TCU on Sept.
- With Colorado’s home crowd behind it on a cold late-November day, this is the one the Buffs should be expected to handle.
Week 10 at Arizona State also looks like a game Colorado can circle. The Sun Devils’ defense has been shaky all season, while their offense has swung between highs and lows.
That opens the door for Colorado’s defense, which should be able to slow quarterback Cutter Boley and company. If the Buffs’ offense does its part and avoids beating itself, this one should be there for the taking.
Cincinnati presents a tougher challenge, but it still belongs on the list. The Bearcats are 4-1 through six weeks, though that record has been built against a soft schedule.
Their first three wins came over Boston College, Western Carolina and Miami University, with the Eagles sitting 2-3 and near the bottom of the ACC, the Catamounts coming from the FCS and the Redhawks landing in the middle of the MAC. Cincinnati’s first real test ended badly, as Arizona beat it 34-7 in Week 5.
Colorado has to travel for this one, but the Buffs should still have a shot in what figures to be a meeting of two flawed teams.
Kansas State rounds out the group, and this one has some familiar baggage for Colorado. The Wildcats have beaten the Buffs in each of Deion Sanders’ first three years in charge, with Avery Johnson starting at quarterback in all three of those matchups.
Johnson is putting together an impressive 2026 season, too, so Colorado’s offense will need to keep pace if it wants to avoid another long afternoon. Still, this is the weakest Kansas State team Sanders has seen at Colorado, especially on defense, which gives the Buffs a real opening in a game that could end up mattering for bowl eligibility.
In Other News...
Colorado Has A New Defensive Star And A Bigger Utah Concern
Colorado has found an instant difference-maker up front in Lamont Lester Jr., whose early-season impact has been impossible to ignore. The defensive lineman has surged to the top of the Big 12 sack race even while missing a game because of an ankle injury, and his first month in Boulder has already included a 91.2 Pro Football Focus defensive grade, four sacks and 15 quarterback pressures in four games.
Now the bigger concern is whether Colorado can have him available when Utah comes to town. Lesters play has given the Buffaloes a legitimate edge on defense, but the ankle issue leaves his status unsettled at a time when they would like their most disruptive front-line presence on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Quarterback Battle Just Took An Interesting New Turn
After Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson both had rough starts, the quarterback picture in Boulder has shifted again, and Kaneal Sweetwyne is the one name still untouched. He remains the only Buffaloes quarterback who has not yet been used, which has naturally kept him at the center of the conversation as Colorado looks for steadier play at the position.
One small roster wrinkle added to the intrigue this week when wide receiver Quanell Farrakhan Jr. moved from No. 14 to No. 5, a change that also clears the way for Sweetwyne to keep wearing No. 14. Deion Sanders has made it clear he would only turn to Sweetwyne if the freshman is willing to commit long-term, but Colorado has not announced any official decision, leaving the situation open for now. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Harsh Reality Check With Utah Coming To Boulder
Colorado is staring at a difficult reset Saturday at Folsom Field, where the Buffaloes will try to steady themselves against an undefeated Utah team in a Big 12 matchup that has already drawn a clear verdict from oddsmakers. After a recent change at quarterback, Colorado is looking for signs of stability and rhythm, but the matchup does not offer much margin for error against a Utes team that has handled business all season.
Utah comes in with a spotless 5-0 record and the kind of offense that has made it a problem for opponents, which is why the line has pushed so firmly in its favor. Colorado, meanwhile, is trying to rebound from a rough stretch and prove it can compete with a heavyweight, even if the numbers suggest this is a steep climb. [Read more 🡒]