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...
Houston Just Showed Why Its Ceiling Might Be Even Higher
Houston kept rolling at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic in Stateline, Nevada, using another sharp defensive performance to separate from California in an 86-68 win. The Cougars got balanced production at the top, with senior forward Joseph Tugler scoring 16 points and senior point guard Thomas Jr. finishing with 20 points and eight assists, while the defense kept turning stops into momentum.
What stood out just as much was how complete Houston looked in transition, piling up 14 steals, seven blocks and 20 fast break points. For a team already known for making games uncomfortable, this was the kind of showing that suggests there may still be another level to reach, especially when the pressure on one end keeps feeding easy offense on the other. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Made Its Playoff Push Feel A Lot More Real
Houstons win over Cincinnati in Week 10 did more than keep the Cougars on track in the Big 12. It pushed them to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in league play, a record that now puts them squarely in the conversation as the season enters its final stretch. With three games left, the Cougars are no longer just enjoying a nice run, they are in position to make a real push at the conference title race and keep a College Football Playoff path in view.
The bigger significance is how steady the climb has been. Houston has stayed in every AP poll since the season began, a sign that the national respect has matched the results on the field. For a program trying to turn a strong start into something lasting, the next few weeks will say plenty about whether this surge is the start of a bigger statement or just the latest step in a crowded Big 12 race. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Finally Has Chendall Weaver But One Big Question Remains
Chendall Weavers arrival gave Houston a useful boost in its second game of the season, after a Texas District Court granted him a temporary restraining order that made him eligible to suit up. The ruling opened the door for the Cougars to finally get a look at the guard in live action, and he fit in quickly off the bench against California while giving Houston a little more length, activity and depth on both ends.
The catch is the timeline, because the order only covers a short stretch of the schedule and runs through Nov. 19. For Houston, that means Weaver can help right away during a busy early window, but his longer-term status still hangs in the balance as the Cougars wait to see whether the situation is extended or changed in time to keep him available. [Read more 🡒]