The Colorado Buffaloes still have a path to bowl eligibility, but it’s going to take a cleaner version of this team over the final stretch. After a 2-5 start, Colorado is trying to climb back into the picture with three games left that wouldn’t automatically count as upsets if the Buffs can win them: Arizona State, Cincinnati and UCF.
That kind of turnaround won’t happen unless Colorado stops beating itself. The biggest problem has been the penalties, and that showed up again even in Saturday’s win over Kansas State. The Buffaloes were flagged eight times for 53 yards, while the Wildcats had five penalties for 35 yards.
That has been the pattern for most of the season. Colorado has been hit with eight or more penalties in every game except its Week 1 win over Georgia Tech, and Deion Sanders made it clear on Tuesday, Oct. 27, that the issue has worn thin.
“We've got to have some kind of consistency,” said Colorado coach Deion Sanders on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
“That's the only thing we're consistent in is getting penalties, and that doesn't make sense to me. But we've got to do better.
Got to prepare much better.”
The other obvious talking point is quarterback Isaac Wilson’s turnovers, but that problem is tied to how the offense has been handled. Colorado knew when it brought Wilson in through the transfer portal that he was turnover-prone, and that has played out this season.
Still, the Buffaloes have put him in spots where the volume has been too heavy, including games where he threw the ball more than 25 times and as many as 44 against then-No. 12 Texas Tech.
Against Kansas State, Brennan Marion took a different route, and it paid off. Colorado leaned into the run game and let bruising back Richard Young set the tone.
Young ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and the Buffaloes piled up a Coach Prime Era-record 222 rushing yards. That approach kept Wilson from having to force things, and the turnovers stayed out of the picture.
Colorado’s defense needs a similar kind of adjustment. The cornerbacks have been a weak spot, and that isn’t likely to change this late in the year. So the answer is to make life easier on the secondary by turning up the pressure up front.
The Buffaloes have the kind of defensive line that can do it. Lamont Lester Jr., Toby Anene and Santana Hopper have been disruptive all season, and Yamil Talib added a breakout performance against Kansas State with two sacks and eight total tackles.
If Colorado is going to make a bowl game, the formula is pretty clear: cut down the penalties, keep leaning on the run and let the pass rush cover for the secondary.
In Other News...
Kansas State's Thinning Offense Faces Another Worry Before Oklahoma State
Kansas States offense is already trying to adjust without Avery Johnson, and now it may have another key piece in question heading into Oklahoma State. Running back Joe Jackson has landed on the injury report as questionable, adding uncertainty to a unit that has leaned on his versatility and production all season.
Jackson is the Wildcats third-leading rusher and one of the more flexible options in the offense, which makes his status worth watching closely as game day approaches. With the quarterback situation already settled for the long term because of Johnsons season-ending injury, any additional absence would only make the challenge of keeping the offense moving more difficult. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Road Problem Collin Klein Must Solve
Kansas States strong start has given way to a two-game skid, and the timing has made the Wildcats margin for error feel a lot thinner. Collin Klein has pointed to a broader issue that has followed the program on the road over the past three years, where close games have too often tilted the wrong way and left little room to recover when things start to wobble.
Avery Johnsons injury has only complicated matters, forcing Kansas State to lean on inexperienced backups in spots where composure matters most. The latest setback, an overtime loss to Colorado, fit the pattern all too well, and it leaves Klein with a problem that goes beyond one bad night away from home. The Wildcats now have to find a way to steady themselves before the road keeps dictating the story. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Faces A Brutal Test Keeping Up With Oklahoma State
Kansas State is heading into a matchup that figures to demand points in bunches, and the Wildcats are not pretending otherwise. With backup quarterback Blake Barnett set to run the offense in place of injured starter Avery Johnson, K-State knows it will need to keep pace with an Oklahoma State team that has been piling up yards and points behind quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the Big 12s top offense.
The challenge for the Wildcats is as much about staying aggressive as it is about surviving the matchup. Players and coaches have been clear that Oklahoma States attack can force opponents out of their comfort zone, which puts even more pressure on K-States offense to answer possession for possession. For a team already adjusting at quarterback, the margin for error against that kind of firepower looks awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]