Colorado’s trip into Oct. 3 comes with the kind of numbers that make the challenge feel pretty stark. The Buffaloes are 2-2, No.
12 Texas Tech is waiting at Folsom Field, and the pregame spread already has Colorado as a 13.5-point underdog. Add in the reported quarterback change - backup Isaac Wilson taking over for Julian Lewis - and the national view of this one gets even clearer.
The ESPN Football Power Index isn’t exactly offering much hope for a Colorado surprise, either. In the Sept. 30 release, the Buffaloes checked in at -0.6, the lowest rating among Big 12 teams. Kansas is just ahead of them at -0.4, but Colorado is still sitting at the bottom of the league in the model.
That same projection system is also cold on Colorado’s bigger-picture outlook. The Buffaloes have a 15.4 percent chance to reach a bowl game, and the road from here doesn’t look any friendlier.
After Texas Tech, No. 13 Utah is up next on Oct.
- Colorado still has to host No.
20 Houston, travel to Tempe for Arizona State, and deal with unbeaten Cincinnati on Nov. 21.
All of that leaves Colorado with a 0.1 percent shot at reaching the Big 12 title game. The College Football Playoff odds are the same at 0.1 percent. The model currently has the Buffaloes finishing no worse than 4-8, with 7-5 their best-case finish the rest of the way.
So once again, Deion Sanders and Colorado are heading into a game with plenty of doubt hanging over them. They’re back home after a two-game losing streak, and the reigning conference champions are coming to town.
Sanders framed the quarterback switch as a response to the moment, and he sounded confident in Wilson’s readiness. “Isaac is going to go out there and try it … you can check him, and he’s going to be ready to go,” Sanders said during his appearance on the coach's show released on Sept. 30.
He also said Wilson appeared focused after Sanders got on him for a missed deep throw in the 23-13 loss to Baylor.
Lewis, meanwhile, had only one 300-yard game early in 2026, and that came against FCS opponent Weber State. With Wilson now stepping in, Colorado is leaning on a change that doesn’t seem to have moved the national outlook much at all.
In Other News...
Colorado Faces A Brutal Test Amid A Growing QB Dilemma
Texas Tech heads into its trip to Colorado with a different kind of road confidence than it has carried in recent seasons. Under Joey McGuire, the Red Raiders have won seven of their last eight road games, a stretch that includes a recent victory at Oregon State and offers a sharper picture of a team that has grown more comfortable away from home.
Colorado presents a tricky next step, not just because of the setting but because Deion Sanders is managing a roster hit by injuries and ongoing uncertainty at quarterback. Both coaches have already addressed where their teams stand, and the matchup now looks less like a routine conference date and more like a test of which side can handle the noise, absorb the questions and still execute when it matters. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Faces A Colorado Test That Will Say Plenty
Texas Tech heads into its meeting with Colorado with a clear list of areas that need cleaning up, and most of them start on offense. The Red Raiders have been looking for a sharper, more efficient rhythm, and that means taking better care of the football, cutting down on penalties and finding a way to make the ground game a more reliable part of the attack. Up front, the offensive line will be under a bright light as well, since discipline and consistency there can shape everything else the offense tries to do.
The challenge does not stop when Texas Tech has the ball, either. Colorado presents a test that will also ask the Red Raiders' defense to generate more pressure on the quarterback and keep explosive plays from breaking the game open. With season goals still very much in play, this is the kind of matchup that can say a lot about whether Texas Tech is moving toward the version of itself it needs to be, or still searching for it. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces An Early Test That Will Say A Lot
Colorado gets a measuring-stick game in Week 5, and for Texas Tech it is another chance to show that its 4-0 start and No. 12 ranking are not just the product of a soft opening run. The Red Raiders have looked sharp enough to stack wins early, while the Buffaloes arrive at 2-2 and still trying to find a steadier rhythm after a mixed first month.
A big part of the attention will be on Will Hammond, whose play has helped give Texas Tech a clean offensive profile so far. Colorado has shown enough in flashes to make this interesting, but the numbers and recent form point to a tough ask for the Buffs against a more complete Red Raiders team, which is why the spread has leaned toward Texas Tech. [Read more 🡒]