Colorado
Can Colorado make CFP? How Iowa State, Kansas State losses open door for Buffaloes
US LBM Coaches Poll: Oregon steady at No. 1, Ohio State shaky in victory
The latest US LBM Coaches Poll is here is here and while there isn’t much in the way of changes, Ohio State’s shaky win against Nebraska raises questions moving forward.
Sports Pulse
Colorado football may have been idle this week, but Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes picked up two big wins for their postseason playoff picture.
With Texas Tech and Houston pulling off upsets against No. 10 Iowa State and No. 15 Kansas State, respectively, there is a legit path for Colorado to make not only the Big 12 championship game, but also the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. The losses for the Cyclones and Wildcats move Colorado into a tie for second place at 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference with ISU.
The Buffaloes, who became ranked in the AP Top 25 poll last week, are currently in the midst of their best season since 2019 when they finished with five wins. Last week, Colorado became bowl-eligible for the first time under Sanders.
Here’s the path that is now presented for Colorado to make the College Football Playoff as Iowa State and Kansas State both lost in Week 10:
Can Colorado make College Football Playoff?
Yes. Barring any drastic falloff for the Buffaloes in their final four games, Colorado has a path to make the College Football Playoff — likely through the Big 12 championship game.
A big reason for Sanders’ squad playing in the CFP has to do with the expansion of the field from four teams to 12 teams this year. The expansion also comes with an automatic bid and first-round bye for the four highest-ranked conference champions, which almost certainly will include the Big 12 Conference.
But for the Buffaloes to make the playoff, they would not only have to win out in the regular season, but also, most likely, need to win the Big 12 championship. ESPN’s Football Power Index had Colorado with an 8.8% chance of winning the Big 12 entering Saturday.
Looking at Colorado’s remaining schedule — which includes contests against Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State — winning out the regular season seems like a reasonable feat. Of the four teams that the Buffaloes will face to end the season, three of them are at the bottom of the Big 12 standings.
Additionally, if Colorado wins out, the Buffaloes’ odds of finishing as a top-two team in the conference can be also helped from the outside. If Iowa State loses to Kansas State during Rivalry Week on Nov. 30, Colorado would be in the Big 12 championship game.
ESPN Analytics currently has Colorado winning each of its final four games, which would mark the first time the Buffaloes would finish the regular season with 10 wins since 2016. But if this season of college football has shown anything, you can’t rely on win-loss probability analytics.
All told, get the popcorn ready for a potential fun playoff push over the next four weeks for Colorado and Coach Prime.
Big 12 football tiebreakers
The Big 12 announced in September that if two teams are tied in the conference standings, the following tiebreakers will be used until a determination is made on who makes the Big 12 championship game:
- A — The tied teams will be compared based on their head-to-head record during the season.
- B — The tied teams will be compared based on win percentage against all common conference opponents.
- C — The tied teams will be compared based on win percentage against the next highest-placed common opponent in the standings (based on the record in all games played within the Conference) proceeding through the standings.
- D — The tied teams will be compared based on combined win percentage in conference games of conference opponents.
- E — The tied teams will be compared based on total number of wins in a 12-game season.
- F — The representative will be chosen based on highest ranking by SportSource Analytics (team rating score metric) following the last weekend of regular-season games.
- G — The representative will be chosen by a coin toss.
Big 12 football standings
Here’s a look at the Big 12 football standings as of Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. MT:
Records listed indicate Big 12 play
- 1. BYU: 5-1
- T-2. Iowa State: 4-1
- T-2. Colorado: 4-1
- T-4. Kansas State: 4-2
- T-4. Texas Tech: 4-2
- T-6. Arizona State: 3-2
- T-6. Cincinnati: 3-2
- T-6. TCU: 3-2
- T-6. West Virginia: 3-2
- T-10: Houston: 3-3
- 11. Baylor: 2-3
- 12. UCF: 2-4
- T-13. Utah: 1-4
- T-13. Kansas: 1-4
- 15. Arizona: 1-5
- 16. Oklahoma State: 0-6
Colorado football schedule 2024
Here’s a look at Colorado’s football schedule in 2024:
- Thursday, Aug. 29: vs. North Dakota State (W, 31-26)
- Saturday, Sept. 7: at Nebraska (L, 28-10)
- Saturday, Sept. 14: at Colorado State (W, 28-9)
- Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Baylor* (W, 38-31, OT)
- Saturday, Sept. 28: at UCF* (W, 48-21)
- Saturday, Oct. 5: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. No. 20 Kansas State* (L, 31-28)
- Saturday, Oct. 19: at Arizona* (W, 34-7)
- Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Cincinnati* (W, 34-23)
- Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 9: at Texas Tech*
- Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Utah*
- Saturday, Nov. 23: at Kansas*
- Friday, Nov. 29: vs. Oklahoma State*
* Denotes Big 12 game
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Colorado
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
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