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
Former Colorado Buffaloes stars Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak announced their transfer portal decisions on Sunday with Rancik committing to Florida State and Dak committing to Vanderbilt, per On3’s Joe Tipton. They join former Buffs guard Isaiah Johnson (now at Texas) as the third former Colorado player to leave the Big 12 conference as Rancik opts for the ACC and Dak heads to the SEC.
The trio of Johnson, Rancik, and Dak make up three of Colorado’s four most productive players with rising senior guard Barrington Hargress, and the Buffs are now tasked with replacing such production with Hargress as the only returner.
Rancik’s season ended prematurely with an injury, but he averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Buffs. Dak was Colorado’s leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game, scoring 11.5 points per contest as well.
While each player has his respective reasons for transferring, the most expected ones are for seeking better NIL deals or more development on a better team in a better league. The Buffs finished 12th in the Big 12, and the allure of the SEC was too strong for the program to hold onto key talent like Johnson and Dak.
Still, Colorado coach Tad Boyle proved his ability to recruit and build up a solid core, one that saw its headliners of Johnson, Dak, and Rancik all depart in the portal. Can he do it again?
Colorado Buffaloes Roster Outlook
Boyle and the Buffaloes did retain Hargress as well as three freshmen guards: Jalin Holland, Ian Inman, and Josiah Sanders.
As a freshman, Holland averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as one of Colorado’s key pieces coming off of the bench. Meanwhile, Sanders appeared in 33 games as a constant presence in the Buffs backcourt, averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 assists per game.
Inman played the fewest minutes of the returning trio, but he flashed with a couple of double-digit scoring performances as a true freshman.
“When I think of those three together, I think of toughness. I think of the improvement they made over the course of the season and the togetherness they have. They’re great friends and have formed a bond during their freshman year. Their toughness, energy and work ethic, when you have those attributes to go along with talent, which they all have, you get a chance to have three really good sophomores next year that will take the next step,” Boyle said in a release announcing the return of the three freshmen.
With eight outgoing transfers to replace, the Buffaloes will certainly have a new look to them for the 2026-27 season.
Colorado has landed one transfer portal prospect so far in former North Dakota State foward Noah Feddersen. On the recruiting trail, Boyle and company are bringing in four-star forward Rider Portela as well as two prospects from the NBL in Australia: forward Goc Malual and guard Alex Dickeson.
The transfer portal for men’s college basketball closes on Tuesday, April 21, meaning players have to enter their names by then. Transfer athletes do not have to commit before the portal closes, though, so Colorado is expected to continue hosting prospects on visits while building out the roster.
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Colorado
Colorado faces LA in first round as Kings captain Anze Kopitar embarks on final Stanley Cup chase
DENVER — Anze Kopitar wrapped up the last regular season of his storied career. The Los Angeles Kings captain wants to prolong his final playoff run for as long as possible.
Kopitar, who announced in September his plans to retire, instantly becomes a postseason rallying point for the Kings. They have a tall task ahead of them against the Colorado Avalanche, the top team in the league, with the top goal scorer in Nathan MacKinnon and one of the best defensemen in the game in Cale Makar. Game 1 is Sunday at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche are 26-9-6.
“Playoffs,” said the 38-year-old Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings. “I’m not going to say anything can happen, but we’ll go in and we’ll play hard and we’ll see where that takes us.”
This will be the third postseason series between the two teams and the first in 24 years. Colorado won in seven games during both the 2002 conference quarterfinals and the 2001 conference semifinals.
It’s been a record season for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche as they amassed the most points (121) in franchise history. That broke the mark set by the 2022 team, which went on to win the Stanley Cup title. MacKinnon had a career-best 53 goals.
Goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the net this season and surrendered a league low in goals. They earned the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is presented to the goalies who have played a minimum of 25 games — Wedgewood suited up in 45 and Blackwood 39 — for the team with the fewest goals allowed. The other goaltender to win that honor for Colorado was Hall of Famer Patrick Roy (2001-02).
“We’re in a good spot,” Colorado forward Brock Nelson said. “The mentality of this group throughout the year, right from the start of training camp, (was) set on a mission to be the best team.”
Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates the goal against Edmonton Oilers goalie Connor Ingram (39) during shoot-out NHL action, in Edmonton on Monday, April 13, 2026. Credit: AP/JASON FRANSON
Record against each other
The Kings went 0-3 against Colorado this season and were outscored by a 13-5 margin.
“You hear the hype. They have good players,” Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke said. “We’re a scrappy team. We keep it close with everybody. That can really frustrate them.”
Leading after two
The Avalanche were 41-0-0 when leading after two periods. They’re the first squad to have a lead after two periods on 40 or more instances and capture each one, according to team research.
“Even though we’ve been smart, we’ve been committed, we’ve been relentless at times, it’s going to have to go to a whole new level now,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I have faith in our guys.”
Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar, who is retiring after this season, acknowledges the crowd after being recognized after losing to the Vancouver Canucks during overtime NHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
Remember the season opener?
Six grueling months ago, the Avalanche and Kings opened the season against each other. The Avalanche won 4-1 in Los Angeles behind a pair of goals from Martin Necas, who would go on to register his first 100-point season (38 goals, 62 assists).
The two teams join an exclusive club by becoming the fifth pair since 2015-16 to open the regular season and the playoffs against each other, according to NHL Stats. The other pairs to do so were Montreal and Toronto (2020-21); Colorado and St. Louis (2020-21); St. Louis and Winnipeg (2018-19); and Los Angeles and San Jose (2015-16).
Of those teams that won the season opener only San Jose went on to win the series. It’s a trend Kopitar and the Kings wouldn’t mind joining.
Kopitar and the playoffs
Kopitar helped the Kings to the Stanley Cup title in 2011-12 and 2013-14 along with goaltender Jonathan Quick, who now is with the New York Rangers and recently said he’s retiring. Kopitar has played in 103 postseason games with 27 goals and 62 assists.
“The intensity ramps up, everything ramps up,” Kopitar said of the postseason. “Every mistake, every little play, magnifies now.”
Familiar faces
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper was in net for the Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. In addition, Kuemper and Drew Doughty were teammates with MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews when Canada won silver at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
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