In the new age of college football it has become very clear how important defense is and how it changes games. Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders knows this from his time as a coach but also as a player when he was a lockdown corner in the NFL. 

There is one stat that was clear and had success among several playoff teams and their defenses that defensive coordinator Robert Livingston may want to replicate in 2026. 

The Importance of Third Down

In many ways entire games can come down to one play and who executes better on that play. Many teams can outplay their opponents for large portions of games, but if they fail to succeed on third down all that work can go to waste. 

As a defense, it is very difficult to get off the field by forcing turnovers every drive, and in reality it is unrealistic to expect that. The next best thing is winning on third down to force a punt. All this means is putting three great defensive plays together to get a stop. 

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2025 Playoff Teams Success on Third Down

One of the most important statistics in college football is opponent success rate on third down and many teams that qualified for the College Football Playoff in the 2025-2026 season exemplified that. 

There were seven teams that made the Playoff which ranked in the top 11 of opponent third down conversion percentage. These teams were Texas A&M, Oklahoma, James Madison, Texas Tech, Indiana, Ohio State, and Miami. 

All of these teams held their opponents to a conversion rate of 31.28 percent or less on third down. The two teams that played in the national championship were in this group. 

The national champion Indiana Hoosier held their opponents to a 30.10 rate which ranks eighth in the country. The Miami Hurricanes held their opponents to a rate of 31.28 which put them at 11th in the country. 

Having an elite third down defense definitely has its benefits and can lead to success at the top levels of college football. 

Colorado’s 2025 Defense

During the 2025 campaign, the Buffaloes ranked 34th in the country in third down conversion rate allowed at 35.22 percent. This was with a defense that was near the bottom of the country in rushing defense allowing 222.5 rush yards per game which was 135th in the country

The pass defense for Colorado was much better as it ranked 41st in the nation in passing defense, allowing 203.2 pass yards per game. This was their strength in 2025, but due to how vulnerable the rush defense was at times the distance on third down was short enough to run it. 

2026 Projection

The Buffaloes have looked at their weaknesses on defense, and as a result brought in players to fix them especially on the defensive front and in the linebacker corp. After these additions, the defense has enhanced its ability to create negative plays for offenses and allow the secondary to make plays on the ball in third down situations. 

With the defensive front expected to improve, as well as adding depth and experienced players all over the defense, this could be a year where Colorado takes a step up to become one of the more elite third down defenses. 

Stopping the run is one of the most important things when leading up to third down as well as on third down. If this issue truly has been addressed, the Buffaloes could land themselves into the top 30 in this stat and make a real push for the College Football Playoff.