The loss to the Kansas Jayhawks slimmered the Colorado Buffaloes‘ chances at the Big 12 Championship, as well as the College Football Playoffs. However, Deion Sanders and son Shedeur Sanders’ team is still not out of the fight. The Buffaloes will host the OSU Cowboys on November 29 with their eyes set on making the league title game.
Colorado has undergone an incredible, almost miraculous, turnaround in Deion Sanders‘ second year at the helm. After an underwhelming 4-8 record in 2023, the Buffs are 8-3 with one game left. Fans in Boulder have restored their hope in the program and are still hopeful in a Big 12 Championship appearance. However, the odds are not in the Buffaloes’ favor.
Currently, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, and Iowa State are jam-packed at the top of the Big 12 standings with 6-2 records in league play. Five teams trail behind them with 5-3 records.
Colorado doesn’t control its own destiny. Moreover, the Buffaloes will kickstart the NCAA‘s weekend action on Friday, while their opponents won’t play until Saturday. This means Colorado will not have the luxury of knowing what result it needs. Deion’s team must win against the 0-8 Cowboys and wait for some help on Saturday.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes throws during their spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado.
Possible scenarios
The easiest way in for Shedeur Sanders and the Buffaloes is to win against OSU and hope two of the schools tied for first place drop their respective games.
see also
NCAAF News: Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders reveals Deion's plans for 2025 amid NFL rumors
If all four teams in first place were to win, then Colorado is eliminated from the Big 12 Title match. If one of the four schools loses, and the finalists for the championship were to be decided by a three-way tie-breaker, then Colorado would need the following results, via On3:
BYU loses to Houston, Texas Tech beats West Virginia, Baylor beats Kansas, and Cincinnati beats TCU — Colorado faces Iowa State in title game.
BYU loses to Houston, Texas Tech beats West Virginia, Kansas beats Baylor, and TCU beats Cincinnati — Colorado faces Arizona State in title game.
Top-4 matchups
- Arizona State at Arizona
- BYU vs Houston
- Colorado vs OSU (Friday)
- Iowa State vs Kansas State
