Even for a program located in a part of the country that gets 300 days of sunshine a year, the past couple of weeks have been especially bright for the Colorado football program.
In their second season under coach Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2024 college football season.
After a disastrous 1-11 campaign in 2022 and after limping to a 4-8 record in 2023 in Sanders’ debut at the school, Colorado is 6-2 and ranked in the AP Top 25 after defeating Cincinnati 34-23 last Saturday at Folsom Field in Boulder. The victory was the Buffs’ fifth in their past six games following a 28-10 loss to rival Nebraska in Week 2, but, more notably, it made them bowl eligible in a full season for the first time since 2016.
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Though it still has some noticeable holes, particularly along its offensive line, Colorado has been one of the more entertaining teams in college football in 2024 — and, unlike last season, it’s not just because of its head coach’s fame.
Travis Hunter is the best all-around player in the sport, excelling on both offense and defense for the Buffs. Shedeur Sanders has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, with 2,591 yards and 21 touchdowns. The team’s defense has improved considerably, as well, with its scoring average falling from 34.8 points allowed per game last season to 22 through eight games this season.
Now that it has secured a spot in a bowl game, what’s next for the Buffs? Here’s what you need to know about Colorado and its schedule for Week 10 of the 2024 college football season:
On the heels of its win against Cincinnati, Colorado will be idle during Week 10 of the season. It’s the Buffs’ second and final bye week this season.
Colorado will return to action with a Nov. 9 game at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are the only team remaining on the Buffs’ regular-season schedule that currently has a winning record — and even then, they’re riding a two-game losing streak following a 5-1 start to the season.
At 4-1 in conference play, Colorado is tied with Kansas State for third in the Big 12 standings, though the Wildcats own a tiebreaker over it by virtue of their 31-28 win over the Buffaloes on October 12 in Boulder.
Should Colorado win out — which is at least a possibility considering the quality of the rest of its schedule — it could potentially lock up a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The winner of that contest will earn an automatic berth into the College Football Playoff.
REQUIRED READING:College football rankings: Big 12 teams in updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 after Week 9
Here’s a look at Colorado’s full 2024 football schedule, including available start time and TV channel information:
All times Mountain.
* Denotes Big 12 game
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