Where Colorado Football Ranks in Updated ESPN FPI After Week 8
· Yahoo Sports
The Colorado Buffaloes were nowhere close to being in contention for a national championship this season, and it has gotten worse. ESPN gave Colorado a 0.1 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff coming into the season. The Football Power Index ratings for this week are proof Deion Sanders might be on the hot seat with another loss.
The Buffs are 75th overall in the FPI rankings. This is a -2 total, which is dead last in the Big 12 by a wide margin. The team remains winless in Big 12 play with five games left in the 2026 season.
Visit truewildgame.online for more information.
Colorado is the last current Big 12 team to win a national championship, which came under the late Bill McCartney in 1990. The Buffs beat Notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange Bowl, capping off a 11-1-1 season. This included the infamous fifth downplay at Missouri to keep CU's season alive. Nonetheless, they were the best in the nation and a true contender back then.
Before the season, ESPN gave Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Houston and TCU as the six teams with a 0.1% chance. Texas Tech leads the way with a 3.7% chance of winning the title, followed by BYU at 0.7%. What's wild is, Utah was given virtually no shot at winning a title, and they have some of the best odds as the Big 12's last undefeated team.
Deion Sanders' best season to date came two years ago, finishing 9-4 with a 36-14 thumping in the Alamo Bowl to BYU. As good as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders were during the season, finishing out strong in the postseason never happened.
Sanders has guided the Buffs through another transition period. The roster features 44 new transfers this season with only three four-star players, according to 247Sports. Outside the talent on the field, Colorado has new coordinators in the mix. Brennan Marion brings his Go-Go offense to Boulder, while Chris Marve guides the defense.
Through seven games, the new-look offensive attack has failed to spark consistency. What's realistic for the Buffaloes in the rest of the 2026 season? According to oddsmakers, CU's win total is still set at a 3.5 total. If this stays true, Sanders will have to deal with hot seat speculation after three losing seasons over a four-year span.
Colorado welcomes Kansas State into Boulder on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, TNT).