Colorado head coach Deion SandersDustin Bradford/Getty Images
It’s remarkable to see how quickly a team can fall from grace from the start of a season like Colorado has. The Buffaloes were college football’s Cinderella story through the first three weeks, starting out 3-0.
But since then, they are just 1-6, with just one lone victory over Arizona State. The Buffs have had to face three straight ranked opponents in the last three weeks in UCLA, Oregon State and Arizona, losing all three games by just one-score margins.
For Colorado to make a bowl game—something that looked quite plausible at the start of the season—it’ll have to win at Washington State this Friday night and at Utah on Nov. 25.
If Colorado finishes below .500, it would obviously be a disappointment for Sanders. But there’s no question the national attention and record-setting attendance numbers he’s brought to a struggling program is worthy of praise.
The next step will be making the Buffs relevant in the Big 12 starting next season.
Stanford fans might need to be patient with Troy Taylor as he builds his program. The Cardinal are 3-7 on the season, including a 1-3 mark over the last four weeks.
The 46-43 come-from-behind win at Colorado was positive, but with remaining games against Cal and Notre Dame left on the schedule, a third-straight three-win season looks possible.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Like Stanford, Arizona State is just 3-7 on the season. The wins have been few and far between—the Sun Devils opened with a 24-21 win over Southern Utah and then lost their next six straight.
Recent wins over Washington State and UCLA are encouraging, but this ASU offense is nowhere near where it needs to be for success. The Sun Devils are averaging just 17.7 points per game, good for 128th in the country.
The good news is that Auburn will make a bowl game for the first time since 2021. The bad news is that the Tigers haven’t looked great against the bulk of their divisional opponents. In fact, they are 3-4 in SEC West games on the season.
Auburn has won its last three straight against some struggling SEC teams: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.
If the Tigers can look somewhat competitive against Alabama in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 25 and win their bowl game, that may help fans swallow an underwhelming first year under Freeze.
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