Analytical Big 12 Rankings Not in Favor of Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes will look to shake off their disappointing 3-9 2025 season when they take the field in 2026. The Big 12 is arguably the most difficult conference to predict and has delivered different winners in each of the past three seasons.

What do ESPN’s SP+ rankings have to say about the conference this season?

Colorado's SP+ Ranking

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Coach Prime Big 12 Conference Rankings College Football Playoff Julian Lewis Folsom Field — Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders yells at his team during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

The SP+ rating takes into account a team's returning productiion, recent history, recent recruiting, and coaching change effects.

Colorado is ranked No. 65 in the country in ESPN’s SP+ rankings. Their rating is 0.9. The only Big 12 team ranked lower are the West Virginia Mountaineers. For Colorado, this reflects their 2025 season.

The Buffaloes finished in second to last place in the conference ahead of only the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who went winless in conference play last season.

In recruiting, Colorado's 2026 class ranked No. 67 in the country.

Highest Ranked Big 12 Teams

The highest ranked team in the Big 12 according to the SP+ rankings are the defending conference champion Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 7 with a rating of 23.7. The Red Raiders went 12-2 in 2025, winning the Big 12 and making it to the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff. It’s no surprise to see them this high.

The next highest ranked Big 12 team are the BYU Cougars at No. 18 with a 15.5 rating. BYU lost in the Big 12 championship game to Texas Tech. The third highest ranked Big 12 team is the Utah Utes at No. 25 with a 11.9. Utah is an interesting team because they were consistently in conference titles chases under coach Kyle Whittingham. Whititngham is now with the Michigan Wolverines and Utah promoted defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to head coach for the 2026 season.

Colorado has Texas Tech and Utah on their 2026 schedule.

Colorado Buffaloes' 2026 Outlook

Colorado will be aiming to get back to a bowl game after missing out on one last year. The Buffs have made a bowl game one time in the first three years of the coach Deion Sanders era. Colorado has an overall record of 16-21 in Boulder since "Coach Prime" took over at the helm in 2023.

The 2026 team will look much different than the 2025 squad. This includes the coaching staff as well as the players.

Colorado has 43 incoming transfers so there will be new names and faces all over the place. The projected starting quarterback is redshirt freshman Julian Lewis played in four games last season, starting two of them. He showed promise when he was out there and gives Buffaloes fans a reason to be excited about the offense.

As for the coaching staff, huge moves were made this offseason on both sides of the ball. The Buffaloes new defensive coordinator Chris Marve was promoted from linebackers coach after the departure of former defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who is now on the coaching staff of the Denver Broncos.

Marve was hired to be linebackers coach just months ago, but got the promotion with Livingston leaving.

On offense, Colorado hired former Sacramento State coach Brennan Marion as their next offensive coordinator. Marion had success with Sac. State in 2025 and will bring his "Go-Go" offense to Boulder.

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