Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders Predicted To Finish Shockingly Low In Big 12

The Colorado Buffaloes finished in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 conference a season ago. Despite this, the Buffaloes are now predicted to finish in 10th in 2025. The Kansas State Wildcats are projected to win the conference.

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts with an official after a play during the second quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes finished the 2024 season with a 9-3 record in the regular season. They were in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 conference, but due to the tiebreakers, Colorado finished in fourth place and out of the Big 12 championship game.

ESPN released their win-loss record predictions for every team in the Big 12 for the 2025 season based on their FPI (Football Power Index) metric. What do they have the Buffaloes finishing at?

Colorado Buffaloes Predicted to Finish 10th in Big 12

Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass against the UCF Knights during the first quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

ESPN predicts that the Colorado Buffaloes will go 6.5-5.5 in the 2025 season. According to this, Colorado will be a fringe bowl team just one year removed from winning nine game and making an Alamo Bowl appearance. ESPN also predicts that this mark would have the Buffaloes finishing up No. 10 in the Big 12.

The two teams ESPN has finishing top two in conference are the Kansas State Wildcats and Arizona State Sound Devils. Kansas State is projected by these metrics to finish first and go 8.6-3.7. Arizona State is just below that and projected to finish second at 8.3-3.9.

Here is the entire Big 12 Win-Loss Record Predictions:

1. Kansas State Wildcats, 8.6-3.7
2. Arizona State Sun Devils, 8.3-3.9
3. BYU Cougars, 8.0-4.2
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders, 7.9-4.2
5. Kansas Jayhawks, 7.9-4.3
6. Baylor Bears, 7.2-5.0
7. TCU Horned Frogs, 7.2-5.0
8. UCF Knights, 7.2-4.9
9. Iowa State Cyclones, 6.7-5.4
10. Colorado Buffaloes, 6.5-5.5
11. Utah Utes, 6.4-5.6
12. Cincinatti Bearcats, 6.4-5.7
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys, 5.5-6.6
14. West Virginia Mountaineers, 5.2-6.9
15. Arizona Wildcats, 4.9-7.1
16. Houston Cougars, 4.8-7.2

Heading into the 2024 season, many picked Kansas State to win the Big 12. They ended up going 8-4 in the regular season and 5-4 in Big 12 conference play. They finished tied for eighth with the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Arizona State on the other hand are the reigning Big 12 champions. In their first season in the conference in 2024, the Sun Devils went 10-2 during the regular season and 7-2 in conference play. They faced the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 championship game and won 45-19. They went on to play in the College Football Playoff, losing a heartbreaker in double-overtime to the Texas Longhorns.

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Deion Sanders Enters Year Three in Boulder

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders is now in his third year as coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. His first season in 2023 started out on fire with a 3-0 record, but the team struggled throughout conference play. They won only one more game the rest of the way and finished with a record of 4-8.

2024 was a huge step in the right direction. They were in the thick of the Big 12 title race and won nine games. Coach Prime will be losing his two best players from a season ago in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. Will he be able to build on last season’s success without them?

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