Ranking Colorado's Home Games From Hardest To Easiest

As the Colorado Buffaloes head into next season, coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes must take advantage of every opportunity Colorado has to stack up wins, but specifically the matchups at home.

With that in mind, here is a ranking of Colorado’s home games from hardest to easiest for the 2026 season.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Ranking Colorado Buffaloes Home Games From Hardest To Easiest Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 2026 Season Julian Lewis — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the Buffaloes, the Texas Tech Red Raiders will be their second opponent during Big 12 conference play, following a matchup with Baylor. The Red Raiders could be the toughest matchup of the season for Colorado, with the Red Raiders coming off a College Football Playoff appearance and looking to build on that.

However, one of the biggest storylines of the offseason was arguably whether or not Brendan Sorsby would be allowed to play after his off-the-field issues had been brought to the surface. Based on the uncertainty of Sorby’s situation, a lot of this matchup may come down to who starts at quarterback for the Red Raiders, if that player has the composure to lead Texas Tech into a very hostile crowd at Folsom Field.

If the Red Raiders do have a clear answer at quarterback and have an offensive rhythm, there is no question that this could be Colorado’s toughest game and could potentially set the tone for the Big 12 standings.

Utah Utes

Following the Texas Tech game and a bye week, the Buffaloes will prepare to host the Utah Utes, who have been a very tough matchup for Colorado recently. Last season, the Buffaloes played Utah on the road, and the Utes dominated the line of scrimmage, which resulted in a lopsided 53-7 Colorado loss.

So, this is a game where the Buffaloes have to prove that they have improved enough on both sides of the line of scrimmage to keep pace with Utah’s physicality. However, this will be a new look Utah team with several players graduating and starting their NFL careers, in addition to Morgan Scalley taking over as the head coach for Kyle Whittingham.

With Utah making several changes, this is a great opportunity for Colorado to win a difficult game, but this is still going to take a full 60-minute effort, which is something that the Buffaloes must prove they have the capability to do.

Houston Cougars

While the games against Texas Tech and Utah will be tough, the schedule does not get any easier as Colorado faces the Houston Cougars in November. Last season under coach Willie Fritz, Houston was able to have a solid showing, which resulted in finishing as the No. 22 in the country for the final rankings.

Based on that, the Cougars have an opportunity to build on their 2025 campaign with quarterback Connor Weigman returning after a great performance last season. With the continuity that Houston has at the quarterback position, this could be a difficult matchup for Colorado, as they project to start redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis for the entire season, who has shown flashes but does have some questions to answer.

As the Buffaloes prepare for the 2026 season, this matchup with Houston could be one of the toughest, with several tests that could exhaust the Buffaloes before they reach the November part of their schedule.

Kansas State Wildcats

At the end of October, Colorado will face the Kansas State Wildcats at home in a game that could prove to be critical for the Buffaloes' chances of becoming bowl eligible. Kansas State has been a consistent team in the Big 12 and should not be an easy game for Colorado. Last season, the Buffaloes lost to Kansas State on the road 24-14 in the final game of the season, which could be something Colorado hopes to redeem in 2026.

With quarterback Avery Johnson returning for the Wildcats, the Buffaloes must figure out a way to limit his rushing ability, which could force Kansas State into being one-dimensional on the offensive side of the ball. If Colorado can play solid defense against the Wildcats, it could be in a great position to win a game it needs to become bowl-eligible.

UCF Knights

In the final game of the regular season, the Buffaloes will have a matchup against coach Scott Frost and the UCF Knights, which should be a game the Buffaloes can win. Last season, UCF finished near the bottom of the Big 12, but with the additions Colorado made through the transfer portal, the Buffaloes should have the advantage, especially while playing at home in Boulder.

While Colorado does appear to be the better team, with this game being placed at the end of the season, this could be a trap game for the Buffaloes if they do not stay prepared. However, with the expectations that Coach Prime has with the Buffaloes, he should have Colorado ready to play in every game, so there is no letdown.

If coach Sanders can have Colorado ready to go in this game, the Buffaloes should be able to secure a win and potentially bowl eligibility.

Weber State Wildcats

Without question, the easiest game on the schedule does appear to be against the Weber State Wildcats, who are an FCS opponent. With a daunting Big 12 schedule, this is a game that Colorado cannot afford to lose and must figure out how to play well and create positive momentum, heading into a very tough portion of the schedule.

One of the biggest things this game could help Colorado with is giving Louis confidence through a great performance that could help him to perform well throughout the rest of the season. As Colorado heads into 2026, being able to dominate this game against Weber State is something that should help them to gain positive momentum as a team and put the Buffaloes in a position to have a great showing in the Big 12 next season.

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