Three Keys Critical to Colorado Buffaloes' Future Outlook

Following the 2025 season, in which the Colorado Buffaloes struggled to find success and once again finished with a losing record, the pressure on coach Deion Sanders seems to be close to the highest it has ever been.

With that pressure, the Buffaloes must find ways to win games as early on as possible, but the schedule does seem to have several tough spots that could test Colorado. With that in mind, here are three keys to Colorado’s 2026 schedule that will determine the Buffaloes success next season.

Three Keys Colorado Buffaloes Schedule Next Season Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 Quarterback Julian Lewis Road Tests — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) rushes with the ball during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Three Early Road Games

In college football, one of the hardest things to do is consistently winning games on the road, which is due to a variety of factors, including travel complications and hostile environments, among others.

Based on the difficulty of winning on the road, the early part of Colorado’s schedule has the potential to derail the Buffaloes' season before it even starts. In the first four weeks of the season, Colorado is set to go on the road to play Georgia Tech, Northwestern, and Baylor, which are all tough games, but definitely matchups Colorado could win.

In the middle of the tough schedule, the Buffaloes do get a matchup with Weber State, which should be a game where Colorado can build confidence to move forward through a tough Big 12 schedule.

One of the biggest factors to watch in all of these games is how projected starting quarterback redshirt freshman Julian Lewis can play in these tough environments. After playing in four games during 2025, Lewis does have some experience, but it will be interesting to see if he has grown from his first collegiate season.

While Lewis does not have a significant amount of experience, there are also questions surrounding their early road opponents and their quarterbacks. Baylor’s DJ Lagway has struggled to be consistently healthy and productive, Georgia Tech is projected to start Alberto Mendoza, who has never started a game at the collegiate level, and Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles has also struggled with consistency.

The early schedule for Colorado does seem daunting, but with the questions at quarterback for each team, the Buffaloes definitely have a chance to win all of these games, and if everything goes right, Colorado could start 4-0.

Big 12 Contenders

Immediately after the tough road matchups, Colorado has tests with Texas Tech and Utah, which will also reveal where the Buffaloes stand in the landscape of the Big 12.

In these games against Texas Tech and Utah, the biggest thing for Colorado is to prove that they have taken a step forward up front and can compete with the elite teams in the Big 12. Last season, Colorado struggled with competing in the trenches, specifically against Utah, after losing 53-7 against the Utes.

In 2026, Colorado will have the opportunity to play both of these games at home in addition to having a bye week in between these games.

Texas Tech will travel to Boulder first, and as of now, there is one major question surrounding the Red Raiders, which is who the starting quarterback will be, with the uncertainty of Brendan Sorsby. If Texas Tech does not have a clear option at quarterback, Colorado could use the support of their home fans to pull off a major upset.

Following the bye week, Utah will travel to Colorado with a new head coach in Morgan Scalley after the departure of Kyle Whittingham. Based on the matchup last season, this may be a game that Colorado has circled on their schedule and is ready to do whatever it takes to earn the victory.

If the Buffaloes have improved enough to beat Utah, this could be a point in the season where Colorado shows they belong near the top of the Big 12 and can compete for a conference title.

Two Key November Matchups

In the final month of the regular season, Colorado has two more key matchups as they travel on the road to face Arizona State, which is directly followed by a home game against Houston.

Based on the challenges Colorado will have faced by this point in the season, the Buffaloes may be in a position where they must win against Arizona State and Houston in order to be bowl eligible.

It seems that every year, Arizona State has been a very competitive team in the Big 12, and recently, Houston has also started to surge as a team that could be fighting near the top of the conference as well.

If Colorado can withstand the early test, they have, in addition to playing competitive games against Arizona State in Houston. There’s a great chance that they could become bowl eligible and potentially fight for a Big 12 title.

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