Colorado Buffaloes' Three Most Intriguing Matchups Next Season

With the 2026 season quickly approaching, the Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders are closing in on starting a season that could go a long way in determining the future trajectory of the Colorado football program.

As Coach Prime and the Buffaloes prepare for a critical 2026 season, here are three of the most intriguing matchups on Colorado’s schedule.

Colorado's Three Most Intriguing Matchups Next Season Baylor Bears Utah Utes Arizona State Sun Devils Deion Sanders Big 12 — Sep 13, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda reacts during the second half against the Samford Bulldogs at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At Baylor Bears (Sept. 26)

In the early part of Colorado's schedule, there are several tough road tests, but one of the most intriguing games in that stretch is when the Buffaloes travel to Texas to match up with coach Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears on Sept. 26.

This game is interesting for several reasons, but the main one is the quarterback matchup between Colorado's Julian Lewis and Baylor’s DJ Lagway. Both Lewis and Lagway have questions to answer, and whoever comes out with a victory in this game could be on a path to a successful season, while the loser could be in a very dangerous spot.

The key question for Lewis is whether or not he is ready to take over the reins of the program for Colorado in 2026 and beyond. As a redshirt freshman, that is a lot of pressure for Lewis, added to the fact that he will be running a new offense with new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion now calling the shots.

Last season, Lewis showed promise as he totaled 589 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero intercpetions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes in four games, which included two starts. As a young player, Lewis has shown potential, and if he can pick up Marion’s offense, the Buffaloes could see consistent offensive success and possibly great team success in the Big 12.

Conversely, Lagway has different questions that he must answer. In Lagway’s time at Florida, he struggled to stay healthy in addition to having turnover issues with 23 interceptions over the past two seasons. These are two issues that Lagway must figure out early in the season for Baylor, otherwise, the Bears could be in a tough position and may be in danger of making significant changes before the season even begins.

Heading into this game, the quarterback who plays better between Lewis and Lagway should be able to lead his team to a victory, which could be the difference between a solid season and a disappointing season for both programs.

Utah Utes (Oct. 17)

A few weeks later, the Buffaloes have a home matchup against the Utah Utes, which could turn out to be one of the more interesting games next season for Colorado. The Buffaloes and the Utes played in Utah last season, and in the end the Utes emerged with a 53-7 victory in a very dominant performance.

One of the biggest takeaways from the game was Utah’s dominance on the ground with a total of 422 yards and four rushing touchdowns. It was evident that the Buffaloes could not stop the Utes’ rush attack, so Utah, led by backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin, kept attacking that weakness all game long. Struggling to stop the run was not out of the norm for Colorado, as the Buffaloes allowed 222.5 rush yards per game in 2025, which ranked 135th in the nation.

In an effort to improve the rush defense, Colorado has made several additions through the transfer portal and elevated Chris Marve to take over as the new defensive coordinator following the departure of Robert Livingston to the NFL. Marve has previous experecine as the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, with his defenses having an emphasis on violence, physicality, aggressiveness, and the ability to adapt to a variety of offensive schemes.

Utah, on the other hand, has also made several changes, with coach Kyle Whittingham leaving to become the new head coach at Michigan after Morgan Scalley was named as the next head coach of the Utes.

Based on last year’s matchup and the changes each program has made, this game has the potential to be very entertaining, and whether Colorado or Utah wins this game, there is no doubt that the line of scrimmage will play a crucial part.

At Arizona State Sun Devils (Nov. 7)

The final game on this list of intriguing matchups is Colorado’s road game against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

For the Buffaloes, this is a game late in the season that could have a lot on the line in the Big 12 standings as well as bowl eligibility. This matchup is also the first time that Colorado will play against wide receiver Omarion Miller since he transferred out of Boulder following the 2025 season.

As a result of the placement of this game and the storyline surrounding Miller and the Buffaloes, this game could become one of the more intriguing games in the later part of the season for Colorado. For the Buffaloes, this is a road matchup that will test the team’s focus as well as the ability to execute in what is one of the more hostile road environments in the Big 12.

The Sun Devils, led by coach Kenny Dillingham, have proven the ability to compete in the Big 12 as they won the conference in 2024 and gave Texas Tech their only loss during the 2025 season, which took place at Arizona State. However, the Sun Devils did lose quarterback Sam Leavitt to the transfer portal, which now puts Arizona State in a position where Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley must perform.

Both Colorado and Arizona State definitely have questions heading into this season, but depending on where each team is heading into this game, there is a possibility that this game is a must-win for both programs and could result in a classic college football matchup with bowl game implications.

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