Defining Success for Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders This Season

The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders have an opportunity to rebound after finishing 3-9 in 2025, and the upcoming season has been met with some intrigue.

New offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and defensive coordinator Chris Marve bring excitement partially because of their experience and success in coordinating their respective sides of the ball. Colorado also turned over the roster through the transfer portal, focusing on Power Four talent like former Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. and linebacker Liona Lefau.

colorado buffaloes deion sanders biggest questions fall regular season big 12 julian lewis brennan marion chris marve — Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The new landscape of college football allows teams to rebuild faster than ever before, evidenced by Indiana's unexpected climb to the national championship with coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. While the College Football Playoff is lofty expectation for "Coach Prime" and Colorado in 2026, what can fans expect from the Buffaloes in the fall?

Setting Colorado Buffaloes' Expectations

On3 analyst J.D. PicKell previewed Colorado's season in a recent YouTube video, and he laid out what he thinks a "great year" for the Buffs would be:

"If they can make a bowl game, that's a great year. That's not me trying to pat Colorado on the head and say, 'Oh just go ahead and make a bowl game, good for you.' It's like, no, after you had the year you had last year, getting back to neutral as a program would be a really positive step in the right direction. Probably helps recruiting, probably helps NIL and all those things, and then we go from there."

PicKell also reminded his viewers that Colorado's win total was set at 5.5 games before the 2024 season, the one in which former Buffs star Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy and the team finished with a 9-4 record.

FanDuel Sportsbook has set Colorado's win total at 4.5 games for 2026, meaning the Buffaloes are not expected to reach a bowl game in the eyes of FanDuel's oddsmakers.

Can Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis play to his potential? The former four-star recruit was a top-100 player in the class of 2025 and recruited by USC coach Lincoln Riley. Lewis' supporting cast might have disappointed in his true freshman season, but the Buffs quarterback had a short leash a year ago.

Expected to have full control of the offense in 2026, Lewis could help Colorado surprise the college football world.

Colorado Buffaloes Schedule

The Buffaloes' non-conference schedule features two Power Four opponents in Georgia Tech and Northwestern, and both of those matchups will be on the road.

@ Georgia Tech, Sept. 3
Weber State, Sept. 12
@ Northwestern, Sept. 19
@ Baylor, Sept. 26
Texas Tech, Oct. 3
Utah, Oct. 17
@ Oklahoma State, Oct. 24
Kansas State, Oct. 31
@ Arizona State, Nov. 7
Houston, Nov. 13
@ Cincinnati, Nov. 21
UCF, Nov. 28

After a 3-9 finish in 2025, no wins are guaranteed heading into the fall. The Big 12 slate for Colorado consists of home games against Texas Tech and Utah while some of the program's toughest conference games on the road include Oklahoma State and Arizona State.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google