Loaded schedule awaits Colorado as expectations rise in 2026
- Shane Holcombe
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Colorado Buffaloes football team might have been dealt a bad hand.
When the Big 12 Conference released its schedule for the 2026 season, it was hard to ignore how difficult Colorado’s start appeared. While most opponents are known years in advance, a team’s success is usually determined by the path they take.
For head coach Deion Sanders and company, that path looks daunting. The Buffs will begin the year having to play two Power Four opponents in nonconference play, the only team in the country doing so on the road. Here’s an in-depth outlook on CU’s first seven games.
For the second straight season, CU will line up against Georgia Tech in the curtain raiser. This time, though, the game is in the Yellow Jackets’ backyard.
In Atlanta, the Buffaloes will be looking for something they have not done since November 2024: win on the road. The opener in Folsom Field last year went back and forth before Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King faked right and scampered through the Colorado defense 45 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
At the time, that was a stab in CU’s hearts, but little did anyone know it would also be a nail that started the bleeding to a 3-9 record. GT used that victory to propel an 8-0 start to the season, momentum that Colorado will try to replicate this time around.
Hosting FCS Weber State in Week 2 is exactly the recipe that the Buffaloes will need after an ACC battle on the road. After that, though, CU will face another non-conference power opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats.
This will be the third matchup in series history, and first in Evanston since a 35-14 Wildcats win in 1951. Northwestern is set to open up an $862 million renovation to Ryan Field, but this game will come too soon for its completion and instead will be played at the recreational Martin Stadium on campus.
To close out September, the Buffaloes open conference play against a Baylor team coached by Dave Aranda in his seventh season. The Bears also added former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway to the roster, who was the fourth-ranked signal caller in the transfer portal according to 247 Sports. If CU wants to start Big 12 play strong, this may be its best opportunity to snatch a win, as its next stretch features four projected conference contenders.
One of those tests comes quickly, with Texas Tech traveling to Folsom Field a week later. Last season’s Big 12 champs arguably improved in the offseason, most notably adding quarterback Brendan Sorsby from the portal. Sorsby led the conference in passing efficiency last season (155.1 passer rating) and guided Cincinnati to its best record since joining the Big 12. This will also likely be the Buffs’ first game against a ranked opponent this season.
After facing Tech, Colorado enters a bye week before welcoming Utah to Boulder in the “Rumble in the Rockies” rivalry. The Utes no longer have Kyle Whittingham, the program's winningest head coach, but have had CU’s number recently. Colorado was overwhelmed last season in Salt Lake City, trailing by 43 points at halftime. The 53-7 loss marked the Buffaloes’ eighth defeat out of the last ten games in the series.
Hosting two of the tougher opponents at Folsom Field should work in Colorado’s favor, though. A win against either the Red Raiders or Utah would give the Black and Gold faithful proof that there is progress in competing against the top of the league.
A best-case scenario would be beating Baylor, splitting the two big non-conference road games and splitting against the Red Raiders and Utes. On the other end, lose to Georgia Tech, lose to Northwestern, drop the date at Baylor, and it’s a 1-5 start, leading to more discussions of the program’s downward direction.
A road trip to Oklahoma State the week after will be much harder than facing the Cowboys last year. The Pokes cleaned house in the offseason and parted ways with head coach Mike Gundy after an 0-9 record in Big 12 play.
Former North Texas head coach Eric Morris was then hired as his replacement and brought in the seventh-best transfer portal class in the country, according to 247 Sports. Like Colorado, the Cowboys are another team trying to accelerate failure into success via portal additions.
Morris checked most of his Mean Green luggage on the flight to Stillwater, something that was a theme of the head coaching carousel this year. The most prized ticket arriving with him is quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who led the FBS in passing yards last season with 4,379. Mestemaker was vital in North Texas’ school-record 11 wins in 2025, including a 49-47 New Mexico Bowl victory against San Diego State.
Colorado’s roster also took a big step forward this offseason. The retention of quarterback Julian Lewis, combined with additions in the wide receiver room and offensive line, should provide reason for optimism.
The hiring of new offensive play-caller Brennan Marion should also bring more balance to a unit that was too predictable in 2025. Whether that translates to more wins, however, depends on whether the Buffs can compete against the top teams in the conference.
“If we take advantage of the opportunities, I have a whole different mood up here right now,” Coach Prime said after last season’s loss to Georgia Tech.
Colorado’s early schedule is loaded with contenders and will demand exactly that, leaving no margin for error.