Fansided

Should Colorado upset Kansas State, we must take Buffs seriously as playoff contender

Are the Colorado Buffaloes a bubble CFP team? If they beat Kansas State they will be.

By Wynston Wilcox

Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) rolls out to pass against the UCF Knights during the first quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) rolls out to pass against the UCF Knights during the first quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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One of two things will happen after arguably one of the most exciting weekends in college football this weekend regarding Colorado. We’ll either have to start considering them as a serious contender for the College Football Playoff. Or we’ll all have deja vu after last season’s collapse. 

The Buffaloes are led by Travis Hunter, college football’s most exciting player, Shedeur Sanders, one college football’s most polarizing players, and Deion Sanders, the mastermind behind it all. A year ago we were saying the same things about these Buffaloes. We all thought they were going to be the one team that could have stormed into the CFP. 

But they didn’t. They actually imploded, finished 4-8 on the season and left a lot more questions than answers on what the Deion Sanders era in Power 5 football would look like. 

This season, it looks like a few of those questions have answers. Colorado still doesn’t have that marquee win yet. They came from behind to beat Baylor and most recently cruised past UCF, but outside of Big 12 success, Colorado hasn’t looked like a team ready for the CFP. 

Enter Kansas State, Colorado’s next opponent. And the next opportunity Colorado has to add to its CFP resume. A ranked win, conference win at that, could be the win that solidifies an invite to the College Football Playoff. 

If Colorado gets upset win over Kansas State, they could storm into the CFP

Don’t be shocked to see Kansas fall to Colorado this weekend. Kansas State doesn’t have a key win this season and the only game it could have proved it could be one of the Big 12 teams to represent the conference in the CFP, the Wildcats lost to BYU. And got blown out at that. 

Shedeur Sanders has looked every bit like he’ll be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. And before draft day commences, he looks very much like he can lead Colorado to being one of the 12 best teams in the country. 

He’s thrown for 1,630 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024. He’s leading an offense that’s top 10 in the country in passing yards per game. 

This is every bit a trap game for Kansas State. This might be Colorado’s perfect chance to prove it’s not the same team it was a year ago. Who knows when the CFP rankings come out if this win will give Colorado any validity. For now, it’s just enough to take them seriously in 2024. With a win they'd be 5-1 and improve to 3-0 in Big 12 play.

Colorado has to beat Kansas State as it will probably be its only remaining chance to get in the playoff. Sure Colorado has Utah in about a month, but it’s not likely the CFP committee lets a two-loss Colorado team with a .500 record against ranked teams. 

The Buffaloes have to take care of business this weekend first. Once they win, then we can start thinking about the College Football Playoff. 

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