Colorado (1-11 in 2022) vs. No. 17 Texas Christian (13-2)
When/where: 10 a.m. Saturday/Amon G. Carter Stadium
TV/Radio: KDVR-31/850 AM
BetMGM Line:
Weather: 87 degrees, sunny
Five storylines
Prime debut: After months of hype, hours of video and more than one million new social media followers, the Coach Prime era finally begins on Big Noon Kickoff — the first of two straight CU games to be broadcast in Fox’s premier college football time slot. Deion Sanders declared “We coming” nine months ago when he was first hired as CU’s head coach. Now, we get to see if the Buffs have arrived.
Mystery science theater: One team is coming off a national championship game trip. The other is fresh off maybe the worst season in program history. But anyone who professes to know what TCU or CU will look like Saturday should be taken with several bags of salt. CU has 87 new players (60 transfers), a new coach and new offensive and defensive schemes. TCU graduated nearly every major offensive contributor from last season but will start the same QB (Chandler Morris) as last fall in Boulder. Translation: Stay away, bettors.
Double duty: One thing that will be revealed: How much CU plans to use two-way sophomore Travis Hunter. Primarily a shutdown corner, the highest-rated recruit in Buffs football history is also expected to take snaps at wide receiver this fall. Just how many is unclear, although CU’s two-deep roster released Friday night revealed him as a starter on both sides of the ball. A year ago, Hunter caught 18 balls for 190 yards and four TDs over eight games. Is that the guidepost?
Familiar face: One Horned Frogs returner who should be well known to CU fans — if not CU players — is Mark Perry. The super senior safety played three seasons in Boulder, then left for TCU before the 2022 season and was the team’s second leading tackler while starting 14 of 15 games last season. Of course, any institutional knowledge he might have had went out the window the moment Coach Prime arrived.
Texas two step: Get used to seeing these Frogs. With CU set to join the Big 12 next fall, these trips to Fort Worth are about to become commonplace. And that just might be a good thing for the Buffs’ recruiting. A total of 15 players on the current roster hail from the Lone Star State, trailing only Florida (21) and California (18) on the Buffs roster.
Predictions
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: TCU 35, CU 23
The Horned Frogs have won 20 of their last 21 openers, but have only covered eight of those tilts. Don’t be shocked if this one plays out a little bit like the opener last year: CU takes a lead into halftime, only for the Froggies to pull away in the third.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: TCU 31, CU 20
The number of unknowns surrounding both teams entering this Week 1 matchup makes picking this game an exercise in futility. If forced to throw a dart, the guess here is CU’s total offseason facelift will require more time to gel than the nip-and-tuck on the TCU sideline.
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