Troy Renck: CU coach Deion Sanders kicked three players off the team, benched one quarterback and his team sits at two wins. Less than a month after the encouraging finish at Georgia Tech, the Buffs are a mess. They are averaging 11.3 points per game against non-subdivision teams. Sanders attempted to keep his group unified by shaking up the roster, having captains talk last Friday and sitting Julian Lewis after he looked shaken, if not frightened, during the first half at Baylor. And now comes the hard part. The schedule is about to get unforgiving, prompting the uncomfortable question: When will CU win again?
Sean Keeler: Can we just skip October? No. Seriously. This fight card? It’s gonna hurt. I’m thinking Houston at Folsom Field on Nov. 14 might be the earliest realistic crack at a third win for Coach Prime. And the computers agree: The Buffs woke up Sunday and CU’s next five foes are ranked 13th (Texas Tech), 17th (Utah), 38th (at Oklahoma State), 41st (Kansas State) and 46th (at Arizona State). Kenneth Massey’s site says the the rest of the season: At Okie State on Oct. 24 (36%), home to Houston on Nov. 14 (33%) and home to UCF on Nov. 28 (37%). Talk about putting the ‘AI’ in ‘PAIN.’
Renck: Does anyone have the date for the 2027 opener? It is entirely possible that the Buffs lose out if the No-Go offense fails to become Go-Go soon. It seemed like more than a coincidence that offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s customized pendant bearing his offense’s name was tucked inside his shirt during the second half at Baylor. As the Bunsen burner heats up under Sanders’ seat, the challenge is real. CU’s remaining eight opponents are a combined 23-5 this season, and their next three — Texas Tech, Utah and Oklahoma State — are ranked in the top 20. The Buffs are not beating those teams. The same goes for Kansas State with a crazy, athletic quarterback. That pushes the calendar out to Nov. 7 at Arizona State. Can CU beat the Sun Devils or will ASU stick a pitchfork in the Buffs and tell them they are done?
Keeler: K-State’s Avery Johnson was a problem then, and an even bigger problem now. ASU’s Kenny Dillingham doesn’t have to worry about Shedeur Sanders flexing that watch and asking him what time it is. It’s hard to win on the road in the Big 12 without steady QB play — and that explains why the Buffs haven’t notched a victory against a league foe away from Folsom since Nov. 9, 2024, at Texas Tech. Since then, though, in the post-Shedeur Era, they’ve dropped eight straight tilts away from home to conference opposition, a stretch that includes that Alamo Bowl beatdown at the hands of BYU.
Renck: My eye turns to Nov. 28 with CU thankful that Central Florida is on the docket. UCF is beatable and season-ending games with nothing on the line can create unpredictable results. So, my money is on the finale for the next win, snapping a nine-game losing skid and leaving the 2026 team to match the record of the 2025 bunch at 3-9. Harsh? Perhaps. But consider this. Sanders is 2-12 against Power Four opponents since 2024. The Buffs will likely be an underdog in all of their remaining games. And if they don’t win at home, the incline is not exactly mountain goat friendly on the road, where the Buffs are 1-9 over their last 10 under Sanders.
Keeler: You’d think Scott Frost would bring a kicker to Boulder this time, unlike his ill-fated visit to BoCo back in September 2019, a CU victory over the hated Huskers that made Boulder fall in love with Mel Tucker. Yeah, we were all so much younger then. If Coach Prime is smart, he’ll take the ball out of his QBs’ hands and let his stable of solid running backs and a better-than-expected offensive line try to win games ugly and turn it over to Chris Marve’s defense. Although that would mean trusting a pretty shaky special teams group, too — and that’s been an adventure. Unless Lewis, Isaac Wilson or Kaneal Sweetwyne flip a switch, it’s hard to see CU flipping the script.
