Dramatic Week 1 win over Georgia Tech doesn't prove Deion Sanders, Colorado can make Big 12 title push
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The Colorado football team helped kick off the 2026 college football season with a bang. Colorado defeated Georgia Tech, 14-13, in a recent game. The Buffaloes scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to take the lead, and then blocked a field goal as time expired.
It was a huge win for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Sanders enters the 2026 season on the hot seat. He has posted two losing seasons in three years as the Colorado head coach.
While this win for the Buffaloes definitely sets off the campaign in the right direction, it is not yet time to celebrate Colorado fans. Here are a few reasons why Colorado’s win doesn’t prove they are competing for the Big 12 title just yet.
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Colorado’s offense is still a work in progress
The Buffaloes are led by young quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis entered the college ranks with high expectations, and he has had some good moments.
Lewis is also still working out the wrinkles in the Colorado offense. Against Georgia Tech, the Buffaloes managed just 14 points. Colorado posted just 124 passing yards in the game, and all of those were from Lewis.
The Colorado quarterback completed just 14 of his 27 pass attempts in the game. Those numbers will have to improve in order for Colorado to compete for a Big 12 title this season.
One of Colorado’s touchdowns also came when the team was in a hurry-up offense. Colorado scored that go-ahead touchdown with just 42 seconds left in the game. Clearly, there is still more work to do for the Buffaloes quarterback in the weeks ahead.
Sanders believes in his young quarterback.
“I talked to him at halftime in front of the whole team… I told (Lewis) ‘Let’s go. Be that man. We believe in you. Let’s go.’ You know, I challenged him in front of the whole team,” Sanders said, per the Associated Press. “He took advantage of the moment.”
There’s one more reason why Colorado fans should remain patient with this team.
Colorado has a tough conference schedule this year
The Buffaloes didn’t get an easy draw in Big 12 play this season. Colorado has to play three conference games against teams that are currently ranked in the top 25. Those games are against Houston, Utah and Texas Tech.
At this point in the season, rankings don’t often matter all that much. There is no doubt however that those three programs were successful during the 2025 campaign.
Colorado also has Big 12 games against Oklahoma State, Baylor, Arizona State, Cincinnati, UCF and Kansas State. Time will tell how those squads compete this year, but it won’t be easy for the Buffaloes. Colorado has to go on the road to play four of those games.
Colorado is trying to improve from a 2025 season that saw the team win just three games. The Buffaloes were next-to-last in the conference standings, with just one Big 12 win.
The Buffaloes are next in action against Weber State. That contest is September 12. Time will tell if this truly is a special season for the Colorado football team.
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