Colorado vs TCU Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 1
Colorado vs TCU is FOX’s Week 1 Big Noon Kickoff choice, and it’s probably the most anticipated game ever involving a program that went 1-11 the season before — but that’s the “Prime Time” effect Deion Sanders is bringing to Boulder in 2023 and (hopefully) beyond.
Having brought in 86 new players — including the “Louis Vuitton” baggage he promised he’d bring — Coach Prime has overhauled the Buffs roster to the point that there’s no value in looking back at the Horned Frogs’ 38-13 Week 1 victory in September 2022. Watching Jackson State footage, as well as new CU offensive coordinator Sean Lewis’ offense at Kent State, could be valuable to the TCU coaching staff, but Sonny Dykes acknowledges that this Colorado team will be nearly impossible to properly scout.
“They’re going to have a bunch of good players,” Dykes said on July 12 (h/t Footballscoop). “One thing (Deion’s) done a tremendous job of is attracting players — a lot of really high-quality transfers. They’re going to be hard to evaluate. You’re going to be watching like 60 different teams, trying to figure out who these guys are and what they do.”
TCU lost plenty of players in their own right; including eight who helped the Horned Frogs go on their Cinderella run to the College Football Playoff Championship game and 19 to the transfer portal. Not a single player who transferred into the program is considered a blue-chip prospect.
How does this one go on September 2?
Colorado vs TCU Odds, Spread, and Total
The point spread for Week 1 has TCU as a -20.5 point favorite. Colorado is a +650 underdog on the moneyline, while TCU is a heavy -1000 favorite. The over/under is set at 63.5, meaning that the oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring affair.
Colorado vs TCU How to Watch
Date: September 2, 2023
Game Time: 10 am Mountain Time
Venue: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas
How to Watch: FOX, which is available on FuboTV.
Colorado Record: 1-11 (2022)
TCU Record: 13-2 (2022)
Colorado vs TCU Key Players to Watch
The following players could make a major difference in the second matchup of a home-and-home series between two teams that will be in the same conference, the Big 12, starting in the 2024 season…
Colorado
Shedeur Sanders: The engine that will power the Buffaloes’ offense, Shedeur Sanders, the son of Coach Prime, enters his third year in college and first at the Power Five level with considerable hype. The expectations of the CU quarterback vary depending on which analyst you ask, but he’s undoubtedly the reason why the Buffs offense could surprise in 2023.
Sanders proved to make few critical errors under center at Jackson State, sporting a 5:1 touchdown-interception ratio, and if he’s able to make the same game-breaking type plays that won the Tigers 23 games in 26 attempts he’ll help the Buffs steal several games they’re not projected to this fall.
Travis Hunter: The other obvious player to watch for Colorado is the 2022 class’ No. 1 overall recruit, two-way player Travis Hunter. Expected to get snaps at cornerback and receiver, Hunter could be solely responsible for some of the biggest momentum-shifting plays CU will have all season.
If those are in timely situations, Hunter will have Heisman hype. Only Charles Woodson has ever won the award from the defensive side of the ball, but Devonta Smith won the Heisman in 2020; proving that Hunter has a chance, albeit a small one, of doing the same if Colorado wins enough games.
TCU
Chandler Morris: After Max Duggan’s heroism throughout the 2022 regular season and in the Fiesta Bowl against Michigan, the quarterback position in Fort Worth is under the microscope in a major way given his departure to the NFL.
Chandler Morris is stepping in with a handful of appearances and one massive showing against Baylor in Week 10 of the 2021 season. It’s unknown if he’s ready for the spotlight, and he’ll have a major test with the Buffs’ secondary. But don’t discount the different ways Morris could do damage — he went for 70 yards rushing against the Bears during that career-best outing.
Brione Ramsey-Brooks: There’s considerable hype for incoming freshman Brione Ramsey-Brooks, whose six-foot-five, 450 lb frame has made him a viral sensation just as much as his brutal dominance on the field as a high schooler and in fall camp.
He may not get a ton of reps as he transitions to the college level, but if he’s on the field at all, look out for No. 50. It’ll be hard to miss him.
Colorado vs TCU Prediction and Pick
Colorado vs TCU feels like a matchup that will either feature TCU running up the score on a Buffs defense whose trenches are underprepared for the caliber of offensive line the Horned Frogs feature — or a shootout where both teams are running up the score, well past the 63.5 over/under total.