Colorado entered this offseason looking to turn the page after a disappointing 2025, and one respected national analyst believes the Buffaloes are headed in the right direction, even if they ultimately come up just short of bowl eligibility.
Speaking during CBS Sports’ coverage of Big 12 Media Days last week, college football analyst and Cover 3 College Football Podcast host Chip Patterson predicted Colorado will finish 5-7 this season. While that projection leaves the Buffaloes one victory shy of the postseason, it closely aligns with the 6-6 prediction we published earlier this month after breaking down Colorado’s schedule game by game.
The difference between five and six wins may seem small, but it reinforces a growing national consensus surrounding Deion Sanders’ fourth team in Boulder. Most analysts now view Colorado as a program on the rise that should be significantly more competitive than last year’s 3-9 finish, even if a bowl berth remains anything but guaranteed.
“I think that this is a team that will find competitiveness, but due to the schedule strength is going to end up falling a game short,” Patterson said. “I’ve got them at 5-7. If it does end up being a bowl team, it will not be a surprise.”
Rather than dwelling on Colorado’s difficult 2025 season, Patterson focused on why he believes optimism is warranted entering 2026.
“I think what they should feel is that their head coach is healthy,” Patterson said. “It is undeniable. He is full back, full Coach Prime all the way to 10.”
Patterson contrasted Deion Sanders’ energy at Big 12 Media Days with last season, when the Colorado head coach later revealed he was privately battling bladder cancer. This year, Sanders joked with reporters, referenced Rudy and The Five Heartbeats, praised his coaching staff’s combined experience and projected the confidence that has become synonymous with “Coach Prime.”
From a football standpoint, Patterson believes Colorado is also in a much better position to move forward because of significant changes on the coaching staff.
“He has a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator, a lot of new players, and that’s a great way for them to be able to move forward,” Patterson said.
Much of Chip’s optimism centers on redshirt freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who is expected to be the game-one starter. He believes new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s up-tempo offense is an ideal fit for Lewis and a receiver room that has been significantly upgraded through the transfer portal.
Patterson specifically highlighted transfers DeAndre Moore Jr. from Texas, Kam Perry from Miami (Ohio) and Danny Scudero from San Jose State as newcomers who could help make Colorado one of the Big 12’s more explosive passing attacks.
“This could be a very, very dynamic offense,” Patterson said.
Ultimately, Patterson believes Colorado’s challenging schedule will prove to be the difference between a five-win and six-win season.
“If it does end up being a bowl team, it will not be a surprise,” he said.
That assessment closely mirrors our own preseason outlook. While Patterson’s projection comes in one game lower than our 6-6 prediction, both forecasts arrive at essentially the same conclusion: Colorado should be a noticeably improved football team in 2026, but the margin for error will be slim.
If Lewis develops quickly, Marion’s offense lives up to expectations and the Buffaloes adapt under new defensive coordinator Chris Marve, Colorado could very well outperform both projections. But regardless of whether the final record is 5-7 or 6-6, the national conversation surrounding the Buffaloes has changed. Instead of asking whether Colorado can compete in the Big 12, analysts are increasingly asking whether Sanders has the program ready to take its next step back toward postseason football.
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