Colorado is 5-2 this season and 3-1 in the conference, good for a third-place tie with Kansas State, Texas Tech, and their Week 9 opponent, Cincinnati.
If the Buffs want to keep their championship hopes alive, this is a game they have to win.
Let's examine the storylines surrounding CU as they attempt to achieve Coach Prime's Black and Gold game goal for the season.
Alejandro Mata gets the Big-12 special teams nod
K Alejandro Mata earned Big-12 Special Teams Player of the Week for his perfect outing. Mata scored ten points (2/2 FG and 4/4 Extra Points) as part of the dominant performance on the road over Arizona.
Isiah Augustave to start, and Hunter is expected to play
Head coach Deion Sanders said Isiah Augustive will get the starting nod at running back this week. Augustave rushed for a team-leading 53 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown in last week's win over the Arizona Wildcats. Star utility man Travis Hunter is also expected to play after being sidelined in the second half last week.
Shedeur Sanders still elite
QB Shedeur Sanders has continued to dial up the stat lines this season, and the latest grade from Pro Football Focus enhances it. Among the Power 4 conferences, Sanders is the second-best quarterback with an overall grade of 91.0, next to Miami's Cam Ward with 92.6.
Getting to know Cincinnati
The alma-mata of NFL's Travis Kelce and Sauce Gardner, the Wildcats are in the thick of the race for the spot at the Big-12 conference championship.
Heading into the week, the Bearcats' offense is ranked (via Big-12) third in total offense (451.4 YPG) and fourth in passing (279) and rushing (172). Defensively, they are ranked third worst in total defense with 397.3 yards per game and rushing defense with 168.3. The Wildcats are also 11th in passing defense, allowing 228.7 yards per game.
Cincinnati's key playmaker on offense is sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby has thrown for 1,928 yards and accounted for 19 touchdowns (13 passing, six rushing) and four interceptions. Senior LB Jared Bartlett is the one to watch from the defensive side of the ball. Bartlett leads the team in tackles (37) and sacks (4.5).
Colorado fans need to know this...
Buffs fans attending the game at Folsom Field are expected to wear black clothing. In addition, the university is marking its seventh year of promoting domestic violence awareness and will give out purple ribbons and beads to spread awareness of this critical issue.
According to a Colorado government site, 1-in-3 women and 1-in-4 men experienced domestic abuse in their lifetime, and it resulted in 91 deaths back in 2021.