CU and CSU both make the cut
2022: 1-11 record, 126th in SP+ (-24.0 adjusted PPG)
2023: 4-8, 81st (-4.9)
2024 projection (as of May): 3.8 average wins, 69th in SP+ (-2.5)
It's difficult to talk about Colorado in a constructive way at the moment. On one hand, Deion Sanders' transfer-dependent Buffaloes were boosted by false hype early in 2023; they found themselves in the AP top 20 and earned millions of headlines, page views and celebrity visits during a 3-0 start, but the teams they beat all finished the season with losing records. Once the real opponents showed up on the schedule, the wins stopped.
On the other hand, finishing 4-8 and ranking 81st in SP+ last season was still a massive step forward for what in 2022 was almost the worst team in the country.
Now, heading into 2024, they're once again receiving hype they haven't earned -- this time primarily from the EA Sports College Football 25 game that lavished high rankings on quarterback Shedeur Sanders and do-everything Travis Hunter and made them one of the 20 most talented teams in the game. But they almost certainly aren't a top-20 team. Improving into the 50s or 60s might not make much of a difference in the win total, but it would still represent improvement, and it still gets them on this list.
2022: 3-9 record, 124th in SP+ (-23.0 adjusted PPG)
2023: 5-7, 98th (-8.9)
2024 projection (as of May): 6.0 average wins, 98th in SP+ (-9.8)
Colorado's most famous win of 2023 might have been its wild overtime comeback over CSU in Week 3. It was a high point for the Buffs and a bit of a low point for the Rams. Following an 0-2 start, CSU turned things around a bit, playing .500 ball and jumping back into the SP+ top 100 after a 2022 collapse. The bar is low here, but the Rams will have a solid opportunity to rebound further. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosishowed solid efficiency potential as a redshirt freshman, and he'll again have star receiver Tory Horton lined up wide. Head coach Jay Norvell added a couple of potential big play threats from the portal, too, in Armani Winfield (Baylor) and Donovan Ollie (Cincy).
The bar is low for the defense, but 10 returning defenders started at least one game last year, and SP+ gives the Rams a 64% chance of reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017.
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Colorado Buffaloes
2022: 1-11 record, 126th in SP+ (-24.0 adjusted PPG)
2023: 4-8, 81st (-4.9)
2024 projection (as of May): 3.8 average wins, 69th in SP+ (-2.5)
It's difficult to talk about Colorado in a constructive way at the moment. On one hand, Deion Sanders' transfer-dependent Buffaloes were boosted by false hype early in 2023; they found themselves in the AP top 20 and earned millions of headlines, page views and celebrity visits during a 3-0 start, but the teams they beat all finished the season with losing records. Once the real opponents showed up on the schedule, the wins stopped.
On the other hand, finishing 4-8 and ranking 81st in SP+ last season was still a massive step forward for what in 2022 was almost the worst team in the country.
Now, heading into 2024, they're once again receiving hype they haven't earned -- this time primarily from the EA Sports College Football 25 game that lavished high rankings on quarterback Shedeur Sanders and do-everything Travis Hunter and made them one of the 20 most talented teams in the game. But they almost certainly aren't a top-20 team. Improving into the 50s or 60s might not make much of a difference in the win total, but it would still represent improvement, and it still gets them on this list.
Colorado State Rams
2022: 3-9 record, 124th in SP+ (-23.0 adjusted PPG)
2023: 5-7, 98th (-8.9)
2024 projection (as of May): 6.0 average wins, 98th in SP+ (-9.8)
Colorado's most famous win of 2023 might have been its wild overtime comeback over CSU in Week 3. It was a high point for the Buffs and a bit of a low point for the Rams. Following an 0-2 start, CSU turned things around a bit, playing .500 ball and jumping back into the SP+ top 100 after a 2022 collapse. The bar is low here, but the Rams will have a solid opportunity to rebound further. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosishowed solid efficiency potential as a redshirt freshman, and he'll again have star receiver Tory Horton lined up wide. Head coach Jay Norvell added a couple of potential big play threats from the portal, too, in Armani Winfield (Baylor) and Donovan Ollie (Cincy).
The bar is low for the defense, but 10 returning defenders started at least one game last year, and SP+ gives the Rams a 64% chance of reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017.
Which teams sustain their 2023 gains? Who takes the next step? We have 13 candidates
Can Colorado break through and make a bowl? Is Tennessee ready for a bounce-back? We look and the teams primed for bigger things in 2024.
