No. 20 Colorado was picked 11th in the preseason Big 12 poll. Expectations moved even lower following a crushing loss in Week 2 against Nebraska. Since then, the Buffaloes have clawed their way back into contention. After beating Texas Tech 41-27 on Saturday, Colorado (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) officially moves to second place in the Big 12 standings -- behind only BYU -- putting it on track to earn a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game.
With their positioning heading into the heart of November, the Buffs also cement themselves as a real College Football Playoff contender. The program controls its own destiny; the winner of the Big 12 is likely assured a slot in the CFP, and Colorado should reach it if it wins the Big 12.
In the win over the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas, quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory. The Buffaloes trailed 13-0 after one quarter but went on a 34-7 run to take control of the game. Their defense recorded six sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the win as they moved to 7-2 for the first time since 2016.
On the same day, previous Big 12 No. 2 Iowa State lost its second straight game, 45-36, to Kansas. The Cyclones allowed 532 yards of offense to move to 7-2 and 4-2 in Big 12 play. Iowa State was a top-10 undefeated only two weeks ago, but the Buffaloes now have a major advantage in the home stretch.
Colorado's win over Texas Tech is a massive swing. Had the Buffaloes lost, they would be in a six-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings. A tiebreaker would have come down to the combined record against the tied teams, which would leave Texas Tech and Kansas State sitting with tiebreakers ahead of Colorado.
Instead, Colorado heads into a manageable closing schedule in a great position. The Buffaloes' final opponents -- Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State -- are a combined 3-14 in Big 12 play, and they will be favored in each game.
Colorado's surge is a major positive data point for do-everything athlete Travis Hunter, who continues to make his case for the Heisman Trophy. Hunter had another sensational game with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. He did not record any defensive stats after an interception was wiped off the board by an offsides call, but it was always because Hunter was rarely targeted.