Buffs Fall Short of Big 12 Title, Await Bowl Announcement
San Diego or San Antonio on the horizon?
Despite a strong effort, our support wasn’t enough to push the Houston Cougars or Arizona Wildcats to upset victories this weekend. Instead, th BYU Cougars and Arizona State Sun Devils handled their business and will face off in the Big 12 Championship next weekend.
ASU, BYU, Colorado, and Iowa State all finished 7-2 in the Big 12 standings. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record, but only ASU and BYU played each other this season. The final decision came down to records against common opponents, which favored the Sun Devils and Cougars. The exact details of how the tiebreakers played out remain unclear.
Colorado has every reason to feel disappointed after an impressive season. The Buffs dominated most of their conference schedule, including a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State, but losses to Kansas State and Kansas derailed their run. In both games, the Kansas teams exposed CU’s defensive line, used their star running backs to force missed tackles, and controlled possession to limit Shedeur Sanders’ opportunities.
The Buffs undoubtedly wish they could replay one or both of those games. Colorado football doesn’t often find itself in the hunt for a conference title, let alone on the brink of the College Football Playoff. The ASU-BYU winner will likely secure the 12th seed in the playoff.
As for the Buffs, they now await their bowl game assignment. The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio is one possibility, but it’s a venue associated with disappointing memories for Colorado fans over the past 17 years. The Holiday Bowl in San Diego is another likely destination, where the Buffs would face an ACC opponent, possibly Miami. However, for longtime fans, it may bring back memories of being snubbed from the 2001 BCS title game.
Coach Deion Sanders has confirmed that both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, a top Heisman contender, will play in the bowl game. This gives the Buffs a solid chance at their first bowl victory since the now-defunct Houston Bowl in 2004. At the very least, it’s one more opportunity to watch these stars shine before they head to the NFL.