The Colorado Buffaloes have slid dramatically in ESPN's latest future power rankings, falling 22 positions to sit at 57th overall. The shift comes after a 2025 season that failed to meet expectations, dropping the team from its previous 35th‑place standing.
Big 12 Landscape
Among Big 12 peers, only UCF, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Baylor and Kansas are ranked lower, while the conference’s elite — Utah, BYU and Texas Tech — hold the top spots.
Colorado's opening‑week adversary, Georgia Tech, is positioned at 36th, underscoring the Buffaloes' precarious early schedule.
A Surprising Decline
The magnitude of the dip is unexpected, especially given the program's identified assets that may evolve by 2027, leaving observers to wonder whether the Buffaloes can rebound faster than the rankings suggest.