ESPN places Colorado football among bottom tier of Power Four teams
The Colorado Buffaloes landed in a interesting spot within ESPN's college football tiers. Can Deion Sanders' team be the next Indiana?
Every college football fan understands the varying levels of competitiveness within the sport. While some teams like Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas dominate, there are others like Oregon State, Bowling Green, and UMass that sit at a lower tier. ESPN has categorized all 138 Football Bowl Subdivision teams into 20 tiers, ranging from the safe bets to those still technically considered FBS programs.
David Hale, ESPN's analyst, has placed the 2026 Colorado Buffaloes in Tier 15, which is labeled "If Indiana can do it..." - essentially the bottom rung of the Power Four. This placement comes after a significant decline in performance, with CU's margin of victory over Power Four opponents dropping from plus-9.5 points per game in 2024 to a substantial minus-15.6 margin last year.
The Buffaloes will need to improve their running game, which has averaged a disappointing 3.88 yards per designed run since Deion Sanders took over. While it may seem challenging, fixing the running game and becoming more competitive against Power Four opponents could help the Buffaloes regain their footing. Other teams in Colorado's tier include Boston College, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Purdue, and Stanford.
All of these programs have had their ups and downs, and there's always a chance for a successful season, similar to Colorado's 9-win season in 2024.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
