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The Buffaloes will travel to Lubbock for the first time since 2007
The Buffaloes head to Lubbock, Texas this weekend with more hype surrounding the program than we’ve seen in decades. Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both having phenomenal seasons in the Heisman conversation. Additionally, after getting some help from Texas Tech and Houston last week, the Buffs are now in third place in the conference and have a clear path to the conference championship game and potentially the College Football Playoffs. If Colorado can win the rest of their games, they should secure a spot in the conference championship—but it all starts with a tough matchup at Texas Tech this Saturday afternoon.
What to Expect from the Buffs:
I expect Travis Hunter to be the focal point of this team on both offense and defense. The coaching staff is well aware of Hunter’s standing in the Heisman rankings, and I anticipate they’ll do everything possible to ensure Travis touches the ball on offense and is set up to succeed on defense. Even if he weren’t a Heisman frontrunner, he’d likely still be the focal point, as he’s the highest-graded player for the Buffs on both sides of the ball by PFF. We may have another Travis Hunter takeover game on our hands in Lubbock.
Offensively, the Buffs have found more success establishing the run game as the season has progressed, and I expect them to rely on it again against Texas Tech. CU’s recent games have shown that the passing attack is far more effective when the Buffs can keep defenses honest, preventing them from playing conservatively and blanketing the passing lanes. With a healthy wide receiver room, there’s no reason to think Shedeur Sanders won’t spread the ball around. In the past few games, we’ve seen a special connection develop between Shedeur and Will Sheppard. I expect Sheppard to get some looks on deep balls and boundary throws, while LaJohntay Wester remains the Swiss Army knife of this passing attack. I’m still holding out hope that Jimmy Horn Jr. will re-emerge as a threat for this offense, though his role in the passing game remains a bit cloudy.
Defensively, this team has shown consistent improvement each week. Players further down the depth chart have stepped up in both the pass rush and coverage, but I anticipate we’ll mostly see starters this week as the team is rested after the bye. This unit faces a major challenge against Texas Tech’s star running back Tahj Brooks. Brooks has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards, scored 10 rushing touchdowns, and is averaging over five yards per carry this season. The last time Colorado faced a running back this talented was Kansas State’s DJ Giddens, who racked up over 200 yards against the Buffs. This week, the defense’s primary focus will be stopping the run and allowing Colorado’s top-ranked pass coverage unit to handle the rest.
What to Expect from the Red Raiders:
This season, Texas Tech is 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12. After back-to-back losses in games they were expected to win, Texas Tech rebounded in a big way last week, defeating an undefeated Iowa State team. That win cemented the Red Raiders as a formidable team in the Big 12, but they’ll still need a big win against Colorado to keep their slim conference championship hopes alive. Here’s a look at their key players and what they’ll need to do to take down the Buffs.
Offensively, it should come as no surprise that this team will need to establish the run. Preseason All-Big-12 runningback Tahj Brooks should be expected to carry the load early and often as Texas Tech aims to secure an early lead. If the Red Raiders can get out in front, they’ll have a real chance of controlling the clock and tempo—an especially important strategy given their recent struggles in the passing game. Texas Tech’s quarterback, Behren Morton, has thrown just five touchdowns with three interceptions over the last four conference games. He’s had a decent year overall, but if I were Texas Tech, I wouldn’t rely on Morton to win this game. He’s visibly frantic in the pocket and has shown he’s turnover-prone, which could play into CU’s advantage with their stacked defensive line.
Defensively, Texas Tech will focus on slowing down Shedeur Sanders and the Buffs’ high-powered passing game. The Texas Tech coaching staff has acknowledged that Sanders is the best quarterback in the country, with no mention of the run game. To me, this suggests they’ll be content with lighter boxes on Saturday and try to force Shedeur to throw into tight coverage. The real key for this Texas Tech defense will be their ability to pressure Shedeur. So far this season, the Red Raiders have struggled to generate pressure, averaging just over one sack per game. This isn’t ideal against a pass-heavy offense like Colorados, so they’ll need to rely on their secondary, particularly CJ Baskerville and Chapman Lewis, who each have three interceptions this season.
Outlook:
If Colorado can secure a win in Lubbock, as they’re favored to, they’ll be in a strong position for the rest of the season. The Buffs’ final three opponents have a combined conference record of 2-14, meaning this game against Texas Tech will likely be their biggest challenge moving forward. A win on Saturday would significantly boost Colorado’s odds of reaching the conference championship and even the College Football Playoff. This is the Buffs’ biggest game in since K-State at home, but we should expect them to be rested and healthy coming off the bye week.
Prediction:
Colorado 31
Texas Tech 24
by Jacob.Thompson
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