Coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes finished the regular season tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference but were shut out of the Big 12 Championship game due to tiebreaker rules.
Despite a 9-3 overall record and a 7-2 conference mark, Colorado lost out to Arizona State (10-2) and Iowa State (10-2) for the championship spot.
The tiebreaker was based on each team’s record against common Big 12 opponents.
Colorado had a 2-2 record against teams like Kansas and Kansas State, while Arizona State went 4-0, giving them the advantage.
Iowa State edged BYU (both 3-1 against common opponents) due to a stronger strength of schedule.
Colorado’s playoff hopes were slim, and the team now looks set to play in the Alamo Bowl, likely facing a former Pac-12 team like BYU or Iowa State.
The Buffs’ losses to Kansas and Kansas State were pivotal in missing the championship game, with those defeats hurting their tiebreaker chances.
Despite this, the Buffs improved significantly from a 1-11 record in 2022.
