Colorado is coming off its only bye week of the 2026 season, and the schedule isn't getting easier: No. 11 Utah comes to Boulder for a Week 7 matchup, followed by a road trip to Stillwater to face a reinvented Cowboys team currently ranked in the top 25.
In USA TODAY Sports' 1-138 re-rank of every FBS program, the Buffaloes slid two spots despite not playing in Week 6 and are the No. 81 team in college football. CU remains the last-ranked Big 12 program.
The drop shouldn't surprise anyone, as Colorado moved up two spots last week despite a loss to Texas Tech, and with more results coming this week, the Buffs are likely to fall.
A few other trailing Power Four programs surround Colorado in the rankings, including Syracuse (No. 82), Michigan State
(No. 83), Georgia Tech (No. 79), and Kansas (No. 78).
The Big 12 is well represented at the top of the rankings, with Utah at No. 10, Texas Tech at No. 12, BYU at No. 13 and Houston at No. 17.
Utah presents the steepest challenge on the Buffs' schedule, but it's also a chance to turn their season around with an impressive top-10 upset.
The top five shuffled slightly with Texas' loss to Notre Dame, with Miami, Ohio State, and others moving up one spot behind No. 1 Georgia. Indiana rounds out the top 5, moving up three spots.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football falls in USA TODAY Sports 1-138 re-rank
