Colorado football (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) has completed six weeks of the 2026 season and now faces seven straight weeks to try to correct the struggles that have persisted over the past month.
It starts Saturday night in Boulder, where the Buffaloes host the No. 11 Utah Utes (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), who have led the Big 12 in five games. Head coach Deion Sanders is calling the matchup a "daunting task" and the Utes the "best team we're going to face this season."
Utah leads the Big 12 in scoring offense and defense while ranking second in offensive yards per game and third in yards allowed. The Utes love to run the football, with a three-headed backfield that uses two dual-threat quarterbacks and elite running back Wayshawn Parker. That trio is slowing down
the Buffaloes' defense, making Utah quarterback Devon Dampier the No. 1 priority.
Can Isaac Wilson and the Buffaloes offense challenge a Utah secondary, the weakest part of arguably the best defense in the conference? Utah's run defense has allowed only 79 yards per game, putting more pressure on Brennan Marion and Wilson to dial up the passing game to beat the Utes.
With all the various matchups laid out, how do ESPN's analytics models, both SP+ and FPI, see the Week 7 matchup playing out?
ESPN's Football Power Index projects Colorado vs. Utah
Matchup Predictor: Utah 87.7% win chance, Colorado 12.3%
SP+ Comparison: Utah (No. 7 nationally), Colorado (No. 86 nationally)
- Offense ranking: Utah (No. 8), Colorado (No. 102)
- Defense ranking: Utah (No. 13), Colorado (No. 49)
FPI Comparison: Colorado No. 71 (-0.4), Utah No. 10 (18.8)
The Buffaloes and the Utes kick off at 8:15 p.m. MT on Saturday at Folsom Field. ESPN will televise the game nationally.
Watch Colorado vs. Utah on ESPN
Colorado football vs. Utah betting odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of Oct. 15
- Point spread: Utah by 15.5
- Money line: Colorado +540, Utah -800
- Over/Under: 49.5
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: ESPN predicts Colorado's upset chance vs. Utah in Week 7 game
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