Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Move Up To No. 10 In College Football Playoff Rankings
November 15, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Another week, another move up in the rankings for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Mike MacIntyre's Buffs climbed to No. 10 Tuesday in the College Football Playoff rankings, marking the first time since the first week of the 2002 season that the Buffs have been in the top 10 of major rankings or polls.
Now, the newest poll makes it possible for the Buffs to play three ranked teams in the next three weeks.
Colorado opened the 2002 season ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the coaches poll, but slipped out of the top 10 after losing the opener. The last time the Buffs were ranked in the top 10 after playing at least one game in a season came at the end of 2001, when they finished ninth in the AP and coaches polls.
The 8-2 Buffs are currently ranked No. 12 in both the AP and coaches polls.
The CFP rankings are used to determine the four teams that will play in the national semifinals as well as to help determine bowl pairings. Colorado was ranked 15th in the initial CFP rankings, released Nov. 1, then moved up three spots to No. 12 last week.
This week, Colorado moved past Auburn and Texas A&M, both of whom suffered their third losses of the season last week. A&M dropped to No. 25 while Auburn slipped to No. 15.
Colorado's improvement this year is becoming a national story. CU finished 4-9 last season and last in the Pac-12 South. The Buffs were picked to finish in the basement in the division again this year, but have surprised everyone by putting together an 8-2 record that includes a 6-1 Pac-12 mark. Now leading the Pac-12 South, CU plays host to Washington State (No. 22 in the CFP) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Other notes of interest from the third set of rankings:
— There are now six Pac-12 teams in the top 25, including Stanford (No. 24), who the Buffs beat on the road earlier this year, and Washington State (No. 22).
Along with the Buffs, Cougars and Stanford, other Pac-12 teams in the top 25 are USC (No. 13), Utah (No. 12) and Washington (No. 6). The Huskies slipped from No. 4 after losing to USC over the weekend.
Colorado could now possibly play three ranked teams in a row: Washington State this weekend, Utah on Nov. 26 and — if CU wins both of those games — either Washington State again or Washington in the Dec. 2 Pac-12 championship game.
— Alabama, one of two unbeaten teams remaining, remained at No. 1 while Western Michigan, the other unbeaten, was ranked 21st. After Alabama, the top four consisted of Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson.
— The Buffs have faced three teams in the current top 25, with losses at Michigan and USC and a win at Stanford.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu