Every college football fan knows there are levels to the sport. There are Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas, but you also have Oregon State, Bowling Green and UMass.
Simply put, there are tiers to the college football world, and every year teams shift up or down multiple levels. ESPN slotted all 138 Football Bowl Subdivision teams into 20 tiers ranging from "The safest bets" to "Technically still FBS programs."
ESPN's David Hale places the 2026 Colorado Buffaloes in Tier 15 titled "If Indiana can do it...," which is a fascinating placement for Deion Sanders' team, but one that fits the ceiling of the current team.
Hale notes that this tier is also known as the bottom class of the Power Four. He wrote that CU went from a plus-9.5 points-per-game margin vs. Power Four opposition in 2024 to a minus-15.6 margin last year, which was the biggest year-over-year decline. The Buffs also need to develop a running game, which, since Sanders took over, has averaged a meager 3.88 yards per designed run, the worst mark in the Power Four.
Fixing the running game and being more competitive against Power Four opponents likely puts the Buffaloes back on the right track. Two things that are easier said than done.
Other teams in Colorado's tier include Boston College, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Purdue and Stanford. All seven teams have had varying levels of success throughout their histories, and no one would be surprised to see any one of those storied programs come out of the doldrums, just like Indiana.
I would not call Colorado a sleeping giant, but there is potential for a successful season similar to the 9-win season in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: ESPN places Colorado football among bottom tier of Power Four teams
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