Chidozie Nwankwo to remain sidelined against Baylor due to injury

Chidozie Nwankwo will miss his second straight game

As expected, defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo will miss Colorado football’s Saturday evening homecoming game against Baylor due to injury, according to multiple reports.

Nwankwo was not dressed during pregame warmups despite being labeled as questionable by head coach Deion Sanders earlier in the week. The 5-foot-11, 290-pound Houston transfer played in Colorado’s first two games, recording three total tackles.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Anquin Barnes is expected to start in Nwankwo’s place for the second straight week. In Colorado’s 28-9 win over Colorado State last Saturday, Barnes totaled two tackles.

Other Buffs slated to miss the Buffs’ Big 12 Conference opener due to injury include safety Shilo Sanders, running back Dallan Hayden and defensive tackle Taurean Carter II. Cornerback Isaiah Hardge’s status hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Colorado and Baylor are set to kick off at 6 p.m. MT on Fox.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

LaVonta Bentley, Carter Stoutmire speak on challenges of facing Baylor

LaVonta Bentley and Carter Stoutmire spoke on what they’re expecting from Baylor

Earlier this week, Colorado football linebacker LaVonta Bentley and safety Carter Stoutmire spoke to the media, offering their impressions of the Buffs’ first Big 12 opponent, the Baylor Bears.

Bentley, who spoke on Tuesday, acknowledged some of the Bears’ strengths, as Stoutmire did Wednesday. However, the graduate student LB doesn’t think Baylor’s offense presents anything he hasn’t seen before.

“They try to run the ball,” Bentley said. “They got a good QB, good two rotations (Dequan Finn and Sawyer Robertson). But at the end of the day, it’s the same stuff: zone cut, insert and all that. Like I said, we gotta play downhill and on (their side of the) line of the scrimmage.”

After all, the Buffs’ defense faced an average of 36.3 carries per game through the first three weeks while the Bears have yet to run the ball fewer than 38 times in a game this year. Bentley and the Buffs have also seen multiple dual-threat QBs this season, including in Week 1 against North Dakota State.

Stoutmire grew up in Plano, Texas, so he’s even more familiar with Baylor’s game than Bentley. Contrary to his older teammate, Stoutmire has seen with his own eyes how athletic the Bears are.

“(They have) a lot of speed,” Stoutmire said. “It’s cool, I played some of those guys in 7-on-7 being from Texas. We all from Texas, playing all those dudes. They a really talented team, they got good speed and it’ll be a good game.”

Either way, it appears the Buffs know what they’re in for.

Kickoff at Folsom Field between the two Big 12 Conference teams is set for 6 p.m. MT on Fox.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Coach Prime shares initial impressions of Baylor Bears

Coach Prime shared his initial thoughts on Colorado’s Week 4 opponent

Unlike last week, there seems to be mutual respect between the Colorado Buffaloes and their upcoming opponent, Baylor.

Bears head coach Dave Aranda shared some kind words about the Buffs on Monday, and Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders returned the favor during his weekly press conference the following day. Coach Prime was quick to praise Baylor’s discipline, which helped the Bears close their nonconference slate at 2-1.

“Coach Aranda has done a great job of having his team disciplined,” Sanders said. “In the things they do well, they really do well. We got to, first of all, stop the run. I don’t know which quarterback they’re gonna feature this week, but we’re preparing for both quarterbacks. They have athletes, they’re physical, they’re strong. They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”

Regarding Baylor’s quarterback situation, Week 1 starter Dequan Finn is currently considered day-to-day with a shoulder injury, forcing the Buffs to plan for both Finn and backup Sawyer Robertson.

Baylor did lose three fumbles in its 31-3 Week 3 win over Air Force, but the Bears’ defense held the Falcons to only 218 total yards of offense.

Colorado is set to host Baylor on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT (Fox).

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda shares kind words on Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes

Dave Aranda shared nothing but kind words about the Buffs

Coming out of another emotionally charged rivalry week for Colorado football that included plenty of smack talk from Colorado State, the Buffs’ next opponent has decided to take a different approach.

CU will host its first Big 12 Conference game since 2010 on Saturday when the Baylor Bears come to Folsom for a 6 p.m. MT kickoff. The Bears are 2-1 with blowout wins over Air Force and Tarleton State and a narrow loss to Utah in a technical nonconference matchup.

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda met with the media on Monday to discuss the Buffs and their head coach, Deion Sanders. Aranda gave Sanders high marks for his work in Boulder:

“I got a lot of respect for him (Sanders),” Aranda said. “The enegry, the noterity, the juice he’s brought to that program, he’s doing a great job.”

The nice words didn’t stop with Coach Prime, as Aranada also complimented quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his weapons out wide.

“A lot of respect for what they do offesively,” Aranda said. “Quarterback makes some really hard throws. If he (Shedeur Sanders) knows what you are in, he eats you up. The skills (positions) are such that you can’t double cover so many people. You can see the talking, the communication up front where they’re able to hold off. Quarterback is stepping in and taking hits as he’s getting the ball out. That’s a whole NFL thing right there.”

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

How to buy Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears college football tickets

Want to watch the Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears in person on Saturday, Sept. 21? Tickets still remain for as little as $131.

The Colorado Buffaloes welcome the Baylor Bears to Boulder on Saturday to open up their respective Big 12 college football schedules, and if you want to see the Week 4 action live and in person, we have the details you need.

The Buffs are in Deion Sanders’ second season at the helm and are still struggling to crack the US LBM Coaches Poll. Colorado snuck by the North Dakota State Bison in Week 1 before a road loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers; they soundly beat the Colorado State Rams last weekend.

The Bears are also 2-1 with victories over the Tarleton State Texans and Air Force Falcons but fell to the 11th-ranked Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. Both teams have something to prove this weekend on the gridiron.

The Colorado Buffaloes will host the Baylor Bears on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m ET, and limited tickets remain.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/lQAQ55W”]

How to buy Colorado vs Baylor football tickets

This Big 12 opener is a big game for both programs, which are looking to build on their opening pair of wins and gain an early edge in the conference standings. Coach Prime always brings the entertainment, so do not miss out on the chance to catch this game in person.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Colorado Buffaloes vs Baylor Bears are $131.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/lQAQ55W”]

How to buy Colorado football vs. Baylor tickets

Want to watch the Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears in person on Saturday, Sept. 21? Tickets still remain for as little as $131.

The Colorado Buffaloes host the Baylor Bears on Saturday to begin their respective Big 12 college football conference schedules. Iff you want to see the game in person, we’ve got you covered.

The Buffs are in Deion Sanders’ second season at the helm and are still struggling to crack the US LBM Coaches Poll. Colorado snuck by the North Dakota State Bison in Week 1 before a road loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers; they soundly beat the Colorado State Rams last weekend.

The Bears are also 2-1 with victories over the Tarleton State Texans and Air Force Falcons but fell to the 11th-ranked Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. Both teams have something to prove this weekend on the gridiron.

Limited tickets remain for when the Colorado Buffaloes will host the Baylor Bears on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m MT.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/lQAQ55W”]

How to buy Colorado football tickets

This Big 12 opener is a big game for both programs, which are looking to build on their opening pair of wins and gain an early edge in the conference standings. Coach Prime always brings the entertainment, so do not miss out on the chance to catch this game in person.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Colorado Buffaloes vs Baylor Bears are $131.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Colorado Buffaloes vs. Baylor Bears tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/lQAQ55W”]

Make or break 2024 season for Dave Aranda with Baylor Bears

Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda sits on the hot seat as the 2024 college football season gets underway.

The Baylor Bears open up the season on August 31st at home against Tarleton State. While the Texans should be no issue for the Bears, the rest of the schedule could prove to be a challenge. The man feeling the most pressure to have a big season in Waco is head coach Dave Aranda.

This is the fifth season for Aranda at Baylor. The 47-year-old came to Waco from LSU, where he was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

Aranda made a pair of bowl games, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. The last two seasons have not been great, however, with just nine wins in 22 games. The Bears are 6-12 in their last two seasons in Big 12 play.

USA TODAY Sports writer Scooby Axson put together a list of 10 head coaches who were on the hottest of hot seats to start the season. Aranda was on the list. Axson had this to say about his time with the Bears:

It seems like a lifetime ago since Baylor won the Sugar Bowl over Ole Miss (it was 2022), and any goodwill gleaned from the victory has slowly gone by the wayside. The Bears had the worst offense and defense in the Big 12, so Aranda has taken the reigns back and is calling the defense. Bringing in Jake Spavital to retool the offense was a smart move. The truth is there is no reason why the Bears can’t win this conference and win it consistently for years to come.

After Tarleton State leaves town, things get serious right away. Baylor goes on the road to Utah, which is the favorite to win the Big 12 in 2024. The Bears have a home game against Air Force, before going to Boulder to take on Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes. The Bears finish September with a home game against BYU.

How did Big 12 teams finish relative to preseason expectations in USA TODAY Sports 1-133 re-rank?

With the regular season over, how did the Big 12 land in USA TODAY Sports latest 1-133 re-rank of every college football team in the nation?

It’s championship week in college football. But for some teams, it’s the beginning of the offseason, while others wait on their bowl destinations.

It was a unique season in the Big 12. A number of teams met or exceeded expectations in 2023. And several were incredibly disappointing based on preseason expectations.

Let’s take a look at how each of the Big 12 teams ranked in the USA TODAY Sports 1-133 rankings in the preseason compared to how they now rank after the regular season.

Texas secures top spot in Big 12 Power Rankings after final week of the regular season

How does the Big 12 stack up after the final week of the regular season? Here are this week’s power rankings.

The 2023 college football season has been a thrill ride from start to finish. In its lone season as a 14-team conference, the Big 12 did not disappoint. There were fantastic games throughout the conference schedule that brought us to a dramatic final weekend of the regular season.

The Sooners will look back on this season, knowing they missed an opportunity to reach the Big 12 title game. Their performances against Kansas and Oklahoma State were the difference. And although there was some officiating negligence in the loss to the Cowboys, the Sooners also gave the ball away three times in the loss in Bedlam. Combined, the Sooners turned the ball over six times in their two losses and just seven times total in their other 10 games.

Take care of the football and the Sooners are playing for the Big 12 title this weekend.

Week 13 provided a thrilling overtime game between Oklahoma State and BYU. Iowa State and Kansas State played down to the wire in a wintery Farmageddon. Texas beat Texas Tech by 50 with Brett Yormark in attendance, and West Virginia made good on their promise to the preseason media poll look foolish.

After the final week of the regular season, let’s take a look at this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Top of the conference survive scares in week 12

With just one week remaining in the regular season, how doe the Big 12 power rankings look after Week 12 action?

The Big 12 will come down to the final week of the regular season to determine who will represent the conference in their title game in Arlington, Texas.

Texas was challenged by Iowa State and Oklahoma State survived a terrible start in Houston. The Kansas State Wildcats trailed in the fourth quarter against Kansas before pulling out a win and the Oklahoma Sooners survived in Provo despite the loss of Dillon Gabriel.

Here’s a look at the Big 12 Power Rankings ahead of the final week of the regular season.