Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter made his closing pitch to Heisman Trophy voters Friday in Boulder – 10 catches for 116 yards, three touchdowns, an interception and more than 110 plays on the field in a 52-0 win for the Buffaloes against Oklahoma State.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders also had a monster day for Colorado (9-3). He completed 34 of 41 passes for 438 yards and five touchdowns in front of 51,030 at Folsom Field in Boulder.
But now they wait.
The win on Friday wasn’t enough to get them into the Big 12 Conference championship game Dec. 7, not after losing last week against Kansas.
That’s because they started the day in a four-way tie for first place with BYU, Iowa State and Arizona State, each with a 6-2 record in league play heading into their final regular-season games this weekend.
To get into the Big 12 title game now, coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs need two of those other first-place teams to lose Saturday: BYU at home against Houston, Iowa State at home against Kansas State and Arizona State at Arizona.
Or if BYU loses and Texas Tech beats West Virginia, the Buffs also would get into the league title game even if they are in a three-way tie for first place with Iowa State and Arizona State. In that case, Colorado wins the tiebreaker by virtue of the fact that Texas Tech will be a second-place team that was beaten this season by Colorado but not by Arizona State or Iowa State.
Getting to the Big 12 title game and winning it also would give the Buffs a chance at a College Football Playoff berth.
If they don’t make it to the Big 12 title game, the Buffaloes likely will play in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 or the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27.
Either way, the Buffs have come a long way since 2022, when they finished 1-11 before they hired Deion Sanders as head coach. Last year, they finished 4-8 in his first season before flipping the roster for the second year in a row to revamp their offensive line, defensive line and add some juice to their receiving corps, including receiver LaJohntay Wester from Florida Atlantic.
Wester caught 11 passes Friday for 175 yards and two touchdowns. The Buffs controlled throughout after scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions as Oklahoma State finished its season with a 3-9 record.
Hunter entered the game as the favorite to win the Heisman on Dec. 14, according to BetMGM. Ballots are scheduled to be distributed to Heiman voters on Monday. They are due to be returned by Dec. 9. With no guaranteed game before then, this was his last guaranteed chance to convince those voters that he is the best player in college football.
Here are highlights from Colorado’s win.
Shedeur Sanders comes out after monster day
With 10 minutes left in this game, Colorado has put in its backup players to replace quarterback Shedeur Sanders and possibly Travis Hunter, too.
Backup quarterback Ryan Staub takes over with the Buffaloes leading 52-0. Shedeur Sanders had a monster day − 34-of-41 passing for 438 yards and five touchdowns. Hunter has 10 catches for 116 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Travis Hunter gets third TD catch
Travis Hunter is putting on a show. Another freakish catch. Another touchdown. Colorado is now leading 52-0 after a 23-yard touchdown catch from him as he fell backward into the end zone while battling an Oklahoma State defender.
He has 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Is he just padding his statistics at this point, though? This game is essentially over.
ABC reported he has played 114 plays so far in this game.
Colorado’s DJ McKinney scores, gets a penalty for celebration
The “other” cornerback for Colorado now has an interception and a touchdown to help the Buffaloes extend their lead to 45-0 early in the fourth quarter. DJ McKinney, a transfer from Oklahoma State, intercepted a pass from his former team and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown before getting into some trouble in the end zone.
After scoring, he celebrated by getting on his knees and lifting one, as if to portray dog urination. He was flagged for a 15-yard penalty as a result on the ensuing kickoff.
End of third quarter: Colorado 38, Oklahoma State 0
Colorado looks like it has secured a first-place finish in the Big 12 Conference even though the Buffaloes will need at least two other Big 12 teams to lose games Saturday in order to play for the Big 12 championship next week in Arlington, Texas.
Receiver LaJohntay Wester, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, has 10 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma State has punted eight times and has committed three turnovers.
Colorado extends its lead to 38-0 in third quarter
Colorado now has scored on all three of its second-half possessions and leads 38-0 after a 33-yard field goal from kicker Alejandro Mata with 4:31 left in the third quarter.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders drove the Buffaloes to the Oklahoma State 7-yard line but was sacked on third down, forcing them to settle for the field goal.
Sanders has been sacked six times so far.
Travis Hunter scores again
The Buffaloes are now up 35-0 after recovering a fumble at the Oklahoma State 25-yard line and then getting an 8-yard touchdown catch from Travis Hunter with 10:50 left in the third quarter.
Hunter now has six catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns on offense, along with an interception to open the game on defense.
Shedeur Sanders is 21-of-26 passing for 257 yards and four touchdowns. The Buffs have scored on both of their possessions in the second half after a disastrous second quarter.
Third quarter: Colorado 28, Oklahoma State 0
Colorado snapped out of its offensive funk by scoring on the first possession of the second half, extending its lead to 28-0 with 14:03 left in the third quarter.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw a third down pass to receiver LaJohntay Wester, who raced down the right sideline for a 69-yard touchdown catch. It is Wester’s second touchdown catch of the day. He has eight catches overall for 115 yards.
Halftime score: Colorado 21, Oklahoma State 0
The Buffaloes took over the game with three touchdowns on their first three possession, but then they sort of just fell part on offense. They ended the first half with a terrible second quarter − four punts and a failure to convert on fourth down and goal from the Oklahoma State 34-yard line.
They even surrendered three quarterback sacks in a row after bringing the ball to the Oklahoma State 10-yard line in the second quarter.
‘Horrible,’ coach Deion Sanders told ABC at halftime. ‘I’m not happy whatsoever. I mean, I don’t care what the score is. We’ve got to execute. Offensively, I don’t know who put a stop sign out there on the field that we can’t go. But we gonna get this right at halftime. I promise you that.’
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed his first 12 passes and is now 18-of-22 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Two-way star Travis Hunter has four catches for 22 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception on defense.
Colorado will get the ball to open the second half in Boulder.
Colorado offense stalls in second quarter
Colorado is still up 21-0 but has broken down on offense in the second quarter. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked on three straight plays after bringing the Buffaloes to the Oklahoma State 10-yard line with a 39-yard pass to Isaiah Hardge. Then when the Buffaloes went for it on fourth and goal from the 34-yard line, Sanders’ pass to the end zone for Travis Hunter fell incomplete.
There have been six punts in the second quarter: three for Colorado and three for Oklahoma State.
Another hot start for Shedeur Sanders
Colorado has punted twice in the second quarter after scoring touchdowns on each of its first three possessions. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is 12-of-13 passing for 84 yards and two touchdowns with the Buffs still leading 21-0 early in the second quarter.
Before the game, Sanders was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback who “best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.”
End of first quarter: Colorado 21, Oklahoma State 0
Travis Hunter has an interception and an 11-yard touchdown catch. Colorado has scored every time it’s had the ball (three for three) and will have the ball at its own 32-yard line to start the second quarter.
Oklahoma State has turned the ball over twice and punted twice. Cowboys linebacker Justin Wright also has been flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct because of late hits out of bounds against the Buffaloes.
‘We’re not playing smart right now,’ Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told ABC.
Travis Hunter helps stretch Colorado’s lead to 21-0
Travis Hunter is just starting to rev up. This time he helped stretch Colorado’s lead to 21-0 with an 11-yard touchdown catch with 2:09 left in the first quarter. He ran a short slant pattern on the play and now has a touchdown catch and interception in the first quarter alone.
Colorado has scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions and this time benefited from a questionable call that turned the ball over to Colorado. Oklahoma State receiver Brennan Presley was ruled to have fumbled a catch, though replays showed he might not have had possession of it. Colorado safety Shilo Sanders recovered it to give the Buffs the ball at the Oklahoma State 28-yard line before Hunter scored.
Colorado leads 14-0 after Shedeur Sanders’ TD pass
Colorado has scored on both of its first two possessions and now leads 14-0 after getting a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders to receiver LaJohntay Wester.
Sanders found Wester in the back left corner of the end zone, capping a 65-yard drive that was aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Oklahoma State. The latter happened when OSU linebacker Justin Wright pulled Sanders and threw him into the bench on the sideline. The penalty moved the Buffaloes from the OSU 28-yard line to the OSU 14-yard line before they scored.
Colorado takes early 7-0 lead
Travis Hunter has snatched an interception already less than two minutes after kickoff. It came on Oklahoma State’s opening possession, when he returned it seven yards to the OSU 24-yard line to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Micah Welch three plays later.
Colorado leads 7-0 with 12:03 left in the first quarter.
It was Hunter’s fourth interception of the season.
Deion Sanders coaches his two sons in final home game
Colorado coach Deion Sanders said he ‘can’t even explain the emotions’ involved as he coaches his two sons in their final home game in Boulder. Sanders told that to ABC after walking onto the field during a Senior Day ceremony with his quarterback son Shedeur and safety son Shilo. Both are playing their final year of college eligibility.
When is the Oklahoma State-Colorado game?
Kickoff is at noon ET Friday from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
How to watch the Oklahoma State-Colorado game
The game will be broadcast on ABC. Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessinich will call the game.
How to stream the Oklahoma State-Colorado game
Can Colorado still win the Big 12 Conference?
Yes, but the Buffs need to beat Oklahoma State today and then need help from at least two other Big 12 teams on Saturday. After suffering a damaging loss against Kansas last week, they are in a four-way tie for first place with BYU, Iowa State and Arizona State, each with a 6-2 record in league play with one regular-season game remaining.
The Buffs would get into the Big 12 championship game Dec. 7 if they beat Oklahoma State and at least two of those other first-place teams lose Saturday: BYU at home against Houston, Iowa State at home against Kansas State and Arizona State at Arizona.
Or if BYU loses and Texas Tech beats West Virginia, the Buffs also would get into the league title game even if they are in a three-way tie for first place with Iowa State and Arizona State. In that scenario, Colorado wins the tiebreaker by virtue of the fact that Texas Tech will be a second-place team that was beaten this season by Colorado but not by Arizona State or Iowa State. But if Tech loses in this case, the Buffs would not make it.
Can Colorado still make the College Football Playoff?
Yes, but it’s a longshot. The Buffs ranked 25th in the latest playoff rankings. The five highest-ranked conference champions get automatic playoff berths, along with seven at-large teams.
To get into the playoff, the Buffs would need to get into the Big 12 championship game (see above) and win that game Dec. 7. But winning the Big 12 still might not be enough for Colorado to move high enough in the rankings to get an at-large berth. It also might not be enough to outrank any of the other five league champions to get an automatic berth.
Teams from five other leagues currently outrank Colorado, though No. 17 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference suffered a loss Thursday to Memphis that will drop Tulane in the rankings.
Final playoff pairings will be announced Dec. 8.
Oklahoma State vs. Colorado odds, line
The Colorado Buffaloes are favorites to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Friday’s college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the top college football betting apps in 2024 offering the top NCAA football betting promos and bonuses in 2024.
Spread: Colorado (-16.5)
Moneyline: Colorado (-750); Oklahoma State (+525)
Over/under: 66.5
What bowl game will Colorado go to?
If they fail to make the Big 12 championship game, the Buffaloes will fall to a non-playoff bowl game, likely the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Dec. 28 or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego Dec. 27.
This story spells out why the Alamo Bowl might take the Buffs.
When is the voting for the Heisman Trophy?
Ballots are distributed to electors on Monday. The deadline for Heisman ballots to be submitted is Dec. 9. Travis Hunter also will find out if he is one of four Heisman finalists Dec. 9. The Heisman winner is announced Dec. 14.