No. 22 Colorado head coach Deion Sanders told the world he wasn’t hard to find, and his Buffaloes were on the upswing when he took over the program. His squad, buoyed by a 510-yard passing performance by his son quarterback Shedeur Sanders, two-way star Travis Hunter, and running back Dylan Edwards, shocked then No.17 TCU Saturday in a 44-42 upset win on the road.
Losing to Colorado dropped the Horned Frogs, last season’s national runner-up, out of the poll. Getting the win as a three-touchdown underdog captured a lot of attention during the first full week of college football action. The Buffaloes are ranked for the first time since the 2020 season. Colorado has only finished the season in the top 25 once in 2016 over the last 20 seasons and was ranked in 2018 for two weeks.
Colorado started the 2023 season unranked following Sanders’ arrival. He signed 58 players in the transfer portal and welcomed nearly 90 newcomers to a team that finished the 2022 season with a 1-11 record.
The unprecedented flipping of the roster worked in Week 1, and the Buffaloes host Nebraska next week for their home opener. Fans interested in attending the affair better get their grown-up wallet ready.
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Before the upset win, the “get-in” price for the home game against the Cornhuskers was $266, according to TickPick. In the words of famed rapper Fat Joe, “Yesterday’s price is not today’s price,” as evidenced by the tickets rocketing up 79 percent to $476. Last season, a fan could’ve attended every Colorado home game for $222, 53 percent less than Saturday’s game against Nebraska, according to a press release from TickPick.
Sanders’ alma mater Florida State moved up four spots in the poll from eight to four after Sunday’s resounding victory against LSU. The Tigers dropped nine spots to No.15 after the loss. Head coach Mike Norvell led the Seminoles to their first win against a top-5 team since October 2014 against Notre Dame at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Before last season’s 10-3 record and No.11 ranking the Seminoles went three seasons (2019-21) without being ranked. That is the longest stretch of non-ranking since the mid-70s before Sanders’ former coach Bobby Bowden got things rolling.
Life is changing in the ACC with the additions of Stanford and Cal as conference realignment continues across the nation. Perhaps there’s a changing of the guard brewing with Duke’s dominant win on Monday against then No. 9 Clemson.
Duke’s 28-7 win knocked the Tigers down 16 spots and boosted the Blue Devils to No. 21. It’s the first time since a week in 2018 that the Blue Devils under second-year head coach Mike Elko is ranked in the poll. Duke archrival North Carolina is at No. 17 after beating SEC foe South Carolina in Charlotte on Saturday.
North Carolina and Florida State’s wins gave the ACC a 2-0 weekend against the Southeastern Conference.
No. 1 Georgia held firm with a victory against Middle Tennessee State. The two-time defending national champions are followed in the rankings by No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Alabama. No. 5 Ohio State rounds out the top five after beating Indiana for the 29th consecutive game, which is the longest winning streak for one opponent over another in the FBS.
Expect more movement next week when No. 3 Alabama hosts No. 11 Texas at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Last season the Crimson Tide escaped Austin with a win. Next year, the Longhorns will be members of the SEC.
No. 20 Ole Miss travels to No. 24 Tulane. The game marks the 64th time the two schools have met on the gridiron. It is the first time since 1965 that both schools are ranked for their game against each other.
Here are the rest of the rankings.
1. University of Georgia
2. Michigan
3. University of Alabama
4. Florida State University
5. Ohio State University
6. Southern Cal
7. Penn State
8. University of Washington
9. Tennessee
10. Notre Dame
11. University of Texas
12. Utah
13. Oregon
14. Louisiana State University
15. Kansas State University
16. Oregon State University
17. University of North Carolina
18. Oklahoma
19. Wisconsin
20. Ole Miss
21. Duke
22. University of Colorado
23. Texas A&M
24. Tulane
25. Clemson University
Others receiving votes: Iowa 73, UCLA 55, Arkansas 28, TCU 27, Kentucky 15, Pittsburgh 8, Mississippi St. 5, Miami 4, NC State 4, Auburn 3, Troy 3, Fresno St. 3, Minnesota 3, Wyoming 3, Iowa St. 2, Texas St. 2, Texas Tech 1, Louisville 1, Washington St. 1, Illinois 1, Houston 1, UCF 1, James Madison 1.