It feels like fans have already been treated to a full season's worth of storylines and exciting finishes from Deion Sanders and Colorado. The Buffaloes have already surpassed their projected preseason win total and are flirting with bowl eligibility. The journey toward the postseason for Coach Prime and his program continues on Friday night in Week 7 as they welcome in Stanford for Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The Buffaloes improved to 4-2 last weekend with a last-minute 27-24 win over Arizona State, which marked the first Pac-12 win with Sanders at the helm. Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata drilled a 43-yard field goal attempt with 12 seconds remaining to snap an eight-game conference losing streak dating back to last season.
Stanford is looking for a reset coming off its bye week. The Cardinal jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the early seconds of the second quarter in their last game against Oregon before allowing 42 unanswered points to end the game. The Cardinal are in their first season under coach Troy Taylor after longtime program leader David Shaw resigned last season. Stanford started the year with a win over Hawaii on the road and have since lost four consecutive games.
Follow along with LIVE UPDATES as Colorado takes on Stanford on Friday.
How to watch Colorado vs. Stanford live
Date: Friday, Oct. 13 | Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Folsom Field -- Boulder. Colorado
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Colorado vs. Stanford: Need to know
Two more wins needed to snap streak: Colorado is on the verge of doing something few thought could be done in Sanders' first season. If the Buffaloes can manage to close the season with two wins in the final six games, they will become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. Colorado had the most drastic roster overhaul in college football history this offseason, bringing in more than 50 new transfers to the program. While the season is far from over, it appears that the moves Colorado made in the offseason have the program headed in the right direction.
Stanford undecided at quarterback: In Stanford's season-opener, Taylor elected to start Ashton Daniels at quarterback. He has since gone back and forth between Daniels and Syracuse transfer Justin Lamson, who got a majority of the reps against Oregon and finished the game 11 of 20 for 106 yards passing. Lamson appears to be in the driver's seat to start the rest of the season, and a win over Colorado could solidify the quarterback battle moving forward.
Travis Hunter's return is TBD: Sanders said earlier this week that Hunter could return on Friday after missing the last three games with a lacerated liver suffered in the Week 3 win over Colorado State. Getting Hunter back would be a massive boost on both sides of the ball for Colorado since he is one of the true two-way talents in the sport. The Buffaloes defense could use a spark after looking sluggish in Pac-12 play without Hunter in the lineup.
Colorado vs. Stanford prediction
Odds via SportsLine consensus
The X-factor for this game is Hunter's status because he is arguably the most valuable non-quarterback in the sport. The Colorado offense, led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, should have no problem putting up points against a Stanford defense that's allowing more than 34 points per game. The biggest question mark is whether the Colorado defense can bounce back after a sloppy performance against Oregon, USC and Arizona State. Stanford is the worst remaining team on Colorado's schedule the rest of the season, and the Buffaloes will have to take care of business if they want to be bowl eligible. Pick: Colorado -11.5
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 7, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
