Instant reaction to Colorado's 2020 football schedule

The University of Colorado released its 2020 football schedule Thursday afternoon. The Buffs’ opponents have been known for some time but the order their conference games are to be played was not.

Here’s what we’re going to see in 2020:

Sept. 5 @ Colorado State

All-time record: 67-22-2
Last Meeting: 52-31 W (2019)

The Buffs will kick off their 2020 campaign, the second under head coach Mel Tucker, at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins.

Colorado has played Colorado State every year since 1995 but the 2020 edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown will be the last in the series until the Rams come to Boulder in 2023.

This will be the first chance to see what the Buffs’ new faces — including true freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis, Alabama transfer Antonio Alfano, and others — look like in live action.

Colorado wins and opens the season at 1-0.

Sept. 12 vs. Fresno State

All-time record: 3-2
Last meeting: 69-14 L (2012)

Colorado will host the Mountain West Conference’s Fresno State in their 2020 home-opener.

The Bulldogs’ 2019 record of 4-8 is underwhelming but they held tough against some quality opponents; They took the Minnesota Golden Gophers — who finished the season ranked 10th — to two overtimes, and they played a one-score game against USC.

Fresno State will also be replacing their starting quarterback in 2020.

Colorado wins, bringing its record to 2-0.

Sept. 19 @ Texas A&M

All-time record: 6-3
Last meeting: 35-34 W (2009)

Texas A&M finished the 2019 season at 8-5 but it’s worth noting that all five of the Aggies’ losses came against teams ranked in the top 10.

It’s also worth noting that none of the Aggies wins were against ranked opponents.

Quarterback Kellen Mond is expected to return to College Station for his senior season following a dissapointing junior campaign and he’ll likely be one of the SEC’s elite at the position.

This game is far from unwinnable, but the Aggies have an edge before you even factor in homefield advantage.

Colorado falls to 2-1 to close out non-conference play

Sept. 26 vs. Oregon

All-time record: 9-13
Last meeting: 45-3 L (2019)

This is a tough way to start conference play.

Oregon is the clear-cut No. 1 in the Pac-12, despite losing potential top-10 NFL draft pick Justin Herbert at quarterback.

There’s a way to sugarcoat this matchup — Colorado will be prepared coming off their toughest non-conference test in a couple of years and Oregon may not be clicking like they will be late in the year, especially with a new signal caller — but the truth is that this one could be rough.

There’s a reason Oregon was ranked fifth in the final AP Top 25 rankings.

Let’s pencil it in as a loss.

Colorado falls to 2-2.

Oct. 3 BYE

Colorado’s lone bye in 2020 comes at a good time.

Coming off a pair of tough matchups, Mel Tucker & Co. can see what pieces need to be cleaned up against top teams. Expect to see some major changes here.

(Fri.) Oct. 9 @ Arizona

All-time record: 14-8
Last meeting: 35-30 L (2019)

Khalil Tate is gone.

The curse is over.

Buffs win.

Colorado’s record improves to 3-2.

Oct. 17 vs. UCLA

All-time record: 4-11
Last meeting: 31-14 L (2019)

Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be a junior in 2020.

Isn’t that crazy?

By midseason, his connection with 5-foot-9 speedster Demetric Felton will be one of the Pac-12’s major storylines. There’s a handful of other speedy receivers to watch out for, as well.

But the loss of bruising running back Joshua Kelly is going to cause problems for the Bruins, especially against teams with pass-rushers who will no longer have to respect the run game.

Teams like the Colorado Buffaloes.

For the sixth consecutive year, the home team will win this matchup.

Colorado improves to 4-2.

Oct. 24 vs. Arizona State

All-time record: 3-8
Last meeting: 34-31 W (2019)

This is another toughy, and Colorado is lucky to be the home team.

A year ago the Buffaloes trekked into Tempe and knocked off a ranked opponent on the road for the first time in decades.

Mel Tucker wore shorts.

This Sun Devils squad will be fired up.

Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels will be hearing a little Heisman hype and the Sun Devils will be 5-1, at worst. Plus they’ll be coming off of a bye.

The Daniels-Lewis duel will be a huge storyline in the Pac-12 for the next three years, but Daniels is going to come out the first time around.

And on homecoming, too.

Colorado falls to 4-3.

Oct. 31 @ USC

All-time record: 0-14
Last meeting: 35-31 L (2019)

When the Trojans came to Boulder last season, Buffs fans hearts were broken. Colorado held a double-digit fourth-quarter lead but couldn’t close the game out.

The Buffs still have never beaten USC and 2020 won’t be the year it happens.

There’s some turbulence at The Coliseum to say the least. Athletic director Lynn Swann is gone and that’s just the start of the story. Just this week, three more higher-ups in the Trojans’ athletics department were fired.

But Clay Helton is still around and he has himself a quarterback.

While Jayden Daniels will be hearing some fringe Heisman hype, Kedon Slovis could be an actual contender for college football’s most prestigious award.

It’d be great to knock off Mike Bohn, the new USC athletic director who grew up in Boulder and held the same role at CU from 2005-13, but this isn’t the year.

It’s coming though.

Colorado falls to 4-4.

 

Nov. 7 vs. Washington State

All-time record: 6-7
Last meeting: 41-10 L (2019)

Head coach Mike Leach is out and so is his air raid system that made a string of stars out of virtually unknown quarterbacks.

In comes Hawaii’s Nick Rolovich and his run-and-shoot offense.

There are a lot of similarities between the schemes but the simple truth is that Rolovich is not Leach and a step back is likely on the way in Pullman.

Colorado will take advantage.

The Buffs improve to 5-4.

 

Nov. 14 @ Stanford

All-time record: 5-5
Last meeting: 16-13 W (2019)

Here’s where the fatigue sets in.

It’s been a long six weeks since the bye and Colorado’s bodies will be feeling it.

Throw in a game against a smashmouth team like Stanford and things could get ugly.

Luckily, Stanford won’t quite be ready to bounce back from a four-win 2019 campaign. Quarterback KJ Costello is bound for the NFL Draft and bruising running back Cameron Scarlett should get a shot in an NFL training camp.

The Cardinal will win more than four games, but not by much.

Colorado wins a tight one and improves to 6-4.

Nov. 21 @ Washington

All-time record: 6-11
Last meeting: 20-14 W (2019)

This is another spot where the lack of a second bye week could hurt Colorado.

Luckily, head coach Chris Peterson is no longer running the Huskies’ program and quarterback Jacob Eason is headed to the NFL a year early.

By late November, you’d expect whoever has control of the offense to be comfortable in the role, but you never know. Of the three guys vying for the starting quarterback job, the most experience will only be a sophomore in 2020.

This will be a tough matchup but Colorado’s defense will just be too good to beat.

The Buffs improve to 7-4.

Nov. 28 vs. Utah

All-time record: 30-31-3
Last meeting: 45-15 L (2019)

The Utes won’t be as good as they were in 2019.

Plenty of pieces of their dominant defense are headed out, as is first-team All-Pac-12 running back Zach Moss. Tyler Huntley will return for his senior season, though.

Don’t get things twisted, Utah is a strong football program and will be able to replace much of what it loses, but don’t expect the Utes to be College Football Playoff contenders in 2020.

The lack of a bye week will finally catch up to CU in the final week of the season.

Colorado falls to 7-5.