Colorado picked near bottom of USA TODAY Big 12 preseason poll

The Colorado Buffaloes were left out of the All-Big 12 preseason team put out by the conference, but turned in better results on the USA TODAY Sports all-conference teams.

>Colorado had a few honorable mentions: wide receiver Danny Scudero, linebacker Gideon Lampron and kick returner Quentin Gibson. While none made the actual preseason team, all three should be major contributors this upcoming season.

>USA TODAY's Big 12 preview also included a preseason poll compiled by writers who cover the conference. Colorado unsurprisingly came in at No. 15 in the sixteen-team conference, only ahead of Iowa State.

>Texas Tech leads the poll, followed by BYU, Utah and Houston, with Arizona rounding out the top five.

What it means for ColoradoDeion Sanders' program is definitely entering the 2026 season with reduced external motivations. Still, the internal expectations remain high, with Sanders saying at Big 12 Media Days this week that "it's already turned, you just haven't seen the fruit."

>The Buffaloes open their 2026 season with a tough road matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.

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>This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado picked near bottom of USA TODAY Big 12 preseason poll