Friday’s game carries much greater significance for Colorado, which could provide added motivation for Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys and Buffaloes will square off in the regular season finale at 10 a.m. local time on Black Friday. After spending Thanksgiving away from home, OSU could easily approach the early kickoff with a lack of urgency, knowing there isn’t much distinction between a 3-9 and 4-8 finish.
However, for Colorado, this isn’t just another game. With a 6-2 record in Big 12 play, the Buffaloes need a win to stay in the hunt for the conference title. While Colorado will still need help from other teams to overcome the two-loss squads ahead of them in tiebreakers, they’ll be playing in the first Big 12 game of the weekend, meaning they won’t know how the rest of the conference fares. For them, it’s a must-win game with their championship hopes still alive.
Despite a tough loss to Kansas, which was their third of the season and nearly knocked them out of the top 25, Colorado is still holding on to aspirations of a bigger prize. With the new 12-team College Football Playoff format, the top five ranked conference champions earn an automatic spot.
Though a win against OSU and a spot in the Big 12 Championship wouldn’t guarantee Colorado a higher ranking than the American champion, it’s still a possibility. This gives OSU the chance to play the role of spoiler. Unlike last season, when OSU needed a victory over BYU to secure a conference title shot — which they did after a dramatic comeback in double overtime — this time around, the Cowboys have the opportunity to ruin Colorado’s postseason hopes. While there are no direct postseason stakes for Mike Gundy’s team, an OSU victory would deliver a blow to Colorado’s championship hopes and provide a memorable moment as the Buffaloes return to the Big 12.