8:00 PM EST, ESPN – Spread: Georgia Tech -6.5, Total: 51.5
After a welcome return to the gridiron last weekend, the 2026 College Football regular season officially begins for everyone else tonight, as the Colorado Buffaloes travel to Bobby Dodd Stadium to renew acquaintances with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a rematch of last year’s opener. If there has been a single constant over the past 3 years for Colorado under the direction of (Head Coach) Deion Sanders it is change, as they once again come into a campaign following an offseason of renovation. When he arrived in Boulder in 2023, Sanders famously turned the program upside down, bringing in an FBS-record 53 transfers. Predictably, all of that change led to a rough first season in charge of the Buffaloes (4-8), though they would become one of the most improved teams in the nation in 2024 (9-4), due in large part to the exploits of a pair of said transfers, namely (Heisman winner) Travis Hunter and Sanders’ son, Shedeur. Unfortunately, Coach Prime couldn’t keep the ball rolling into year 3, as his Buffs regressed back to 3-9, with the offense sputtering (20.9 points per game, 116th in FBS) and the defense conceding way too many big plays (30.5 points per game, 112th in FBS). Needless to say, such a performance necessitated more change, which Sanders has been quick to implement, tapping into the Transfer Portal for a whopping 42 new players. (Offensive Coordinator) Brennan Marion and (Defensive Coordinator) Chris Marve have arrived to reinvigorate each side of the football, while a slew of new transfers aim to vault Colorado back into BIG XII contention. So, let’s take a look at the new names and faces, shall we? (WRs) Kam Perry (Miami-Ohio), Danny Scudero (San Jose State), and DeAndre Moore (Texas) were all productive at their previous stops, while the trenches were bolstered with 7 different Offensive Linemen from power-conference schools, 3 of which were starters. Marion has a history of cooking up explosive attacks wherever he’s been, and it sure seems like he has the ingredients to do so once more, particularly if (Redshirt Freshman QB) Julian Lewis lives up to the hype. The No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, Lewis played 4 games last season before redshirting, completing just 55.3% of his throws for 589 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. As for the defense, the front received upgrades in the form of Santana Hopper, Balansama Kamara, Ezra Christensen, and Dylan Manuel, while (LB) Gideon Lampron was a heat-seeking missile at Bowling Green. Sanders also added new faces to the Secondary, hoping to calm a pass-defense that relinquished 13.6 yards per completion last Fall. While there have been growing rumors that the 59-year-old’s time with the Buffaloes could be coming to an end, what with health issues and legalities regarding his son, Shiloh, permeating in the news, Sanders does appear to be operating with a renewed focus as he is demanding much more of his players than he has in the past, particularly on the disciplinary front. Individuals who are late or absent from team activities will reportedly face anywhere between $400-$5,000 in fines, which is an indication that Coach Prime and his staff may not have been running the tightest of ships last season. Apart from tonight’s venture to Atlanta, the schedule laid before them isn’t the most daunting, featuring a relatively soft ramp up until October, where back-to-back visits from (No. 12) Texas Tech and (No. 21) Utah will likely go a long way towards deciding their fate within the BIG XII.
From a betting perspective, Colorado was fairly poor against the spread last season (4-7-1), resulting in a net loss of 3.4 units. The second half of the campaign was particularly brutal on this front, as they lost their final 5 games, covering only one of them along the way. During his tenure in Boulder, Sanders is 20-15-1 ATS overall, including 8-9 on the road, 12-10 when receiving points from the oddsmakers, 3-3 with the luxury of rest, and a stellar 10-1 when harboring revenge. Furthermore, his troops are 4-3 ATS versus non-conference opposition, along with a 6-1 ledger in the month of September. However, the Buffaloes have covered only one of their last 7 weekday affairs, including a 5-game losing streak ATS on Thursday nights. They have also been a poor side on the road of late (1-5 ATS), with ACC opposition proving particularly troublesome, failing to cover 5 of their last 6 such contests. As we touched upon in the opening, the last time they battled an ACC side it was in last season’s opener against Georgia Tech, a 27-20 defeat at Folsom Field. 3.5-point underdogs on their home turf, the hosts clung to an early 10-7 lead though would play from behind for the majority of the affair, drawing level midway through the fourth quarter following a TD run courtesy of (former QB) Kaidon Salter. However, with the game seemingly destined for overtime, the defense was caught flatfooted, conceding a 45-yard TD run with just 1:07 left in regulation, silencing the crowd in Boulder. Colorado was trampled to the tune of 320 rushing yards and 3 scores, wasting 3 takeaways, including a pair of fumble recoveries by (former LB) Martavius French. On the injury front, the Buffaloes are managing the health of the aforementioned Perry (elbow) and Scudero (foot), with both listed as questionable for tonight’s opener. Looking ahead, Coach Prime & Co will return home for a visit from Weber State, before hitting the road to Northwestern followed by their BIG XII opener in Waco against Baylor on September 19th.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech was one of the surprise packages in the ACC a year ago, finishing with a 9-4 record, including 6-2 in conference play. The Yellow Jackets held the inside track towards claim their first league crown since 1998 before falling victim to a 1-3 malaise in November, which included disappointing defeats against NC State (36-48) and Pitt (28-42), before once again falling to (instate rival) Georgia in the finale (9-16). Indeed, (HC) Brent Key’s troops had a habit of living dangerously and thriving under such pressure, with 6 of their games decided by one possession, including 4 of their victories. However, the offseason brought a wealth of change with it as Key parted ways with (longtime QB) Haynes King, 3 starting Offensive Linemen, most of his defense, and not to mention both of his coordinators. After transferring from Texas A&M, King started 36 games for the Rambling Wreck, posting a 22-14 record along the way, serving as one of the most effective dual-threat weapons on third down and amassing nearly 8,000 passing yards and 2,300 rushing yards despite often playing through injuries. (Offensive Coordinator) Buster Faulkner and (Defensive Coordinator) Blake Gideon left for Florida and Texas respectively, effectively concluding Key’s first era in Atlanta. So, with that in mind, what does the 48-year-old have in store for his alma mater this Fall, you ask? Well, on the coaching front, Key dug deep into alumni history to replace Faulkner, tabbing George Godsey to take over playcalling duties on offense. Godsey, who had spent the last 15 years as an offensive assistant in the NFL, most recently as the Ravens’ TE coach, is expected to maintain the physical run-first mantra that has worked so well for Tech over the past few years. The Transfer Portal was a major component in restocking the attack, as (Junior QB) Alberto Mendoza (Indiana) and (Senior RB) Justice Haynes (Michigan) step into major roles for Key’s retooling. Of course, Mendoza played sparingly behind his Heisman-winning older brother in Bloomington, though nonetheless flashed playmaking skills, completing 18-of-24 throws for 286 yards, 5 touchdowns and an interception, while rushing for another 190 yards and one more score. Sure, given the Hoosiers’ quality, much of his reps came in garbage time, though he still logged a Total QBR of 99.4 along the way. If Mendoza reaches only half of the potential of his older brother, Fernando, then the Yellow Jackets will be buzzing this Fall. As for Haynes, the former 29th overall recruit in 2023 finds himself on his third team in 4 seasons following stays with Alabama and Michigan. Granted, the Wolverines weren’t the most impressive offensive team in the country last Fall, though Haynes nonetheless rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the BIG 10 in yards per carry to boot (7.1). Paired with fellow Senior, Malachi Hosley (697 yards, 7 TD), Key should once again have one of the most productive rushing attacks in the ACC. The biggest question mark at the moment remains the defense, now headed by (DC) Jason Semore, who had previously held that same position at Marshall and Southern Miss. Key added 6 transfers on the Defensive Line, which should tell you what he thought about that group last season; the Wreck struggled to get after the QB with 26.0 sacks and yielded 235.2 yards through the air on 7.4 yards per attempt. The skipper reached into his ties with the Crimson Tide to add more talent from Tuscaloosa in the form of (Edge) Noah Carter and (CB) Jaylen Mbakwe, while (D-Linemen) Vincent Carroll-Jackson (UConn) and Tawfiq Thomas (Colorado) should bring plenty of size to the trenches.
From a betting perspective, Georgia Tech were not as rewarding against the spread last season (6-6), leading to a net loss of 0.60 units. Similar to their opponent tonight, they too stumbled on this front down the stretch, failing to cover 4 of their final 5 outings, including a narrow 21-25 defeat to BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl (+3.5). During his tenure in Atlanta, Key is now 24-19-1 ATS overall, including 11-9 at Bobby Dodd, 7-12 when favored by the oddsmakers, 4-6 with the luxury of rest, 7-5 versus a foe harboring revenge, and 9-7 against non-conference adversaries. The Yellow Jackets are 12-4-1 ATS over their last 17 home games, while posting a solid 18-7-1 ledger when competing on natural grass. As we covered earlier, Tech got the better of Colorado in last season’s opener in Boulder, slowly growing into the game until they became a proverbial boulder of their own, rumbling through the opposing defense with ease. The visitors outgained the Buffaloes 463-305 in total yards, thanks in large part to 320 rushing yards on an industrious 47 carries, much of which can be attributed to the aforementioned King. The former QB racked up 156 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning 45-yard jaunt into the end zone with just a minute left in regulation. Hosley added 47 yards on 7 carries in a largely abridged role off the bench. Given how that affair played out, it is no surprise that the public is firmly backing Tech in this opener, as approximately 64% of all wagers placed upon the spread are riding with the Wreck, with an even larger share of the overall money wagered in this regard following suit (67%). On the injury front, Key has no major issues at the moment, which is an ideal way to kick off a campaign. Looking forward, the schedule doesn’t let up for Georgia Tech, who will welcome (No. 20) Tennessee to Bobby Dodd next weekend.