"It's wild to me": Colorado's open playoff path irks CFB fans after Kansas State goes down in Week 10

Until Saturday, many thought Avery Johnson and the high-powered offense of the No. 22-ranked Kansas State Wildcats (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) would easily roll through the Big 12 Conference and claim a top-four seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

But after a brutal and stunning 24-19 upset against the unranked Houston Cougars, the B12 conference race has been completely shaken up. The Wildcats have dropped to 7-2 on the season.

One team that could capitalize on this misstep is the No. 21-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1 Big 12), but fans are not 100% on board.

Reshuffling The Deck

As it currently stands, the No. 9-ranked BYU Cougars are the team to beat in the Big 12 at 8-0. They've been a big surprise this year, if not the big surprise, and are currently the favorite to hold the top-four seed from the Big 12.

Until they lose, there's not much Colorado or Kansas State can do to reclaim ground in the conference.

Many could have never thought that Colorado would be in the position it is in right now. But the Deion Sanders experiment continues to improve game by game, and they're right where they need to be.

"This November marks a stark contrast from last year for the Buffaloes," Sports Illustrated's Jason Jones wrote. "Coach Prime and his staff have instilled a mentality of belief and resilience, with the Buffaloes focused on executing their game plan and controlling their destiny in a wide-open Big 12 race," Jones added.

The No. 17-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (4-1 Big 12) - led by head coach Matt Campbell - are currently the only other team in a real position to challenge the Cougars at 7-1. But they will likely need to win the conference to make it to the bracket.

Their last game of the season is against Kansas State.

Looking Ahead - Deion's Final Stretch

The Buffaloes have four unranked opponents to finish the year: Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State. Their path to finishing the year with just two losses before getting to conference-winner-determining play is pretty much set.

Colorado is ranked one spot ahead of Kansas State despite the Wildcats taking down the Buffaloes earlier in the year 31-28.