The Colorado Buffaloes enter Halloween 2026 carrying the longest losing streak among Big 12 Conference teams.

Falling 57-24 to Oklahoma State handed the Buffaloes their fifth straight loss plus continued to fire off questions about coach Deion Sanders' future in Boulder.

Meanwhile, the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) isn't handing Colorado much love either.

What the Advanced Analytics Say About Colorado vs. Kansas State

Colorado for a number of weeks avoided falling into the cellar of the Big 12 on the FPI front.

That changed on Oct. 28, with the FPI now planting the Buffaloes dead last at 16th overall. CU now holds a -2.0 FPI rating, while also ranking 75th nationally.

Furthermore, Colorado is now projected to finish at 3.4 to 8.6 win/loss. But the Buffaloes must win out starting with the Kansas State Oct. 31 showdown to reach the eight-win mark. And ESPN hands Colorado a 0.2 percent chance to win the rest of its games.

Colorado's chances of reaching bowl eligibility are even lower. The Buffaloes' chances of winning six games fall at 2.9 percent. Now Colorado has 0.0 attached to the other remaining categories: Percentage of winning the Big 12 Conference, hitting the College Football Playoffs, then making the national title game and claiming the crown.

So another words, the Halloween contest offers Colorado not much of a chance to beat the Wildcats. Yet Kansas State does presents its own flaws entering Folsom Field.

Closer Look at Colorado's Next Foe Kansas State

KSU enters 4-3 overall and, on paper, looks to be in better shape compared to the Buffaloes.

But not when it comes to conference record. The Wildcats own all of their losses in Big 12 play; earning defeats against Cincinnati, Houston and in their most recent contest Arizona State. And Kansas State's lone Big 12 victory came in a 35-24 win over the rival Kansas Jayhawks.

KSU holds a high FPI compared to Colorado, but that sits at 5.7. The Wildcats are projected at 6.4 to 5.6 win/loss per FPI. And their chances of winning out sit at 2.6 percent. However, Kansas State is handed a much higher 77.6 percent chance of hitting six victories and becoming bowl eligible.

Players to Watch on Kansas State Side for Colorado

Once again, Colorado will tangle with a dual-threat quarterback after facing the likes of Northwestern's Aidan Chiles, Texas Tech's Will Hammond, Utah's Devon Dampier and on Oct. 24, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker.

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson enters with a combined 13 touchdowns including 10 throwing. He's also KSU's leading rusher with 462 rushing yards and is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. He's already delivered two 100-yard games against Tulane (152 yards) and Kansas (132).

Running back Rodney Fields adds the additional rushing element, hitting 422 yards and five touchdowns. Fellow running back Joe Jackson adds 371 yards in this matchup as well, as the Wildcats have aimed to hit teams with multiple ground-based options.

Wide receiver Jaron Tibbs leads KSU with 34 catches for 325 yards and four touchdowns. Wideout Josh Manning forms a tandem with him in grabbing 26 receptions with 254 yards and two touchdowns.

KSU enters as a slight 1.5-point favorite per FanDuel. Colorado has lost the last three of four meetings in this series, but owns a 45-22-1 mark against the Wildcats.

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