Colorado · Big 12Colorado faces Baylor with Big 12 stakes after Northwestern loss
The 2-1 teams meet Sept. 26 in Waco for the first time since 2010, with the loser falling to 2-2 before October.
SEP 23, 2026
Colorado’s loss at Northwestern
Colorado’s all-time series lead
Colorado’s overtime win in the most recent meeting
01 · The NewsColorado-Baylor Stakes
Colorado and Baylor meet Saturday, Sept. 26, at McLane Stadium in the programs’ 18th matchup and first game in Waco since 2010, with both teams carrying 2-1 records into the noon ET kickoff.
The teams reached the game from sharply different Sept. 19 results. Colorado lost 41-7 at Northwestern after opening with wins at Georgia Tech and against Weber State. Baylor beat Louisiana Tech 36-19 after losing 17-16 at Auburn and then defeating Prairie View A&M.
Colorado leads the series 10-7, including a 4-2 record in games played in Waco. Baylor won the last meeting there by one point in 2010, but Colorado took the teams’ most recent game, 38-31 in overtime on Sept. 21, 2024.
That game turned on two late sequences. Baylor led 31-24 as regulation ended before Shedeur Sanders rolled left and threw a 43-yard Hail Mary to LaJohntay Wester in the rain, forcing overtime. Micah Welch gave Colorado its first lead by scoring in overtime. On Baylor’s final possession, Travis Hunter knocked the ball free from Dominic Richardson near the goal line, and the loose ball went out of the end zone.
ESPN2 will televise Saturday’s game. Colorado hosts Texas Tech on Oct. 3, while Baylor plays at Arizona State that day.
02 · The StakesWhat’s at Stake
The winner moves to 3-1 and gains an early edge in the Big 12 race. The loser drops to 2-2 before October’s tougher conference schedule, putting more weight on Colorado’s response and Baylor’s two-game winning streak.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The shared 2-1 record obscures how quickly both teams can change the meaning of last season’s records. Colorado won three games in 2025, so victory in Waco would match that total by Sept. 26; Baylor’s third win would put it more than halfway to last season’s five. Their conference records were 1-8 and 3-6, respectively, making the fourth game an early test of whether either September start changes its Big 12 trajectory.
Colorado then hosts Texas Tech on Oct. 3, while Baylor visits Arizona State for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Which Colorado road team shows up in Waco?
Colorado has produced opposite road results: a 14-13 win at Georgia Tech and a 41-7 loss at Northwestern, a swing from a one-point victory to a 34-point defeat. The Sept. 26 score at McLane Stadium will show whether the Northwestern result was a break from its earlier road performance or the start of a pattern before Texas Tech visits Oct. 3.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Colorado respond?
The tell is whether Colorado answers after losing 41-7 at Northwestern.
Can Baylor keep rolling?
The tell is whether Baylor extends its two-game winning streak after beating Louisiana Tech 36-19.