Colorado vs. Oklahoma State: Live updates, how to watch, highlights

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This is it for Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes – the regular-season finale at home against Oklahoma State. The Buffs (8-3) still will play in the postseason, possibly in the Alamo Bowl or Holiday Bowl next month − or maybe even the College Football Playoff if enough dominoes fall their way in other games on Saturday.

But today’s game at noon ET on ABC will be the last time Heisman Trophy voters will get to watch Hunter before Heisman ballots are distributed to those electors on Monday.

Hunter, the star cornerback-receiver, is the current favorite to win the award, according to BetMGM. The problem for Hunter is that oddsmakers don’t select the Heisman winner. Fickle sports journalists do, along with former Heisman winners.

In a bit of a shocker, Hunter was not even named one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

The lesson learned from that might be to not take anything for granted, especially today against the Cowboys (3-8), who have lost eight straight games and rank 133rd out of 134 major college teams in total defense with 503.3 yards allowed per game. Hunter could use another big performance in the national spotlight to boost his Heisman candidacy. Colorado coach Deion Sanders also needs to win this game to boost his team's standing for the postseason.

Follow along here for game updates, highlights and news.

The Buffaloes are now up 35-0 after recovering a fumble at the Oklahoma State 25-yard line and then getting an 8-yard touchdown catch from Travis Hunter with 10:50 left in the third quarter.

Hunter now has six catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns on offense, along with an interception to open the game on defense.

Shedeur Sanders is 21-of-26 passing for 257 yards and four touchdowns. The Buffs have scored on both of their possessions in the second half after a disastrous second quarter. 

Colorado snapped out of its offensive funk by scoring on the first possession of the second half, extending its lead to 28-0 with 14:03 left in the third quarter.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw a third down pass to receiver LaJohntay Wester, who raced down the right sideline for a 69-yard touchdown catch. It is Wester’s second touchdown catch of the day. He has eight catches overall for 115 yards.

The Buffaloes took over the game with three touchdowns on their first three possession, but then they sort of just fell part on offense. They ended the first half with a terrible second quarter − four punts and a failure to convert on fourth down and goal from the Oklahoma State 34-yard line.

They even surrendered three quarterback sacks in a row after bringing the ball to the Oklahoma State 10-yard line in the second quarter.

"Horrible," coach Deion Sanders told ABC at halftime. "I'm not happy whatsoever. I mean, I don't care what the score is. We've got to execute. Offensively, I don't know who put a stop sign out there on the field that we can't go. But we gonna get this right at halftime. I promise you that."

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed his first 12 passes and is now 18-of-22 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Two-way star Travis Hunter has four catches for 22 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception on defense.

Colorado will get the ball to open the second half in Boulder. 

Colorado is still up 21-0 but has broken down on offense in the second quarter. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked on three straight plays after bringing the Buffaloes to the Oklahoma State 10-yard line with a 39-yard pass to Isaiah Hardge. Then when the Buffaloes went for it on fourth and goal from the 34-yard line, Sanders’ pass to the end zone for Travis Hunter fell incomplete.

There have been six punts in the second quarter: three for Colorado and three for Oklahoma State. 

Colorado has punted twice in the second quarter after scoring touchdowns on each of its first three possessions. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is 12-of-13 passing for 84 yards and two touchdowns with the Buffs still leading 21-0 early in the second quarter.

Before the game, Sanders was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback who “best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.”

Travis Hunter has an interception and an 11-yard touchdown catch. Colorado has scored every time it’s had the ball (three for three) and will have the ball at its own 32-yard line to start the second quarter.

Oklahoma State has turned the ball over twice and punted twice. Cowboys linebacker Justin Wright also has been flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct because of late hits out of bounds against the Buffaloes. 

"We're not playing smart right now," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told ABC.

Travis Hunter is just starting to rev up. This time he helped stretch Colorado’s lead to 21-0 with an 11-yard touchdown catch with 2:09 left in the first quarter. He ran a short slant pattern on the play and now has a touchdown catch and interception in the first quarter alone.

Colorado has scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions and this time benefited from a questionable call that turned the ball over to Colorado. Oklahoma State receiver Brennan Presley was ruled to have fumbled a catch, though replays showed he might not have had possession of it. Colorado safety Shilo Sanders recovered it to give the Buffs the ball at the Oklahoma State 28-yard line before Hunter scored.

Colorado has scored on both of its first two possessions and now leads 14-0 after getting a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders to receiver LaJohntay Wester.

Sanders found Wester in the back left corner of the end zone, capping a 65-yard drive that was aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Oklahoma State. The latter happened when OSU linebacker Justin Wright pulled Sanders and threw him into the bench on the sideline. The penalty moved the Buffaloes from the OSU 28-yard line to the OSU 14-yard line before they scored. 

Travis Hunter has snatched an interception already less than two minutes after kickoff. It came on Oklahoma State’s opening possession, when he returned it seven yards to the OSU 24-yard line to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Micah Welch three plays later.

Colorado leads 7-0 with 12:03 left in the first quarter.

It was Hunter's fourth interception of the season.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders said he "can’t even explain the emotions" involved as he coaches his two sons in their final home game in Boulder. Sanders told that to ABC after walking onto the field during a Senior Day ceremony with his quarterback son Shedeur and safety son Shilo. Both are playing their final year of college eligibility.

When is the Oklahoma State-Colorado game?

Kickoff is at noon ET Friday from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

How to watch the Oklahoma State-Colorado game

The game will be broadcast on ABC. Mark Jones, Roddy Jones and Quint Kessinich will call the game.

How to stream the Oklahoma State-Colorado game

The Cowboys-Buffaloes game can be streamed on Fubo.

Yes, but the Buffs need to beat Oklahoma State today and then need help from at least two other Big 12 teams on Saturday. After suffering a damaging loss against Kansas last week, they are in a four-way tie for first place with BYU, Iowa State and Arizona State, each with a 6-2 record in league play with one regular-season game remaining. 

The Buffs would get into the Big 12 championship game Dec. 7 if they beat Oklahoma State and at least two of those other first-place teams lose Saturday: BYU at home against Houston, Iowa State at home against Kansas State and Arizona State at Arizona. 

Or if BYU loses and Texas Tech beats West Virginia, the Buffs also would get into the league title game even if they are in a three-way tie for first place with Iowa State and Arizona State.  In that scenario, Colorado wins the tiebreaker by virtue of the fact that Texas Tech will be a second-place team that was beaten this season by Colorado but not by Arizona State or Iowa State. But if Tech loses in this case, the Buffs would not make it.  

Yes, but it’s a longshot. The Buffs ranked 25th in the latest playoff rankings. The five highest-ranked conference champions get automatic playoff berths, along with seven at-large teams. 

To get into the playoff, the Buffs would need to get into the Big 12 championship game (see above) and win that game Dec. 7. But winning the Big 12 still might not be enough for Colorado to move high enough in the rankings to get an at-large berth. It also might not be enough to outrank any of the other five league champions to get an automatic berth. 

Teams from five other leagues currently outrank Colorado, though No. 17 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference suffered a loss Thursday to Memphis that will drop Tulane in the rankings.

Final playoff pairings will be announced Dec. 8. 

The Colorado Buffaloes are favorites to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Friday’s college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the top college football betting apps in 2024 offering the top NCAA football betting promos and bonuses in 2024.  

• Spread: Colorado (-16.5) 
• Moneyline: Colorado (-750); Oklahoma State (+525) 
• Over/under: 66.5  

If they fail to make the Big 12 championship game, the Buffaloes will fall to a non-playoff bowl game, likely the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio Dec. 28 or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego Dec. 27. 

This story spells out why the Alamo Bowl might take the Buffs. 

Ballots are distributed to electors on Monday. The deadline for Heisman ballots to be submitted is Dec. 9. Travis Hunter also will find out if he is one of four Heisman finalists Dec. 9. The Heisman winner is announced Dec. 14.