The college football playoff race has never been this wild. The Colorado Buffaloes, sitting comfortably at 8-2 and now ranked No.6 in the Big 12, might be in danger of missing the 12-team playoff—despite winning the Big 12 Conference Championship. Confused? You should be. With the new 12- team playoff system, everything’s up in the air. And insiders like David Ubben are dropping some truth bombs. As the playoff race gets more complicated, one thing’s clear: nothing’s guaranteed.

On the November 18 episode of the “Until Saturday” podcast, David Ubben dropped a bombshell that’s pretty sure to have Colorado fans a mini- heart attack. “I think a lot of fans haven’t figured out is the four byes are not for the power four conferences, they’re for the four highest-rated conference champs,” Ubben said. Translation? Just because Colorado wins the Big 12 Championship, it doesn’t mean they’re automatically in the playoffs. In fact, with teams like Arizona State and Boise State creeping up in the rankings, the Buffaloes might get the shaft if the chips don’t fall right. “You’ve got Arizona State looming, you got Colorado, we’ll see where they rank,” Ubben warned. It’s looking like a tight race to secure one of the most coveted playoffs spots.

But the Chaos doesn’t just stop there. According to Ubben, if BYU doesn’t win the Big 12, there’s a chance that Boise State Bronc0s could sneak in and jump ahead of the Big 12 champion. “If BYU doesn’t win the Big 12, there’s a real shot that Boise will see about Army if they beat Notre Dame this week and could slide ahead of the Big 12 champion,” he said. Boise State, currently ranked No.12, is breathing down the neck of No.16 Colorado Buffaloes led by Deion Sanders, and with the new playoff system, anything can happen. One slip-up for the Buffaloes, and their dream of a playoff spot could vanish into thin air.

The Madness continues, if Army can pull off an upset against No. 6 Notre Dame. It could shake up the entire playoff picture. If the Black Knights keep their momentum going, it’ll be a real conversation about how a one-loss Big 12 champion might be left out in favor of a rising Army squad. “If Army beats Notre Dame, then we’re going to have a real conversation where it’s not unreasonable that the Big 12 Champion gets left out,” Ubben stated, With Boise State and Army both lurking, the playoff race is anything but clear.

The chaos of the 12-team playoff for Colorado buffs

So, what does this all mean for Colorado? Simply put, nothing is guaranteed. The new playoff system has thrown a wrench into the whole process. Even a Big 12 Championship may not be enough for the Buffaloes to secure a spot. With teams like Boise State, and BYU all in the mix. The playoff conversation is about to get even more chaotic for Deion Sanders and Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado fans better buckle up — because the road to the playoffs is going to be one wild ride.

In the end, it all comes down to how the last few weeks of the season shake out. The Buffaloes still have a shot. But with every upset and surprise victory, their path to the playoff becomes more complicated and uncertain. So, while Colorado’s sitting in a decent position for now, it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll make the cut or not. If anything, this season proves that in college football, nothing is promised—except for the drama.