Buffs Move Up Into Nation's Top 25

BOULDER — For the first time since the end of the 2016 season, Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes are back in the nation's top 25.

The Buffs, 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 after Friday's 38-16 win over UCLA, were ranked No. 21 in the latest Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/Coaches poll. Both polls were released Sunday.

Colorado is now the only unbeaten team in the Pac-12 and one of only 14 remaining in the nation, as Stanford and Cal both lost Saturday. Stanford (4-1) fell to Notre Dame while Cal (3-1) was beaten by Oregon.

The Pac-12 still has four teams ranked:  4-1 Washington (10 AP/10 coaches), 4-1 Stanford (14/14), 4-1 Oregon (18/18) and 4-0 Colorado (21/22). Cal, ranked 24th in the AP poll last week, fell out of the rankings after its loss to the Ducks.

CU's last appearance in the national rankings came at the end of the 2016 season, when the Buffs finished with a 10-4 record that included a Pac-12 championship game berth and an Alamo Bowl appearance. CU finished the year ranked 17th in the final AP poll and 15th in the coaches poll. The Buffs reached as high as ninth that year, their highest ranking since being ranked 7/6 early in 2002.

Colorado's appearance in the football polls also means all five of CU's fall championship sports — men's and women's cross country, soccer, volleyball and football — were nationally ranked on Sunday.

The Buffs play at home again this week when they host Arizona State (3-2, 1-1) in a 2 p.m. game Saturday at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Networks).

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu