Week 1 of the 2026 college football season features a rematch of Week 1 from the 2025 season with the Colorado Buffaloes facing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. These teams played a tight contest in Boulder to open last season, with Haynes King scoring a 45-yard rushing touchdown to give Georgia Tech a 27-20 win. The Buffaloes come into this season looking to recover from a 3-9 campaign, while Georgia Tech is trying to build on a nine-win season.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Georgia Tech is a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Colorado vs. Georgia Tech and more Week 1 college football at DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets when you spend $5+: Deion Sanders is back on the sidelines for Colorado after a health scare in the offseason.
Sanders got to nine wins in his second season in Boulder but he had quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter on that squad. Brent Key has steadily improved at Georgia Tech, winning at least seven games in each of the last three seasons. Julian Lewis will take over as the starting quarterback for the Buffs, and he's looking to replicate Sanders' 2024 numbers.
Lewis showed some flashes in 2025 but he will need to improve his accuracy to elevate Colorado's skill group. The Buffs will get Micah Welch and Joseph Williams back to provide some familiarity at running back and receiver, while transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. was an ascending receiver at Texas before coming to Boulder. The defense is a different story entirely.
Colorado was one of the worst defensive teams in 2025, and that entire unit is being churned through the transfer portal. It's hard to imagine the Buffs being worse on that side of the ball but it's going to take some time for the defense to work well together. If Lewis is the real deal, Colorado should be able to get to a bowl game in 2026.
King is gone and in steps Alberto Mendoza, brother of last year's Heisman Trophy and national championship winner Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana transfer is unproven as a passer but if he can give Georgia Tech even half of what his brother gave Indiana, this team will be in good shape. Justice Haynes arrives from Michigan after some productive years in Ann Arbor, so expect the Yellow Jackets to be a run-first team.
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