Week 7 of the college football season is here. Kansas State plays Colorado, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, October 12; 9:15 p.m. (CT); Folsom Field; Boulder, Colorado
TV: ESPN
Records: Kansas State Football: 4-1 (1-1 Big 12), Colorado Football: 4-1 (2-0 Big 12)
Last Week: Kansas State: Bye, Colorado: Bye
Series History: Colorado leads 45-20-1
Last Meeting: Colorado 44, Kansas State 36 (2010)
Fun Fact: Saturday’s game marks the return of Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards to Folsom Field after spending his freshman season at Colorado, where he posted 620 total yards and three scores.
Kansas State vs. Colorado Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Kansas State (-4.5)
Over/Under: 56.5
Key Players
Away Team
DJ Giddens
Despite having the week off in Week 6’s bye week, Kansas State running back DJ Giddens sits third in rushing yards among Big 12 backs. Before the bye, Giddens led all league members in rushing yards with 83 carries for 604 yards. He also is tied for the league lead in yards per carry alongside teammate Avery Johnson with a staggering 7.3 YPC. Giddens became primary target No. 1 for Colorado’s defense to focus in on.
Jacob Parrish
Junior cornerback Jacob Parrish is tasked with a near-impossible task in Week 7: keeping up with one of the nation’s best players, Colorado’s Travis Hunter. Parrish is no stranger to tough matchups this fall as he was instrumental in Kansas State’s secondary, slowing down Arizona’s Tetarioa McMillian in a Week 3 win. Now faced with yet another top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Parrish will have his work cut out for him.
Home Team
Colorado O-Line
While it’s common practice to highlight one specific player ahead of each matchup, the entirety of Colorado’s offensive line is going under the microscope in Week 7. The Wildcats are currently tied for the league lead in sacks with 12 on the season, as they’ve shown a consistent effort in getting to the quarterback each week. In order for one of the nation’s best quarterbacks to get the job done, Colorado’s offensive line unit will be integral.
Travis Hunter
Do it all superstar Travis Hunter will need to make an impact on defense vs. Kansas State. Led by a backfield with three dynamic rushers, DJ Giddens, Dylan Edwards, and Avery Johnson, Hunter is the best athlete on the field, and he will need to rise to the occasion. While the passing attack isn’t much to write home about yet, Kansas State’s offense has been challenging to stop, and Hunter will need to show up on the stat sheet to advance to 3-0.
KEY STORYLINES
Kansas State Wildcats
How does Johnson handle the pressure? After a crushing loss to BYU to kick off the Big 12 slate, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson bounced back by winning Offensive Player of the Week vs. Oklahoma State. That game was played at home at 11:00 a.m. and had significantly fewer eyes on the matchup than Week 7 will. Was the performance in Week 5 enough for Johnson to flip the script and live up to the hype?
Colorado Buffaloes
How good are you in the trenches? Kansas State is a really tough matchup for Colorado as they are the exact build of a team that the Buffaloes struggle with. The Wildcats are strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball, fundamentally sound in all three phases, have excellent coaching, and limit mistakes. Colorado will need to go and take it if they want to win, and that starts up front.
PREDICTION: Kansas State 35, Colorado 24
While Colorado has proven to be a better team than most originally believed prior to the start of the 2024 season, Kansas State hands them their first loss in Big 12 play. The Wildcats’ offensive line paves the way for a dynamic rushing attack for Johnson, Giddens, and Edwards, which keeps Travis Hunter out of the game plan. Kansas State gets the job done on the road as the Avery Johnson hype elevates to a whole new level.
