today we've got an exciting matchup to dive into as the Colorado buffalos take on the North Dakota State Bison it's prime time once again in Boulder with Dion Sanders leading the charge but will the buff sequel under coach Prime be better than the original let's break it down after a roller coaster of a season last year Colorado has undergone yet another massive overhaul coach Prime known for his aggressive roster building strategy has added 42 new transfer to counterbalance 41 departures this marks the second year in a row with the most turnover in the FBS the buff started hot in 2023 going 30-0 and even breaking into the AP Top 25 but things quickly went downhill despite having Superstar quarterback shedor Sanders the offense struggled and Colorado ended the season on a dismal 1 18 run coach Prime made some key changes including hiring Robert Livingston as the new def defensive coordinator and focusing on building a stronger roster especially in the trenches on the other side we have the North Dakota State Bison a true Powerhouse in the FCS with nine national titles since 2011 NDSU is no stranger to winning they've also taken down six of their last seven FBS opponents coach Sanders himself admitted during Big 12 media days that he's not too thrilled about facing such a formidable team right out of the gate but this isn't the typical NDSU team we're used to seeing after losing head coach Matt an to USC the bison are in a bit of a transition new head coach Tim palasek has big shoes to fill and though ndsu's cam Miller is an impressive quarterback with 32 touchdowns and just four interceptions last season the team has lost some key players so what should we be watching for in this matchup well it all starts up front Colorado struggled in the trenches last season but this year they've brought in some serious talent to change that narrative eight of 10 offensive linemen from last year are gone replaced by starters from other power four programs and the nation's top high school recruit Jordan Sean for NDSU the key will be their rushing attack they average 237.55 Colorado might have cooled outside Boulder but it's still burning hot at home Dion Sanders is looking for a more balanced offense this year and with proven power four starters at every position the Buffs are set to make a statement in their opener North Dakota state will be a tough test but we're picking Colorado to cover the spread and start their season strong our pick Colorado by 9 in