Colorado visits Northwestern on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. The matchup brings together an unbeaten Colorado team and a Northwestern squad that opened the season with a win, and the early storyline is centered on the quarterbacks and the betting line.
Colorado enters at 2-0 after opening the year with a 14-13 win at Georgia Tech and following it with a 52-21 victory over Weber State. Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis has been a major reason the Buffaloes have started fast, throwing for 490 yards and five touchdowns without an interception through two games.
Lewis was efficient again in Colorado's win over Weber State, when he threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Through two games, he has given Colorado a calm, productive presence at quarterback, and that production has helped the Buffaloes avoid the kind of early-season uncertainty that can slow a young team down.
Northwestern's side of the matchup
Northwestern is 1-0 after a 34-18 win over South Dakota State. In that game, Aidan Chiles passed for 273 yards and one touchdown without an interception, giving the Wildcats a solid opening performance at quarterback as they head into their home opener.
The betting market reflects a relatively close game. Colorado is a 3.5-point favorite, the total is 48.5, and the moneyline sits at -182 for Colorado and +147 for Northwestern. That suggests oddsmakers see Colorado as the more complete team right now, but not by a wide margin.
That makes the quarterback matchup the most important part of the preview. Lewis has been sharper through two games, while Chiles showed enough in Northwestern's opener to keep the Wildcats in the conversation. If Colorado's offense keeps producing at its current pace, the Buffaloes will have a strong chance to leave Evanston still unbeaten.
