Most of the awards have been handed out — with a lot of them going to Colorado’s Travis Hunter — and this week was about focusing in on win No. 10.

On Dec. 28, the 20th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (9-3) will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio (5:30 p.m., ABC).

The Buffs have a great deal of respect for BYU, which is the highest-ranked opponent for the Buffs this season — and just the second ranked foe overall.

“We’re playing against a wonderful historical school, which offers a coach that I’m fond of, a man of God, which I adore,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said in referring to Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake.

Like CU, BYU had a dramatic turnaround season and exceeded expectations. The Cougars joined the Big 12 in 2023 and went 5-7, including 2-7 in the conference. The five-win improvement matches CU’s jump.

This year, BYU was projected for a 13th-place finish but wound up part of the four-way tie for first place with the Buffs, Arizona State and Iowa State.

“To flip it and turn it around and accomplish what they’ve accomplished this season is phenomenal, but I would expect that because that’s who (Sitake) is and that’s the way he coaches,” Sanders said. “I consider him a friend. Can’t wait to see him there. He has a great team, and I adore him; I adore him. I’m happy to be playing against this wonderful university.”

After a 9-0 start, the Cougars stumbled down the stretch, losing two in a row before battling to a 30-18 win against Houston on Nov. 30 in what was a one-score game going into the final minutes.

Despite some struggles late, the Cougars have some weapons in quarterback Jake Retzlaff (2,796 passing yards, 20 TDs, 10 interceptions; 388 rushing yards, 6 TDs); running back LJ Martin (630 yards, 5 TDs); and receivers Chase Roberts (51 catches, 843 yards, 4 TDs) and Darius Lassiter (43 catches, 679 yards, 4 TDs).

“Prayer was the first one,” Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston joked when asked how to prepare for BYU. “They do a great job. The quarterback is a great player. They’ve got a real kind of attitude they play with, whether it’s the quarterback running the ball, the backs; I mean, they’ve got a stable of backs, the wideouts in the open field. So it’s a phenomenal challenge. It’s one we’re excited for.”

Defensively, BYU leads the Big 12 in allowing just 20.1 points per game and only 317.0 yards per game. Defensive lineman Tyler Batty and cornerback Jakob Robinson were both All-Big 12.

BYU is also one of the least-penalized teams in the Big 12.

“I see a consistent team that can run the ball, they can throw the ball, they defend well, disciplined,” Coach Prime said. “I see a lot of discipline. A lot of young men that may not receive some of the accolades that they deserve, but they work their butts off, and they do a wonderful job. So trust me, ain’t nobody taking them lightly. They’re not sneaking up on us. We know what they’re coming with.”

The Buffs, meanwhile, are coming with determination to get their 10th win of the season and finish the season on a high note.

“Our rallying cry is to get to 10,” Livingston said. “If I would have told everybody in here, hey, we’ve got a chance to get 10 wins, I don’t think many people would have gone to Vegas (to bet on that). I would have. So I’m excited for these guys, and it’s just all about the seniors.

“You’ve got a group of guys that it’s their last time in a Colorado jersey, and I’ll do everything in my power to send them off the right way.”