Although the Colorado football team didn’t finish its season the way it had hoped, the Buffaloes landed in a spot they’ve rarely been in the past two decades.

On Tuesday, the final Associated Press Top 25 rankings were announced, with CU coming in at No. 25.

Despite a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, the Buffaloes (9-4, 7-2 Big 12) finished in the final AP top 25 for just the second time since 2002. The only other time in that stretch was in 2016, when the Pac-12 South-champion Buffs landed at No. 17.

Head coach Deion Sanders led the Buffs into the rankings in early November, and the Buffs remained there the rest of the season. CU’s six consecutive weeks in the AP top 25 is the second-longest streak for the program in the past 22 years, behind the nine consecutive weeks the 2016 squad was ranked.

The final No. 25 ranking is the latest in a line of accomplishments for Coach Prime in his two seasons with the program.

Just two years after CU went 1-11, which led to Coach Prime being hired, the Alamo Bowl was just the third bowl appearance for the Buffs in the past 17 years. For many of the players, it was their first bowl appearance.

“It’s been a real journey, man,” receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. said before the Alamo Bowl.

“We worked real hard to get where we’re at. I can’t thank nobody enough because I wouldn’t be here without them. It’s been a journey, man.”After going 4-8 in Coach Prime’s first season in 2023, the Buffs put together one of the best seasons for the program in the past two decades this year.

This was just the second time since 2002 that a CU team won nine games overall and seven conference games. In program history, it was just the 15th nine-win season.

Led by Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter and senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was the Big 12 offensive player of the year, the Buffs were in contention for the conference title throughout the season, finishing in a four-way tie for first place.

“When I came in Boulder after the 1-11 team, and we had to build a lot of things and go out,” senior safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig said before the bowl game. “A lot of people hated on us, but look at us and where we’re at.”