Colorado Buffaloes Suffer Heavy Defeat
The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team faced a devastating defeat against the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders, with a staggering score of 78-44 on February 11, 2026. This marked the team’s most significant loss of the current season, leading head coach Tad Boyle to candidly label the performance as a “good, old-fashioned (expletive)-whoopin’.” After the game, he expressed his frustration, reflecting on his team’s vulnerability that left them with a disappointing 4-8 record in Big 12 matchups.
Coach Boyle’s Reflections
Boyle pointedly credited Texas Tech for exemplifying their program’s ethos of toughness, saying,
“There wasn’t even a question who the tougher team was tonight.”
As the game unfolded, the Buffaloes struggled profoundly on offense, managing to connect on only 29.1% of their shots, resulting in a shocking miss of 39 attempts out of 55 total. Defensively, Colorado was outmatched, surrendering 17 offensive rebounds to Texas Tech, which translated into 21 second-chance points. Star forward JT Toppin from Texas Tech dominated the boards, amassing an impressive total of 18 rebounds.
Season Overview
This loss was especially bitter for Colorado, as it was their second defeat of the season against the Red Raiders, following an earlier close contest just a month prior that ended with Texas Tech winning by only two points. In a moment of reflection, Boyle stated,
“I’m embarrassed by our performance. I’m embarrassed for our university. I’m embarrassed for the city of Boulder. I’m embarrassed for the state of Colorado. I’m embarrassed for every former player that’s worn this uniform. We’ve got to own this.”
Despite a promising 12-3 start to the season and a brief 2-0 record in conference play, the Buffaloes have seen their momentum dramatically decline during the more challenging phase of their schedule, suffering eight losses in their last ten games, four of which were against top 20 rivals as per the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Coach Boyle’s Legacy
In his 16th season at the helm of the program, Boyle has enjoyed success in leading the Buffaloes to the NCAA Tournament six times over the past 14 years. Just two years ago, the team achieved 26 wins and advanced to the tournament’s second round. With 326 career wins, he holds the title for the most victories in Colorado basketball history.
Looking Ahead
As he related the current struggles to his previous coaching experience at Northern Colorado, where travel logistics were a consistent challenge, Boyle remarked humorously on what he deemed appropriate consequences for the team’s performance.
“That’s what we deserve right now. We deserve to be on a 6 a.m. flight out of Lubbock — commercial, Southwest or whatever airline you choose,”
he said, lamenting that the team was afforded a charter flight after the dismal showing. He emphasized the need for accountability, asserting,
“We wasted our university’s money and that’s on me. I’ll take the ownership of this because I’m the head coach. The buck stops with me. But I’m embarrassed. I’ve not said I’m embarrassed very often, but I’m embarrassed tonight.”
This breakdown of the performance sheds light on the underlying issues at play for the Buffaloes, as they aim to regroup in the remaining games of the season and restore pride to their once-promising campaign.
