Alleged Colorado playbook pages found in hotel bar before Texas Tech game

A Texas Tech fan reported that pages from the Colorado Buffaloes playbook were discovered in a bar at the hotel where Colorado was staying before the Red Raiders’ Oct. 3 home game in Lubbock, Texas.

The fan, posting under the name “VivaTerlingua” on On3’s Inside The Double T message board, claimed the group found a 25‑page playbook containing opening plays, red‑zone information and offensive tendencies. Photographs and later videos shared on social media appeared to align with the first six offensive plays Colorado executed in the game.

Colorado opened with a scoring drive, but Texas Tech’s defense dominated the rest of the contest, forcing four interceptions in the second half and sealing a 29‑7 victory that moved the Red Raiders to 5‑0 on the season.

Despite the striking similarity between the alleged playbook pages and Colorado’s early calls, there is no evidence that any Texas Tech staff member received or reviewed the documents. The incident remains unverified, and the source of the pages has not been confirmed.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders addressed the story on Oct. 14, saying he had heard of similar leaks at the professional level and that the supposed playbook “didn’t work.” Sanders suggested a rival could have planted the script as a “dummy” and noted that his team scored on the first drive, which would be unlikely if the opponent had an advantage.

Sanders declined further investigation, stating, “Why would we? It’s over. Game’s over,” and added that the team likely knows more about the situation than outsiders do.

The allegation has added pressure to a Colorado program that fell to 2‑3 on the season, having been outscored 93‑27 over its last three games. The Buffaloes now turn to an upcoming matchup against undefeated No. 11 Utah, while the Texas Tech staff focuses on maintaining its unbeaten record.