It's Not Personal Against Deion Sanders, Colorado, It's Actually Just Business In The Stacked Pac-12 Conference

If you were watching the Oregon-Colorado game on Saturday you certainly noticed Dan Lanning hyping up his Ducks, using the coverage around Deion Sanders as motivation. The problem is, some folks are taking this personal. In reality, it's just business this season in the Pac-12.

We are currently watching the Pac-12 conference make waves across the college football landscape, with Washington, Oregon and USC leading the way. But off to the side, Deion Sanders is making noise for other reasons, trying to rebuild a program that was in the dumpster last season.

So, we have two different scenarios at play right now in the conference, both of them making their own type of noise around the country. Right now, three of the four leading Heisman candidates are Pac-12 quarterbacks, while the conference is taking up a lot of space in the polls. So, there's enough positive momentum for a number of teams that will be playing in new homes next season, hopefully.

But in the meantime, while Deion Sanders has captured the attention of college football fans, teams like Washington, Oregon and USC are looking for the same coverage.

Colorado Shouldn't Take It Personal, Top Pac-12 Teams Rolling

Flashy sunglasses, all-access videos promoting the program on YouTube, there isn't a moment that's not captured to draw attention to Colorado. This is how Deion Sanders is going to continue rebuilding his program, drawing in recruits with the allure of building something special in Boulder.

But at the same time, he's drawing some detractors within the conference who are ready for the attention to be on their program, rightfully so. What we've seen out of Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix and Caleb Williams has the dying conference making a statement on their way down. At the same time, Colorado is trying to build towards its future, using anything needed to put the attention on them, not others.

This is part of the reason why we all saw Dan Lanning's pregame speech to his players in the locker room, making it a point to say 'They're fighting for clicks, we're fighting for wins' in regards to Colorado. This wasn't a personal shot at Deion Sanders, it was Oregon preparing to tell the world to start paying attention to what's happening in Eugene.

At the same time, Colorado has promoted its program in different ways, which has ruffled some feathers in the conference, but you won't see them complain publicly. If Deion Sanders is not promoting his program, then he's not doing his job. Some might not like the way he's doing it, but it's certainly paid-off for a team that went 1-11 last season.

Trust me, it's not lost on opposing coaches. Up next is USC, who will travel to Boulder this week for a matchup with Colorado. Another opportunity to turn the cameras away from Deion, and put them on Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, for better reasons than suspending a reporter.

All Eyes On Where Pac-12, Deion Sanders Ends Up This Season

Can the conference keep this up? Will Washington, Oregon, USC, Washington State eat each other alive, with only one team making the playoff? I mean, it's possible, but if we continue to see these types of offensive numbers from each one of these teams, they can afford a loss, which could come against one another. USC has to play Notre Dame, which will be a tough test for the Trojans.

But, with the SEC being 'down' this season, and the Big Ten waiting to see if Penn State can hang around with Michigan and Ohio State, this presents a perfect opportunity for the soon-to-be demolished conference.

Quarterback Caleb Williams #13 talks with head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans during the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Can you imagine the Pac-12 ending the season with one of its teams holding the national championship trophy? Talk about a wild scenario. All the while, if Deion Sanders can get Colorado bowl eligible, we're looking at marketing gold, until next summer.

But in the meantime, opposing coaches will use the Colorado love as fuel whenever they play. I think people forget sometimes that each one of these schools, besides Oregon State and Washington State, will be in a new conference next season. So whatever they can do to continue promoting their program, they will.

At the same time, Deion Sanders will be doing whatever it takes to keep the spotlight on his Colorado team, knowing that recruiting is going to be crucial in having a sustained successful program.

In terms of the Pac-12, the more advertisement the better.

It's just business.