Pac-12 Coaches Give Predictions For Rest Of Colorado’s Season
Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have been the biggest story in college football this season, and for good reason.
Before the season, expectations around college football for what Deion would be able to do varied. Most thought there'd be some level of improvement, although few foresaw a top-20 ranking a few weeks in.
Despite a questionable defense though, Colorado upset the TCU Horned Frogs in the first week of the season, handled Nebraska and outlasted Colorado State last weekend. And the expectations train pulled out of the station rapidly.
The Athletic spoke to several coaches and other staffers around the Pac-12 to see what they thought of the Buffaloes' start. And perhaps more importantly, what to expect going forward.
One player personnel director who had lower expectations now believes they're a bowl team.
“I would say they’ll get six wins. I think they’re a bowl team,” he said. “They’ll have to pull off an upset to get that sixth one, but I would say they’re a bowl team with the amount of talent they have. This will be a tough little gauntlet here, but they’ll get Travis (Hunter) back for the last five games.”
Most optimism centers around quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and the ability he's shown so far
“Their QB gives them a chance in every game, he’s a real-deal competitor,” one Pac-12 offensive analyst said, according to the story. He continued: “ … I think that’s the thing everybody on the outside was unsure about in relation to how he would handle the transition to Power 5 football.”
BOULDER, CO - SEPTEMBER 9: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms up before a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Folsom Field on September 9, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Colorado Buffaloes Going To Start Facing Tougher Tests
Their offensive line has also impressed, keeping games "competitive" despite their relative inexperience.
“Shout out to their offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (Bill O’Boyle),” said a Pac-12 assistant coach. “I haven’t seen a better job from an O-line standpoint of at least keeping those guys competitive. I thought (Shedeur) would be running for his life.”
Another defensive analyst pointed out that the O-line, while exceeding expectations, has struggled to run block consistently.
“If you stop the pass, it’s a bad day for them because they have no run (game),” he said. “I think a lot of teams should go more dime package against them. I would.”
Other coaches believed that the Buffaloes are a sure fire bowl team, though with caveats that Colorado State should never have had a chance to pull the upset.
All in all, these opinions seem more measured than the general public and poll voters. Colorado's shown flashes of brilliance, but have clear holes that need to be fixed before taking the jump into the next tier of college football.
Given the schedule gets a lot harder, with Oregon and USC in back-to-back weeks, we'll get a lot more certainty on just how good the Buffaloes really are. And with the strength of the Pac-12 this year, the rest of the season won't get much easier.