In 2024, it seemed as if Deion Sanders had completed his vision of rebuilding the Colorado Buffalo’s football program. Thanks to the likes of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, the brand was routinely mentioned during talks about both the Heisman trophy and the NFL Draft, and their stock was at an all-time high.
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Now, here we are less than two months into the following season, and they seem to be facing more uncertainty than ever before. Health concerns continue to bedevil Sanders, the Buffaloes have a losing (3-4) record, and there’s an alarming lack of both depth and talent on offense.
Suffice to say, there’s a need for new ideas, as well as a boost in morale, and Sanders believes that he’s found one.
“[Players] get separated by like, you know, All Conference, All American, the finances, the way that they drive and they dress, there’s a lot of separatism. And I want the coaches to start figuring out who we can count on, on Saturday. By their practice habits, by the way they go about it… So I need t-shirts that say ‘I am.’ Like ‘I am that dude,’ you can count on me, and I want coaches to nominate those guys to me.”
Prime went on to add, “all we need is 7 on the defense, 7 on the offense that we trust” in order to make a team of elite athletes. This exercise might help Colorado identify the guys who have potential to improve and the belief to take on responsibility. This sure is one of Coach Prime’s unique ways to create a competitive environment in the locker room, something Colorado has been missing this season.
While the Buffs won’t be able to reclaim their spot in the national rankings from last season, they did manage to upset the No. 22 ranked Iowa State Cyclones in the last time that we saw them. That alone is certainly a cause for celebration, but by turning accountability into a reward, it’s clear that Sanders is still hoping to shepherd his herd towards a winning season.
Unfortunately, Kyle Whittingham’s Utes won’t be looking to do them any favors at home on Saturday. While they do classify as an unranked team, Utah’s only losses, of which there are just two, have come to teams that were ranked inside the top 17.
Considering that they blew out the No. 21 ranked Sun Devils just prior to giving BYU a three-point heart attack in Week 7, Colorado will likely be viewed as a step-down in competition for Utah. Thankfully, Sanders has routinely proven to be at his best when playing the role of the underdog.
It may not be likely, but there will be a way for Colorado to get back to .500 this weekend, even if it takes a bit more grit than they are willing to give. Then again, Sanders likely knows this as well, hence why he’s trying to identify the who’s who of his roster with custom t-shirts.
