The 2023 college football season didn’t quite meet expectations for the Colorado Buffaloes and their head coach Deion Sanders. While it showed improvement, many viewed it as a below-average season. Coach Prime is now going all out to make a strong comeback in the upcoming season. However, FOX Sports analyst Rachel Nichols believes that just six or seven wins would constitute a good season for the Buffaloes.
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Although Deion Sanders likely isn’t planning for a mere six or seven-win season with his “leaders” and “dawgs” in Colorado, Nichols shared her perspective during a recent segment of FS1’s “UNDISPUTED.” She explained that this win count would be a positive outcome for Colorado, given that college football programs don’t transform overnight.
“I think they will improve this year. I can see them winning six or seven games, and that’s okay. College football programs, in particular, are not turned around in one year. They’re just not. You need too much depth across too many positions. There’s a culture you have to set that’s different from pro teams or any other sport.”
It’s good to have realistic expectations, considering the team won 4 games last season under Sanders and 1 before that.
Nichols elaborated on how a college football program requires extensive nurturing, planning, and years to build a championship-caliber team. She pointed out the roles of recruiting and transfer portals in helping a program mature. In her view, Deion Sanders doesn’t need to compete with powerhouses like Michigan and Alabama in the 2024 season.
Instead, she suggests he focus on winning those six or seven games and achieving a season no other coach has had with the program. “It’s about building the program,” Nichols pointed out, adding that it can’t be an “overnight success.” However, her co-hosts Keyshawn Johnson and Skip Bayless seem to hold different opinions on the matter.
Skip Bayless And Keyshawn Johnson Are Rooting For Coach Prime’s First BIG-12 Championship
Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson offered a different perspective from Rachel Nichols, expressing higher hopes for the Colorado program. They believe the building process was largely completed in the offseason, and now Coach Prime has the talent to compete for the Big 12 conference championship this upcoming season.
“They got a slew of players. They turned over the coaching staff. I’m telling you, Rachel, I got them winning the conference,” Keyshawn added, with Skip Bayless chiming in, “So do I.”
Keyshawn explained that Deion Sanders focused on “building the program” last season, and this year he’s brought a new culture to Colorado. For Keyshawn, the foundation is already established, praising the team for having two of the best players in college football; Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Skip Bayless acknowledged that perhaps he and Keyshawn hold too much admiration for Coach Prime. However, he went on to assert that Colorado has Shedeur Sanders and he is not only the best quarterback in the conference but also the top prospect in the 2025 draft class, predicting he’ll be the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bayless identified that their biggest problem last season was the offensive line’s inability to protect Shedeur properly. However, he believes Coach Prime has significantly improved the offensive line this season, which should elevate the Buffaloes’ overall performance.
While recognizing the Big 12 conference will be challenging, Bayless feels the Buffaloes are well-prepared for the competition ahead. Will Deion be able to get over the dismal showing of last year and finally deliver on all the hype he has been building, or are we up for another year of average play and above-average hype?
