Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes opened their 2024 College Football season with a 31-26 win over the North Dakota State Bison. Despite winning the stellar back-and-forth game, Stephen A. Smith wasn’t too impressed with their performance and predicted they’ll have another underwhelming season in 2024.
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Smith acknowledged that the roster is significantly better than last season. He predicted that quarterback Shedeur Sanders would have a much more comfortable time on the field. The revamped offensive line will save him from being sacked as often as he was in 2023.
However, the conversation quickly turned toward questioning the effectiveness of these changes, which the analyst believes isn’t a lot. Smith said,
“I’m not gonna lie to you. I can’t see them winning more than five or six games. I just can’t see it. I’m sorry, that’s just where I’m at with it.”
The analyst pointed out some glaring issues, including the lack of a strong running game and a defense that failed to contain the Bison’s offense, particularly in the first half.
As hyped as Sanders and the Buffaloes are, Smith doesn’t believe they are a significantly better team than they were in 2023 and claims they’ll be a win or two better off than last year’s dismal 4-8 campaign.
However, he believes the team’s two brightest stars, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, are the real deal.
Stephen A. Smith backs Hunter and Shedeur’s bid to win the Heisman
While Smith isn’t too excited about the Buffaloes as a team, he was thrilled about Hunter and Shedeur’s stellar displays against the Bisons. The quarterback completed 26 of his 34 pass attempts for 445 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, while the wide receiver caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite predicting that the Buffaloes will finish with a .500 record at best, the analyst believes the duo could win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the season. Smith said,
“Travis Hunter is going to be a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy if he keeps this up, and Shedeur Sanders is going to be in the conversation for the Heisman himself.”
He also backed them both to be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft. No Buffalo has been picked in the last three drafts. However, Sanders and Hunter will not only break the trend but are expected to be among the top five picks in the draft, with many even backing the quarterback to be the #1 overall pick.
But neither player will think that far ahead. Both will focus on enjoying their final year in college and helping the Buffaloes win more than five games for the first time since 2014.
