With a 52-0 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Colorado Buffaloes concluded their 2024 regular season with a 9-3 record, a bowl game appearance, a Heisman frontrunner at the helm, and two top picks for the 2024 NFL draft. It was the perfect response for a fanbase that has been hungry for success and for critics who have been consistently harsh on the program. One such naysayer has been Jason Whitlock.
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Whitlock has been humbled quite a bit by Colorado’s resurgence this season. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he even admitted that he had no idea where he went wrong with his assessment. He also asked his guest Joel Klatt, a former Colorado University player and podcast host, where he thought he went wrong.
In response, Klatt said:
“I think because you were not evaluating the football, but you were evaluating everything that you disliked about the organization or the program. So, you don’t like the way that Deion has built or has gone about his business.”
While also acknowledging that it was Whitlock’s “prerogative” to evaluate the game based on his interests and ideas, Klatt asserted that Whitlock missed out on Colorado’s positives by over-focusing on one narrative — the team’s losing season.
But, this raises the question of what has worked in favor of the Colorado team this season. Essentially, it was the Coach Prime effect that played a pivotal role in shaping the players’ mentality, where he acted as a “life coach” and helped shape their careers and play with more confidence.
In two seasons, Coach Prime has transformed the academic and sporting culture of CU, evidenced by a sizeable increase in enrollments. The fact that he was brought to Colorado for a $29.5 million contract, one of the lowest contracts in college football, also proves that it was a major steal for the program.
Additionally, the Colorado offense saw a major upgrade, with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter performing their roles to the fullest. This has now led to Hunter being a clear favorite (-10,000) to win the Heisman Trophy over Ashton Jeanty (+2000).
With Shedeur and Travis leaving next year, it will be tough for Coach Prime to ensure the team continues their winning ways. Additionally, they have the pressure to prove that they were not a one-season wonder this year. However, Coach Prime maintains that he will look at the transfer portal to find capable replacements.
