Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes.Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
I mean, is there a more perfect summary of Colorado’s season last year than a wild-card season? In head coach Deion Sanders’ first season at the FBS level, Colorado started 3-0. The Buffs were even ranked 18th nationally after wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State.
But things quickly went downhill in Boulder, as the Buffs lost eight of their final nine games to finish the season 4-8. Heading into 2024, Sanders appears to have addressed some of the most glaring issues from last season.
Yes, I know Colorado isn’t a serious contender for the playoffs or the Big 12 yet, but the returning talent coupled with the Deion Sanders factors make the team worthy of an honorable mention here.
First, Colorado has massively strengthened its position in the trenches, signing transfer portal products such as defensive linemen Samuel Okunlola and Quency Wiggins from Pitt and LSU, respectively. 5-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and transfers Tyler Johnson (Houston) and Justin Mayers (UTEP) should help prevent quarterback Shedeur Sanders from becoming the quarterback with the most sacks in the FBS like he was last season. Star receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter has also returned, and transfers Jimmy Horn Jr. and Will Sheppard will give Shedeur even more weapons.
Sanders also has a new coaching staff. Pat Shurmur, who served as co-offensive coordinator at the end of the 2023 season, will lead the offense. Longtime Cincinnati Bengals assistant Robert Livingston will lead the defense.
Now let’s take a quick look at the Buffs’ schedule for their advancement to the Big 12. Colorado begins with a home game against North Dakota State on Thursday, August 29th, followed by road games against Nebraska and Colorado State before conference play begins.
The Buffs’ home schedule includes Baylor, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Utah and Oklahoma State. The road games are against UCF, Arizona, Texas Tech and Kansas. All but two of these teams missed bowl games last year, Cincinnati and Baylor. We’ll see if Colorado can rebound with a schedule that includes some pretty good teams overall.
