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Will Deion Sanders Finally Meet Expectations in His Second Season at Colorado?
Pressure Builds on Coach Prime and the Buffaloes in a Year 2 Filled With High Expectations
Season Opener With North Dakota State Is No Cupcake
Deion Sanders was celebrated in Boulder when he arrived to coach the University of Colorado. The momentum grew as his Buffaloes got off to a 3-0 start. People had delusions of a national powerhouse. Those dreams quickly turned rancid as Colorado finished 4-8, concluding the season on a six-game slide.
#CollegeFootball | Will Deion Sanders’ second season at Colorado meet expectations?
▪️Colorado is favorite to win today against North Dakota State at -330.📈 #CFBpic.twitter.com/3x7K00BpN4
— BetUS College Football 🏈 (@BetUS_CFB) August 29, 2024
The 2024 college football season is upon us. There didn’t need to be an opening kickoff for Sanders to become embroiled in controversy. He had the school tell Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler he would not answer questions because of perceived negativity.
Keeler says he tried to resolve the issues privately but Sanders was apparently unwilling.
“I have offered to sit down privately with Deion Sanders and his representatives on multiple occasions…”@SeanKeeler tells his side of the story after Colorado Athletics banished him from asking questions to Coach Prime pic.twitter.com/OibC20sdtx
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) August 28, 2024
When you create a storm, even in Boulder, you have to know there are consequences on the national stage. They have seen the media turn on the coach and program. Suddenly, a feel-good story is full of tension and, um, questions.
Consider ESPN’s Paul Finebaum: “Coach Prime is showing he is not ready for primetime…I find this whole thing disgraceful…I find him to be a bully and a hypocrite.”
Sanders has a net worth of $45 million so whatever happens in Colorado won’t impact him financially. Failure could be a dent in a man’s ego, though he seems unflappable.
Opens Big Season
There was talk of the Florida State job at one point. Then people wondered aloud if Sanders was on the fast track to the NFL. A 4-8 finish put a screeching halt to that.
And now we come to a season of discontent. There isn’t a likelihood it will make or break. No one should make that leap. However, it is likely one where a bowl appearance would be important.
The first step is against North Dakota State, an FCS program, and not just anything FCS program. The Bison are being paid $700,000 to visit the Buffs. The script is set for an embarrassing loss despite Colorado entering as almost a double-digit favorite.
Colorado open their season at the “Boulder” vs NDSU as 10-point favorites 💰
With Colorado’s improved offensive line can they start 1-0 or will FCS powerhouse NDSU pull the “upset”
(📽️ @CUBuffsFootball) pic.twitter.com/s9HljsnsiY
— BetUS College Football 🏈 (@BetUS_CFB) August 28, 2024
Who are These Bison?
In college football news, NDSU is an FCS powerhouse, 162-20 since 2011. They have won 9 out of the last 12 FCS National Championships, the most in FCS history.
History is on the side of the Bison, which will be coached by Tim Polasek for the first time as head coach.
The last four NDSU head coaches have won their first game at the helm of the Bison including Matt Entz’s win over Butler in 2019, Chris Klieman’s win at Iowa State in 2014, Craig Bohl’s win over Tusculum in 2003, Bob Babich’s win over West Georgia in 1997. First-year NDSU head coaches are 8-3 in their debuts dating back to the 1963 arrival of Darrell Mudra, who lost his opener in 1963 after inheriting an 0-10 team but guided the Bison to their first postseason appearance in 1964 before winning NDSU’s first national title in 1965.
This week, our @CUBuffsFootball face off against the @NDSUfootball Bison—and contrary to popular belief, @CUBuffsRalphie is actually a North American bison! 🦬
Learn why Ralphie is commonly referred to as a buffalo! ➡️ https://t.co/i1gMSnEwcC pic.twitter.com/uX1Rx8TP4u
— CU Boulder 🦬 (@CUBoulder) August 27, 2024
The Bisons are 3-1 against Big 12 Conference opponents with victories over Kansas (6-3 in 2010), Kansas State (24-21 in 2013), and Iowa State (34-14 in 2014). North Dakota State is 81-5 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011.
Doing Good for the Community
There is a lot of good to Sanders although players he ran off or transferred would dispute that. He created a program with a bank that starts accounts for local children with accounts funded with $2,121. Good PR.
POWERFUL: Deion Sanders partnered with a local bank to help Colorado players who have children start their accounts with $2,121
“A child is not a mistake. A child is an opportunity to mature you, grow you, advance you”
Heartwarming👏
(🎥@DeionSanders)
pic.twitter.com/mOuRiruRof— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 26, 2024
He is as complex a coach as there is in college football. The ego of a Pro Football Hall of Famer, the heart of a caring person, the ability to dismiss players without a blink. The future for Deion Sanders in Boulder is now. Will he deliver?
