Before the College Football Playoff became the main goal in college football, and before people started arguing about whether Deion Sanders is good or bad for the sport, there wouldn’t have been much to criticize about Colorado football this year.
The 2024 season has been very successful for them.
With Travis Hunter almost taking the Heisman trophy, the 23rd-ranked Buffs (9-3) ended the regular season on Friday with a 52-0 blowout of Oklahoma State. They’ll finish the season with at least five more wins than last year.
In a few weeks, Hunter, who plays both receiver and cornerback, is likely to become Colorado’s second Heisman winner. He had an interception, three touchdown catches, and 116 yards on 10 receptions. Coach Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur, threw for 438 yards and five touchdowns, setting new school records for both categories.
A program that was largely forgotten before they arrived is now, at the very least, headed to a well-known bowl game—possibly the Holiday or Alamo Bowl. They’ll also end the night with a small chance to play for the Big 12 title.
“We’ve exceeded all expectations, and I’m really happy with where we are,” said Deion Sanders. His team’s loss to Kansas last week hurt their playoff hopes, but he’s proud of how they bounced back. “We certainly wanted to take that one extra step last week. We fell short, but look how we rebounded. Look how we wiped away the tears and came back strong.”
Before the regular-season finale, there was even more good news: Four high-profile recruits announced they would join five-star quarterback Julian Lewis in Boulder next season.
This all shows that the coach was right. Last September, after a tough 42-6 loss to Oregon raised doubts even among his biggest supporters, Deion Sanders set the tone for the future: “You better get me now,” he said that day. “This is the worst we’re going to be.”
