A Season of Transition
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders entered his third year with a 3-9 record, a steep drop from the 9-4 mark the program posted just a season earlier.
The decline coincides with the departure of star talents Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, both of whom have turned their attention to the NFL, leaving a young core charged with filling the void.
Pete Thamel, a noted college football insider, highlighted the Buffs' non‑conference slate, which features road trips to Georgia Tech and Northwestern, as well as early home matchups against Baylor and Texas Tech.
What makes the schedule unique is that Colorado is the only Power Four program scheduled to play two Power Four opponents on the road before stepping into conference play, a factor that Thamel says adds an extra layer of difficulty.
Adding to the pressure, the team will open the season with a compact stretch that includes games against Baylor and Texas Tech, while only one of those contests will be played on home turf.
Staff changes are also on the horizon. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has been brought in to revamp the offense, while defensive coordinator Chris Marve has been promoted to oversee a defense that has struggled for consistency.
Despite the adjustments, oddsmakers have set the Buffs' win total at 4.5 for the upcoming season, a modest projection that reflects both the tough schedule and the limited bowl history under Sanders, who has only secured bowl eligibility once to date.
Looking Ahead
The upcoming season will test whether the new coordinators can translate their experience into wins, and whether the remaining roster can step up in the absence of their departed stars.
For a program that has seen rapid rises and falls in a short span, the next few months may ultimately define the trajectory of Deion Sanders' tenure at Colorado.