Deion Sanders keeps talking about standards, but Colorado’s latest stretch has plenty of people wondering whether the Buffaloes are actually living by them.
That frustration has gotten loud enough that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler went so far as to call for Sanders to be fired after three-plus seasons. Keeler also floated a replacement: Jason Eck.
“If the CU Buffs don’t make a run soon at Jason Eck, the poor man’s Curt Cignetti, some other Power 4 school looking to turn around its football program will snap him up,” Keeler wrote.
He also pointed out Sanders’ contract situation, noting, “Sanders has three-and-a-half seasons left on a five-year, $54-million contract. If I’m Lovo, as my Buffs are getting ready to host No. 11 Utah late Saturday night, what have I seen from the past two years of The Coach Prime Era to convince me that Sanders is going to right this ship?”
Eck already has a connection to Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo. Lovo hired Eck before leaving New Mexico in 2024, and Eck is 13-5 since taking over the Lobos from Bronco Mendenhall.
For Sanders, though, the bigger issue is what Colorado has looked like after the wins and the hype fade away. The Buffaloes have won five games since the end of the 2024 season, and the roster talent that draws attention has not been enough to cover up deeper problems with consistency and discipline.
Sanders has not been shy about his expectations. At Colorado, his message has centered on discipline, accountability and carrying yourself in a way that reflects something larger than the individual. But the hard part comes when the losses pile up and that message has to show up in the actual product on the field.
After Colorado’s 41-7 loss to Northwestern in September, Sanders said several players had been dismissed from the program because of a pattern of behavior he considered cancerous to the team. He made clear that the move was not just about one bad afternoon. In his view, the issue was bigger than a single result.
There was also a notable admission from Sanders about last season, when Colorado finished 3-9. He said he had not stepped in firmly enough when problems first surfaced. Now, he wants to deal with issues earlier before they spread.
That matters because leadership is not only about demanding more from players. It is also about recognizing where the coach himself has let things slip. Sanders has built his brand on confidence and high standards, but Colorado still has to prove those standards actually shape how the team prepares, stays composed and performs under pressure.
The public spotlight around Sanders can make it easy to focus on the celebrity side of the program. But the real foundation of a team is built away from the attention, through routine, trust and shared responsibility. That is the part Colorado has to get right if the program is going to become more stable.
One example came with defensive back Ben Finneseth, who publicly apologized for comments mocking the Wildcat’s temporary stadium. Sanders stood with him as Finneseth admitted he was wrong and said he would handle himself more maturely.
That moment fit the kind of accountability Sanders says he wants: not simply tossing a player aside, but making sure the mistake is acknowledged and corrected. The bigger test is whether that approach becomes part of the team’s daily identity instead of something that only shows up after trouble goes public.
In the end, Sanders will be measured by more than his speeches or the way he handles discipline. Colorado has to get better, more consistent and more competitive.
That does not mean every loss is proof of a broken locker room. It does mean the program has to show real progress in how it prepares, responds and plays.
Sanders has spent years urging players to believe in themselves. The next step is getting the whole team to buy into the same standard.
Colorado hosts No. 11 Utah on Saturday night at 10:15 p.m.
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