Colorado’s loss to Arizona State on Saturday did more than damage the Buffaloes’ bowl hopes. It shoved the program into a far more uncomfortable conversation about where this is all headed.
Yes, the Buffs now need to win out to reach a bowl game. But that feels like the smaller issue after the way this team has played since its first loss of the season to Northwestern. The bigger worry is what comes next for Colorado as a program.
Deion Sanders’ future is already the loudest topic around the Buffaloes, and Saturday only turned up the volume. His job has been in question since before the final whistle, and the chatter about who might follow him has started to overtake the discussion of how he can fix this season.
The loss to ASU basically drained the remaining optimism from the fan base, and with No. 17 Houston up next, most Colorado supporters seem to have already moved on from this year.
That leaves Colorado facing an even tougher reality: the contract. Sanders still has three years left on his deal, with a buyout estimated at around $25 million.
If he stays through the full length of the contract, Colorado would owe him around $32 million. The buyout loses affect on Jan. 1, 2027, which means the school has some hard decisions ahead as it works through the financial side of a possible coaching change.
The concern doesn’t stop with Sanders, either. Coaching uncertainty usually spills straight into recruiting, and that’s already happening here. Colorado’s 2027 class was viewed as the best recruiting class of the Coach Prime Era on paper, and at one point it included four blue-chip commitments, according to the 247Sports composite.
That picture has changed fast during the losing streak. Since Oct. 27, Colorado has lost the commitments of three different recruits, and more departures would not be a surprise if the coaching situation shifts again.
So the talent Colorado once had lined up could soon be wearing other colors, leaving Buffaloes fans to watch those players develop somewhere else.
And the same story is playing out with the transfer class. Colorado’s incoming transfer haul this offseason was also considered one of the strongest of the Coach Prime Era, even if the results on the field haven’t come close to matching the hype. Still, the roster did include plenty of players with real upside.
Defensive lineman Santana Hopper, linebackers Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau, safety Randon Fontenette, wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. and others have lived up to expectations and may be headed to the NFL when the season ends.
For all that talent, Colorado has only managed three wins. If the Buffaloes can’t somehow salvage this season, the program will be left staring at a pile of what-ifs that could linger for years.
In Other News...
Molly Miller Faces A Painful ASU Reunion At UNLV
Molly Millers first meeting with UNLV since taking over at Arizona State comes with a familiar face on the other side. The Sun Devils visit the Lady Rebels on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and the matchup brings Miller back into contact with Marley Washenitz, who spent one season in Tempe before transferring to UNLV.
Washenitz was a major part of Arizona States rotation last season, starting every game and delivering one of the teams signature moments with a game-winning buzzer-beater against UNLV. Now the reunion adds an extra layer to a nonconference game that already carries some early-season intrigue for ASU, with Miller facing a former player who knows the program well. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Just Framed Arizona States UCF Trip As A Real Test
Arizona States first trip to Central Florida comes with a little extra edge, because UCF coach Scott Frost spent part of his recent press conference sizing up the Sun Devils as more than just another nonconference opponent. He pointed to Arizona States quarterback play and the strength of its defense, a sign that this matchup has the feel of a real measuring-stick game for both programs.
The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1:30 p.m. MST on ESPN2, and it will be the first time the schools have faced each other on the football field. For Arizona State, it is also the kind of road test that can reveal plenty about where the team stands, especially against a UCF program that clearly expects a fight. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Fette Faces His Biggest Arizona State Test Yet
Jake Fettes first road start arrives with a little more weight on it than the usual freshman milestone. Arizona States true freshman quarterback has already spent enough time in the starting role to talk comfortably about his development and how the offense is coming to him, but Saturdays Big 12 trip to Central Florida will be a different kind of exam. It is the kind of game that can speed up a young quarterbacks learning curve in a hurry.
During practice this week, Fette talked through his progress and the way he is approaching the matchup, which is exactly what the Sun Devils want to hear from a player still settling into the job. The challenge now is taking that comfort from the practice field onto the road, where the noise, the travel and the stakes tend to expose any hesitation. Arizona State will find out quickly how far Fette has come when it lines up against UCF. [Read more 🡒]