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...
Colorado Recruiting Suddenly Has A Deion Sanders Problem
Colorados 2027 recruiting class has taken a hit late in the cycle, with three verbal commits backing off their pledges in recent days. Three-star tackle LiMarcus Jones has already flipped to Mississippi State, while linebacker Jahmiere Portis-Daniels and wide receiver Ryan Ferdinand have also decommitted, leaving the Buffaloes to regroup as the class comes into sharper focus.
For a program that has leaned heavily on momentum and visibility under Deion Sanders, the timing makes this a notable stretch. Sanders has acknowledged the situation, but he has kept his attention on the players already in the building and has brushed aside any concern about his own job security, even as the recruiting board suddenly looks a little less stable than it did earlier in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Moore Jr. Just Reframed Colorados Biggest Offensive Problem
Colorados offensive frustrations have been easy to spot during the recent skid, but DeAndre Moore Jr. pushed the conversation in a different direction when he spoke with reporters. The wide receiver said the issue is less about the coaching staff or the system and more about the players executing it, a notable defense of offensive coordinator Brennan Marions Go-Go scheme at a time when the Buffaloes are searching for answers.
Moores comments came with the season still hanging in the balance and a bowl chase still in view, even as the losses pile up. On a personal level, he has continued to produce and is on pace to top his previous receiving marks, which only adds to the contrast between his individual progress and the offenses broader inconsistency. [Read more 🡒]
Buffs Face Their First Real Test Away From Boulder
Colorados women are taking a clean early-season start on the road for the first time this year, and the trip to San Diego State should tell a lot more about where this group stands. The Buffs are 2-0 behind sophomore forward Logyn Greer and senior guard Kennedy Sanders, while the Aztecs have opened 3-0 under Stacie Terry-Hutson and get the advantage of Viejas Arena on Nov. 11.
The matchup also has a little history behind it, with Colorado holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series, but this one feels like a different kind of measuring stick. Early home games can hide a few things, and a first road test usually brings out the details that matter most, from poise to execution to how quickly a team settles in when the building is working against it. [Read more 🡒]