Deion Sanders and Colorado must ‘shake it off’ to finish the season

Your correspondent was sitting at the Kansas City airport waiting to fly back to Denver after, the day before, witnessing the beat down the Jayhawks put on the Buffaloes. Dominant is one way to put it. This ol’ Denver TV sports guy is pretty active on social media. Buffs fans like to talk about their beloved bison.

The talk centered on how puzzling it was, considering the opportunity before Coach Prime’s team to really fashion a season to remember: Win out impressively and the door opens to win the Big 12 Championship, climb in the playoff rankings and secure a first-round bye. For a program that won a single game two years ago, four last season to now being the talk of college football?

Wow. Scenarios like this don’t come along frequently. The Buffs controlled their destiny and rolled over on their bellies in being battered. Kansas NEVER punted in the game. Scored each time it tried. The tackling was horrible. Especially Shilo Sanders who was taken for a ride a few times and couldn’t wrap up. Kansas controlled the clock and kept Colorado’s quick-strike offense grounded.

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One winning Jayhawk said after the game. “We (KU)) just had more intensity from the start.” What? Colorado came into the game against Kansas in Missouri with EVERYTHING to play for and didn’t bother to bring the necessary intensity? What the heck is going on around here?

Thoughts go to Gerry DiNardo. Now a television studio analyst, the 72-year-old analyst was offensive coordinator under McCartney including the 1990 national championship. The personable guy went on to coach Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana. He’s a respected voice in college football. An All American long ago at Notre Dame, DiNardo’s got an opinion, most do, about the current state of college football with the NIL money and transfer portal. “One of the most difficult things for head coaches today will be building a sustainable culture necessary to rise to the occasion in the big moment.”

Nobody uses the transfer portal like the University of Colorado since Coach Prime showed up two years ago. It has worked in bringing far greater talent to the foot of the Flatirons and far more spectators into Folsom Field. No question. However, from what was witnessed in the disappointing loss? How is a transfer-fueled team gonna show up in the big games?

This was a big game. The Buffs seemed lethargic from the start. I can remember commenting to those close in the press box about players being substituted for on defense. Most jogged indifferent to the sideline. There was no fire in the belly of the Buffs. In a game of this magnitude? A head scratcher.

It’s going to be a new twist to college football moving forward. Experience in big games is invaluable. Colorado and most other big-time programs are going to, rather dramatically, turn over their rosters each year. It will be a real challenge to predict how all these yearly newcomers will mesh together when it’s time to shine.

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Sanders after the game. “We got to reading about how great we are and did not come out and play Colorado football.” Amen coach. Now the question becomes, “How are the Buffs gonna react?”

Oklahoma State has been a mess all year. Disappointing season. Trust me, there’s nothing Cowboys’ head coach Mike Gundy would love more than throw more wet blankets on Colorado’s feel-good story of newfound relevancy. Gundy ain’t a big fan of the “Prime” earthquake and its foundational-rattling of the college football world.

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Without question, the Buffs still have much to play for moving forward. But they had an open gate to stampede through and continue to grow together and play well when the stakes are high. With the defense leading the way that gate has been closed. They fell well short. The season finale and then a bowl game that Prime had promised to super fan Peggy Coppom? While wondering how the Buffs will respond to disappointment, maybe that could be a good rallying cry for finishing strong with two wins to finish 10-3.

“Let’s make Peggy proud.” Who knows, maybe that might ease the pain of Arrowhead being letdown for Colorado’s big dream season.