BOULDER — To me, betting on Pat Shurmur to win the Big 12 sounds an awful lot like betting on Mr. Toad to win the Brickyard 400.
But America sure loves an impulse buy, so as of last week, per BetMGM, the school getting the most action in terms of winning the league wasn’t favorites such as Kansas State (+350) or Utah (+350). Oh, no. It was Deion Sanders and the Buffs (+3,000), with 30% of the bets on CU winning it all.
Have y’all lost your darn minds?
“We’re not waiting for Year 3 to win,” assistant head coach/running backs coach Gary “Flea” Harrell said Monday as the Buffs opened preseason camp. “We’re not waiting for midseason … it has to happen now. So (Sanders) has that ‘now’ approach. So every day he comes into work, his mentality, his thought process, his message, his philosophy is the same. He (doesn’t) deviate from it. That’s why he’s Deion Sanders.”
Advertisement
Hey, it’s your scratch. Just know that when it comes to Coach Prime, it feels as if only the computers can be neutral — and even your favorite AI is hedging its digital bets.
ESPN’s Football Power Index has the Buffs finishing 6-6. CU reaches six wins, usually the minimum for bowl eligibility, on 53.2% of the FPI’s simulations. TeamRanking.com’s CPUs are almost in complete agreement on the record (6-6) and odds of a bowl (53.5%).
Can the Buffs win nine or 10 games this fall with Shurmur, who crashed and burned as Broncos offensive coordinator, calling plays? Probably not. Unless these five things happen first.
1. Shedeur Sanders stays upright. (Duh.) And in one piece.
Can you order an entirely new offensive line the way you’d order a replacement air filter on Amazon? We’re about to find out.
For context, the top 12 teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings last fall gave up, on average, 1.61 sacks per game. CU surrendered 4.7. Cutting that number by even half — 2.5-ish, 2.4-ish sacks per game — would feel like a major victory in and of itself.
Advertisement
Heck, if the Buffs can manage that, forget giving Phil Loadholt a raise. Give that man a Nobel Prize.
2. Shedeur Sanders is the best QB in America. Hands down.
Deion says he is. Deion says a lot of things. Talk to Deion long enough, you’ll think that tailback Charlie Offerdahl — and we love Charlie, don’t get us wrong — is the next Christian McCaffrey.
What impressed the skeptics and scouts last fall was Shedeur’s actions on the field. Not his dad’s words.
We know the younger Sanders can win a one-possession game by himself, as long as there’s a sliver of time left on the clock. The next confidence test Shedeur fails will be his first. He’s got that Elway Quality already — the ability to drive the length of the field pretty much by himself in the clutch.
But can he stay healthy? Can he get rid of balls and give up on a play rather than hang on too long and get lit up? Can he sacrifice “hero ball” moments for the sake of the offense? Or for his well-being?
Advertisement
3. Travis Hunter plays in double-digit games.
The book on Hunter coming out of Jackson State was that he was coming to Boulder with almost the whole package, all neatly wrapped in a bow: NFL closing speed, NFL wheels, NFL instincts, NFL hands, NFL hops, NFL vision … and problems staying on the field. If you hit him hard enough, they whispered, he might be out weeks.
That’s pretty much what happened.
The nation’s former No. 1 recruit played in eight games in 2022 and nine last fall with the Buffs. Now conventional wisdom would say to limit his snaps the way you cap a star pitcher’s innings in order to try and keep Hunter fresh for November and December.
Couple of problems with that. One is that we already know what Deion thinks of “conventional wisdom,” unless he’s hearing said wisdom from a friend, mentor or former coach. Two, Hunter’s not playing in any bowl game that isn’t a playoff tilt anyway, given his NFL draft stock. So why stick a snap count on a player who’s shifting into draft mode after the first week of December? Because he’s your best player, that’s why.
4. Buffs are at least 3-1 after four weeks.
September is sneaky. A little birdie told me North Dakota State — with 27 seniors and 10 sixth-year returnees — has the heart, but not the horses to run with a Prime roster. Although when has that ever stopped the Bison before?
Advertisement
That said, the last time CU had a major talent advantage over an opponent was the Stanford game last October. We all know how that one ended up.
Assuming CU comes out blazing the way it did at TCU last fall, you’ve got to nail at least a split from two of the toughest, and certainly most emotionally raw, road games of the season: At Nebraska on Sept. 7; at CSU on Sept. 14. Sweep those and you’re ranked again. (Hiya, Nick Saban!) Split them and you’re still probably in pretty good shape — assuming No. 2 and No. 12 are as well.
The four roadies after Sept. 22 — at UCF, at Arizona, at Texas Tech and at Kansas in Kansas City — are all coin flips, so long as the stars are healthy (and aligned). While K-State (Oct. 12), Utah (Nov. 16) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 29) won’t be picnics, at least they’re at Folsom.
5. Pencil Pat has to open it up.
Memo to Shurmur: This ain’t Iowa ball, brother. The Buffs went 4-3 last season when throwing it at least 40 times; 0-5 when they didn’t. They were 3-2 with a 300-yard passer, 1-6 without one. Could Pencil Pat screw this wild ride up, even with two top 10 draft picks to play with? Don’t bet against it.
Dogs like Bailey — the former Dog of the Week in The Denver Post’s Adventurist newsletter — will be in good company at the first Denver Dog Fair this weekend. (Provided by Barbara Ellis)
Denver Dog Fair
Saturday-Sunday. Woof! If the last few weeks have left you panting, why not surround yourself with unconditional love? The first Denver Dog Fair takes place on Nov. 22 and 23 with the promise of unending poochie goodness. There will be dog adoption booths, “celebrity” dogs, performances and tricks, a dog-fashion show, vendors, a dozen food trucks, kids’ bounce house, crafting, and more.
It takes place indoors at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Tickets: $20, good for both days; 5 and under free. $5 per dog. Price includes all entertainment and activities (minus adoption fees and food/drink). denverdogfair.com
Christkindlmarket and the Mile High Tree
Friday. The annual Mile High Tree at Civic Center park has quickly become a modern classic in Denver, with its 110-foot-tall display of 60,000, color-changing LED lights. Its location next to the annual Christkindlmarket and across from the brightly decorated Denver City & County Building makes it a one-stop shop for free family holiday fun.
At the 24th Christkindlmarket you’ll find local vendors plus Glühwein (mulled spiced wine), German biers and hot chocolate, Bavarian-style pretzels, fresh smoked salmon, Knödel, goulash, Nürnberger sausages, pastries, caramels and European chocolates. The tree’s light-and-music shows run from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly.
Advertisement
The market and tree both open on Friday, Nov. 22, with the market running through Dec. 23. The market is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. denver.org/milehighholidays/mile-high-tree or christkindlmarketdenver.com
Charlie Fausette, 6, from Tampa, Fla., ice skates with her father Rob at Downtown Denver Rink in Denver on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
Free ice skating downtown
Through Feb. 2, 2025. Whatever the weather, you can get a bit of holiday fun in by stopping by the popular Downtown Denver Rink. The rink, which basically bisects the 16th Street Mall’s Skyline Park (just outside the Daniels and Fisher Clocktower at 16th and Arapahoe streets), is a public rink where you can rent or bring your own skates.
It’s open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free; skate rentals are $12 for adults and $9 for kids 12 and under. winterindenver.com/rink
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be ready for photos at the Denver Christmas Show, this year moving to the National Western Complex. (Provided by Michelle Ellis)
A very merry Denver Christmas Show
Friday-Sunday. You don’t have to be in the market for gifts to get something out of the Denver Christmas Show at the National Western Complex. It’s a family-friendly affair, with Santa visits (and photos), daily storytime and hot cocoa with Mrs. Claus, live music, dancing, and more.
Of course, if you want to pick up some candy or chocolate, local gifts, or holiday decor, that will be right there too (with free gift wrapping), as well as plenty of other vendors. Tickets for the Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24, event are $14 for 14-and-up, and free for 13-and-under. It runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. denverchristmasshow.com
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.
Dallas Mavericks (8-7, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (8-5, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
Advertisement
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas seeks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Mavericks take on Denver.
The Nuggets are 4-5 in Western Conference games. Denver is fifth in the league with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Jokic averaging 13.7.
The Mavericks have gone 6-6 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 17.2 fast break points per game led by Luka Doncic averaging 4.6.
The Nuggets make 46.8% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than the Mavericks have allowed to their opponents (44.7%). The Mavericks average 115.6 points per game, 0.5 more than the 115.1 the Nuggets give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is shooting 47.9% and averaging 18.3 points for the Nuggets.
Advertisement
Kyrie Irving is averaging 24.3 points and 5.2 assists for the Mavericks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 45.4 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points per game.
Mavericks: 5-5, averaging 118.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.2 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Nikola Jokic: day to day (personal).
Mavericks: Dante Exum: out (wrist).
Advertisement
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Pop music icon Billie Eilish had a very important request before performing a sold-out show at Denver’s Ball Arena on Tuesday night: She wanted to snuggle with some animals.
Two Front Range shelters were more than happy to bring some furry friends for a backstage meet-and-greet with Eilish and her team, Brighter Days Dog Rescue founder and director Becca Orin said.
Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary first got the request through the venue, and the Commerce City sanctuary teamed up with Brighter Days in Boulder to bring puppies, kittens and a pony to the arena.
Billie Eilish snuggles with a puppy and pony from Brighter Days Dog Rescue and Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary before performing at Ball Arena in Denver on Nov. 19, 2024. (Courtesy of Becca Orin)
Eilish, her mom and team were “amazing,” Orin said, and showered the animals with love – particularly Samson the pony, who was overjoyed by all of the attention and cookies.
Advertisement
Brighter Days shared photos of the visit in a post on Facebook, with Eilish grinning cheek-to-cheek with a puppy and getting a nuzzle from Samson.
“This is not the first time we have brought animals to Ball Arena for the artists ahead of their performance, but this was the first time the artist was kind enough and generous enough to let us take pictures and give us permission to post them on social media,” Orin said.
Eilish is set to perform a second sold-out show at Ball Arena on Wednesday night as part of her Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour.
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25739950/247386_Elon_Musk_Open_AI_CVirginia.jpg "Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI")