Deion Sanders

University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders hyped up highly touted quarterback recruit Julian Lewis' commitment to the Buffaloes on Thursday.

Sanders took to social media, tagging Lewis on X with a post that read, "Legendary."

@JulianLewis10 Legendary

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) November 21, 2024

Lewis, who is a 4-star prospect and the No. 36 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, officially announced Thursday that he has committed to play college football at Colorado:

It’s definitely perfect timing! #Committed #SkoBuffs 🦬 pic.twitter.com/5jp5kh7ZT6

— Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) November 21, 2024

With Sanders poised to enter the 2025 NFL draft after this season, Lewis may be his heir apparent for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who is also Shedeur's father.

Lewis originally committed to play at USC back in August 2023, but he decommitted on Sunday, thus re-opening his recruitment. At the time, ESPN's Pete Thamel noted that Lewis had recently visited with Colorado and Georgia, while also expressing interest in Indiana.

Given that Lewis stars at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia, the Bulldogs could have had the inside track, making him a significant addition to Colorado.

When Coach Prime moved from FCS Jackson State to Colorado, he brought his son with him. Shedeur has been a highly productive player during his two seasons with the Buffs.

During his debut FBS campaign in 2023, Shedeur completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite that, Colorado went just 4-8.

He is trending toward an even better season as a senior in 2024. He's completing 72.9 percent of his passing attempts for 3,222 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven picks with two regular-season games left to be played.

Most impressively, Colorado is 8-2, and it controls its own destiny in terms of playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and reaching the College Football Playoff.

While expectations were high for Colorado with Shedeur at quarterback, it was always a question mark whether Coach Prime would be able to find a suitable replacement once Shedeur moved on.

With Shedeur in line to perhaps be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL draft, Lewis has a chance to slide into his starting role as soon as next season.

While it is far from a guarantee that he will start as a true freshman, he has a track record of making an immediate impact. He was named a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award during his sophomore season when he threw for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

If Lewis is as good as advertised, Coach Prime may have the pieces in place to make Colorado a perennial contender for Big 12 and national titles.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones lavished a lot of praise on Deion Sanders but seemed to hint he believes the Colorado head coach is best served in the college ranks.

"One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he almost has no peer as far as being a recruiter," Jones said Thursday on 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic's Jon Machota). "Kids want to come play for him. And he has a way of selling that. That is one skill, that recruiting skill, that is not a huge prerequisite for NFL coaches. One of his greatest values is in that area of putting the team together and getting great talent to come play for him there at Colorado.

"All of that would go into your mind. But make no mistake about it, he's one of the top people, young and old, that I've been around in the NFL."

Sanders' coaching stock has rebounded with the Buffaloes sitting at 8-2 and tied for first in the Big 12. There's a path for Colorado to win the conference and qualify for the College Football Playoff, a massive improvement from winning four games in 2023.

As a result, people are beginning to wonder more and more whether Coach Prime is the right guy for the job in the event the Cowboys move on from head coach Mike McCarthy in the offseason.

Franchise legend Michael Irvin went so far as to assert Sanders would "100 percent" accept the job if Dallas picked his son, Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders, in the 2025 NFL draft.

.@michaelirvin88 on if Deion Sanders would accept Cowboys job if they draft Shedeur Sanders:

"I believe 100% and I can tell you, good sources have told me that." pic.twitter.com/auLmpjAqW3

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 19, 2024

For his part, Sanders has maintained he's committed to Colorado beyond this season.

Contrast that with how he discussed his future during what proved to be his final year at Jackson State. He readily admitted in October 2022 he'd have to consider a serious offer from a Power Five program if one materialized.

"What happens when a Power 5 school says: Give us a number — we'll make it work?'"@DeionSanders: "I'm gonna have to entertain it."

📹 @60Minutes pic.twitter.com/n8sn20SuJa

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 17, 2022

Events from Thursday also gave Sanders a compelling reason to stick around in Boulder.

Julian Lewis announced he has committed to Colorado. The Georgia native is a 4-star recruit and the No. 6 quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class. He's by far the highest-ranked player Sanders and his staff have landed for next season.

Between that and what the Buffaloes are doing on the field, Coach Prime is laying the foundation for the program to achieve something lasting during his tenure.

Colorado's 2025 recruiting class received a major boost on Thursday, as highly-touted quarterback prospect Julian Lewis made his commitment to the Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders live on The Pat McAfee Show.

BREAKING NEWS:

“I will be continuing my athletic and academic career at @CUBuffsFootball” ~ @JulianLewis10

CONGRATULATIONS 👏 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/qxYMmmguqb

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 21, 2024

Lewis is a 4-star prospect and the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class, per 247Sports' composite. His commitment will mark a significant improvement for Colorado, which had the 78th-ranked class entering Thursday. The Buffaloes' 2025 list of football commits—which is now the 66th-ranked class—now looks like this:

• Julian Lewis, QB
• Chauncey Gooden, IOL
• Adrian Wilson, WR
• Quanell X Farrakhan Jr., WR
• Christian Hudson, DL
• Alex Graham, CB
• Mantrez Walker, LB
• Antonio Branch Jr., S
• Zayne DeSouza, TE
• Corbin Laisure, TE
• Jay Gardenhire, OT

---

Lewis had originally appeared to be headed to USC, but he reportedly de-committed from the Trojans this past Sunday. He is now the heir apparent to Colorado star quarterback and Coach Prime's son Shedeur Sanders, who will be entering the NFL draft after this season. Following Sanders' impressive two-year stretch with the Buffaloes will be a tall task, but the Carrollton, Georgia native is up for the challenge.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Lewis as "an elite distributor of the football with his quick release and advanced mechanics that picked apart defenses in the Peach State's highest classification." The 6'0", 185-pound signal-caller is a bit undersized, but he's skilled enough to make an immediate impact when he begins his collegiate career.

"Overall, projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making," Ivins added. "Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays – and potentially right away."

Lewis' commitment continues a strong year for Colorado, which has an 8-2 record and is ranked No. 16 in both the College Football Playoff Rankings and the AP Top 25. With a 6-1 conference record, the Buffaloes are tied with BYU (9-1, 6-1) for the top spot in the Big 12.

Colorado will look to keep the good vibes going when it returns to action on Saturday against Kansas (4-6, 3-4).

With Shedeur Sanders set to potentially be one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL draft, head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have their next quarterback of the future.

Signal-caller Julian Lewis committed to Colorado during Thursday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

"I'm excited to learn under Coach Shurmur and Coach Prime..

I don't think there's a better person to learn from than Coach Prime" ~ @JulianLewis10 #PMSLive https://t.co/bL5AWfQxzR pic.twitter.com/3b4ESQBXiw

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 21, 2024

It’s definitely perfect timing! #Committed #SkoBuffs 🦬 pic.twitter.com/5jp5kh7ZT6

— Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) November 21, 2024

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Lewis is a 4-star prospect and the No. 35 overall recruit and No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class. He was initially committed to USC as part of the 2026 class but eventually reclassified into the 2025 cycle and decommitted from the Trojans.

Collin Ginnan of On3 noted Lewis visited Colorado, Indiana and Auburn multiple times and also visited Georgia this past weekend prior to coming to a decision.

While the late push from the Bulldogs was notable, Sanders was able to land a major win on the recruiting trail.

Colorado's gain is USC's loss, and ESPN's Pete Thamel and Eli Lederman reported his decommitment on Sunday continued a recent pattern for the Trojans. Lincoln Riley's 2025 class has also lost commitments from high-profile recruits in Justus Terry, Isaiah Gibson, Hayden Lowe and cornerback Shamar Arnoux.

Lewis is the latest future difference-maker to leave, and Thamel and Lederman noted he plans on enrolling early in college to begin his career at the next level.

That career will be with the Buffaloes, and he will step into the spotlight at a program that is trending in the right direction. After going 4-8 in Sanders' first season as head coach, Colorado is in the middle of the Big 12 and College Football Playoff races at 8-2. It controls its own destiny into the conference title game with two remaining matchups against Kansas and Oklahoma State.

Lewis is an ideal quarterback to keep building on that momentum, as Andrew Ivins of 247Sports called him "a de facto point guard on the gridiron that can distribute the football like few others."

Ivins highlighted his soft touch on deep throws that helps him make up for the lack of "a true cannon" of an arm. His mobility also helps him pick up yards with his legs and extend plays both inside and outside of the pocket.

That skill set should help him compete for the lead quarterback role at Colorado as early as his freshman season.

Deion Sanders has an idea for a new college football award.

The Colorado head coach suggested a new award named after him called the Prime Award, which would go to the best corner in college football. He also believes his star player Travis Hunter should be the recipient of that award.

"Travis is the best defensive player and the best offensive player in the country," he said. "If that stabilizes and authenticates who he is, so let it be. But I don't see anybody better, I don't see anyone projected better. The scouts will tell you, everybody will tell you who knows this game of football. He should win the Thorpe, Biletnikoff, the Jerry Rice, the Prime Award. He should win every dern award you got. Matter of fact, why don't they have me an award? Wouldn't that be good if a player that played for me won the Prime? Best corner in college football should be called the Prime."

Coach Prime thinks the nation’s best corner should be given the Prime award 🏆

(via BuffsTV/YT) pic.twitter.com/gbxsZXqjPI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 20, 2024

While Sanders is hopeful for an award named after him, the Jim Thorpe Award goes to the best defensive back in a given year, so the NCAA might not feel the need to add another award anytime soon.

Sanders is certainly worthy of an award named after him given his outstanding collegiate career at Florida State. He had 186 tackles, 14 interceptions, three defensive touchdowns and 27 passes defended across his four years with the Seminoles.

Sanders believes his star two-way player is worthy of a number of awards, and for good reason.

Hunter has 911 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 74 receptions this year along with 23 tackles, eight passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble on the defensive end.

His outstanding season has made him a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. If he wins the coveted award, he'd be only the second two-way player after Charles Woodson to win it.

He has some fierce competition for the Heisman right now as stars like Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward have also made convincing arguments in their favor.

Sanders, Hunter and the Buffaloes have more important things to worry about for now as the end of the regular season nears. Colorado, which improved to 8-2 with a win over Utah last week, can secure a spot in the Big 12 championship if it takes care of business in its final two games.

From there, a win in the title game would likely earn the Buffs a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Deion Sanders isn't going anywhere.

Despite speculation that he could leave Colorado this offseason for an NFL job, potentially with the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffaloes head coach told reporters on Tuesday he was more than content to remain in Boulder.

"I'm happy where I am, man," he said. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy, I'm excited. I'm enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do."

Given the Cowboys' 3-7 start this season under embattled head coach Mike McCarthy—and Colorado's 8-2 mark thus far, which has them ranked 17th in the country and atop the Big 12—it isn't a surprise that Sanders has been floated as a potential successor. He also played for the Cowboys during his NFL career, giving him additional familiarity with owner Jerry Jones and the organization.

A number of former Cowboys players, including Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant, have called for him to replace McCarthy:

I spent Friday night with Jerry Jones. I spent Saturday with ⁦@DeionSanders⁩. I spent Sunday with the lord PRAYING for ???? ????? (GUEST WHAT) Now after what the ⁦@dallascowboys⁩ look like on Monday Night Football. 😳😳😮😮🤷🏾🤷🏾I must work harder!!!!! pic.twitter.com/3l0mFHKIRv

— Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) November 19, 2024

.@michaelirvin88 on if Deion Sanders would accept Cowboys job if they draft Shedeur Sanders:

"I believe 100% and I can tell you, good sources have told me that." pic.twitter.com/auLmpjAqW3

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 19, 2024

I'm the @dallascowboys to the heart. If I'm the Cowboys, I'd fire everyone after this season. There's young, hungry talent in the upcoming draft. Also, I'd consider @DeionSanders as the next head coach.

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 19, 2024

At this point, it seems likely that McCarthy is coaching his last season in Dallas. He's already in the final year of his contract, and even before Dak Prescott's season-ending hamstring injury, the Cowboys were underachieving.

Granted, the inability to add quality players this offseason at positions of need, like running back, has played a major part in the team's struggles. But McCarthy will likely be the scapegoat for those failings rather than Jones, who serves as the de facto general manager.

As for Sanders, he's never offered any indication that he's ready, or interested, in making the leap to the NFL. There has also been reporting to back up that lack of stated interest:

How real are the Deion Sanders and Dallas Cowboys rumors?

"It's not real... I think Deion actually wants to stay in college. I know he's been public about that as well." @DMRussini on Deion Sanders being linked to the Dallas Cowboys job.

WATCH: https://t.co/T7IK21WgSv pic.twitter.com/FbE7Dx7f81

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) November 19, 2024

Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer said he talks to Deion Sanders weekly. He said he is not going to speculate on jobs because it's not fair but he said Sanders has told him he loves it on the college level.

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) November 19, 2024

And no, Tuesday was not the first time Sanders was asked about the Cowboys.

.@michaelirvin88 asked @DeionSanders about coaching the Cowboys... Watch until the end to see Prime's response 😂 pic.twitter.com/wonYbtDR4H

— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) November 13, 2024

"Don't start that," Sanders told Irvin multiple times last week, smiling, when he attempted to bring up the Cowboys

"I love it where I am," he repeated several times.

So while the Cowboys almost assuredly will have a new head coach in 2025, it appears unlikely—at least for the time being—that it will be Sanders.

Amid an outstanding second season at the helm at Colorado, Deion Sanders' name is coming up in the NFL world.

While it might take a lot to pull Sanders away from the Buffaloes, Michael Irvin believes that if the Dallas Cowboys selected Shedeur Sanders in the NFL draft, Sanders would take the head coaching job if it were presented to him.

"I believe 100 percent and I can tell you, good sources have told me that," Irvin said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday. "Great sources have told me that. That's all I can say about that without violating anything else."

.@michaelirvin88 on if Deion Sanders would accept Cowboys job if they draft Shedeur Sanders:

"I believe 100% and I can tell you, good sources have told me that." pic.twitter.com/auLmpjAqW3

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 19, 2024

While the Cowboys' head coaching job is filled at the moment, a 3-7 start to the season means current coach Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat. If he is fired, conversations about Sanders heading to Dallas would only get louder.

In recent weeks, Sanders has rebuffed rumors about him leaving Colorado for the NFL. Last week, he told Irvin that he had no plans of taking a job with the Cowboys if it were presented.

"I love it where I am," he said when Irvin suggested he take over in Dallas.

.@michaelirvin88 asked @DeionSanders about coaching the Cowboys... Watch until the end to see Prime's response 😂 pic.twitter.com/wonYbtDR4H

— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) November 13, 2024

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported last week that Sanders has drawn no NFL coaching interest "as of now," and NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Sanders "has had no official conversations with anyone" about an NFL job.

That of course could change as more coaches get fired later this season. So far, just two coaches have been fired: Robert Saleh of the New York Jets and Dennis Allen of the New Orleans Saints.

Another factor to pay attention to is whether the Cowboys would even consider drafting Shedeur Sanders given they already have a star in Dak Prescott. Shedeur Sanders has 3,222 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions and will almost certainly be one of the first quarterbacks off the board, but Dallas might not be the best fit for him.

For now, Sanders will keep his focus on his team in Boulder.

The Buffs, who won just nine games in the three seasons prior to Sanders' arrival, are 8-2 on the year and control their own destiny in both the Big 12 and the College Football Playoff race.

If Colorado wins its last two games against Kansas and Oklahoma State, it can punch a ticket to the Big 12 Championship. A win in the title game would give the Buffaloes an automatic bid to the CFP, something that seemed unimaginable a few years ago.

Ahead of Saturday's game against Kansas, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders made time to honor a special fan.

In a touching moment during Tuesday's press conference, Coach Prime welcomed longtime Buffaloes fan Miss Peggy, who is celebrating her 100th birthday:

Coach Prime brings Miss Peggy into the press conference on her 100th birthday

“She is the epitome of Buff Nation, she is the rock that holds us all together” 🥺 pic.twitter.com/aq82dHFHUb

— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) November 19, 2024

Sanders announced that Colorado will be launching a special line of apparel to honor Miss Peggy with part of the proceeds being donated to her and her family.

"She's always greeted me with love, compassion, support, stability and hope," Sanders said. "I'm thankful to know her, I'm thankful that she can get to me anytime she desires to, and I'm thankful to be celebrating her 100th with her."

The Buffaloes (8-2) are riding a four-game win streak into their matchup against the Jayhawks (4-6). Colorado has a 6-1 record in the Big 12, tying for first place in the conference with BYU. The team is ranked No. 17 in the second edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings and No. 16 in the AP Top 25.

During their four-game win streak, the Buffaloes have scored over 30 points in each game, including reaching the 40-point mark in their last two outings. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Coach Prime's son, has performed at a high level as he tries to set himself apart from the other signal-callers in the 2025 NFL draft class. Two-way phenom Travis Hunter has continued to put on epic performances in his march toward contending for the Heisman Trophy.

Colorado is hoping to keep the good vibes going by capping off Miss Peggy's birthday with a win over Kansas on Saturday.

Following a dominant win over Utah on Saturday, the Colorado Buffaloes achieved their highest ranking of the season in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll on Sunday.

Colorado moved up from No. 18 to No. 16 in the latest poll by virtue of a 49-24 home victory over the Utes. Head coach Deion Sanders' team improved to 8-2 overall this season and 6-1 in Big 12 play.

The Buffs were No. 17 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings released last week, and they figure to move up in those rankings as well when they are announced Tuesday.

Colorado was 4-2 through its first six games after losses to Nebraska and Kansas State, but the Buffaloes now find themselves on a four-game winning streak with each victory being by at least 11 points.

During that stretch, two-way superstar Travis Hunter has cemented himself as the Heisman Trophy favorite, and he bolstered his case against Utah, recording five catches for 55 yards, scoring a rushing touchdown and reeling in an interception.

Now, Hunter has 74 receptions for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a wide receiver, and 24 tackles, three interceptions and eight passes defended as a cornerback on the season.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has also thrived, completing 72.9 percent of his passes for 3,222 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing for four scores.

After Coach Prime turned things around quickly at FCS Jackson State, expectations were sky-high when he arrived at Colorado last season.

Sanders brought Hunter and his son, Shedeur, with him from Jackson State, and the Buffaloes were the talk of college football through the first month of the 2023 campaign.

However, after a 3-0 start, Colorado won only one more game the rest of the season and finished with a 4-8 mark.

Still, it represented a significant improvement from the previous season when the Buffaloes went 1-11, and there was finally hope for the future with Coach Prime at the helm.

After beating Utah, Colorado put its destiny into its own hands in terms of qualifying for the Big 12 Championship Game, and things got even better for the Buffs during the late-night slate on Saturday.

Previously undefeated BYU lost to Kansas, meaning Colorado is now tied with BYU for first place in the Big 12 at 6-1.

If Colorado can beat Kansas and Oklahoma State over the next two weeks, it will play in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time since 2005, and a win would clinch the Buffaloes a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The moment Deion Sanders accepted the job at Colorado, attention was inevitable. The smooth-operating former NFL star talked a big game immediately, overhauled a roster like nobody had ever done in college football history and turned heads on the recruiting trail.

But on-field results had to follow.

Saturday afternoon, the Buffaloes jumped to 8-2 with a 49-24 triumph over Utah. Colorado took a valuable step toward the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game, where a victory would send CU to the College Football Playoff.

This is a legitimate contender.

Even a month ago, however, it's one we didn't expect—not after a full calendar year of uninspiring play.

In the 2023 campaign, the Buffs started 3-0. Each win intensified the buzz around a program that had trudged to 1-11 in the previous year and ultimately been a disaster for the better part of 15 seasons.

They smoked TCU, the national runner-up from a year earlier, as two-way phenom Travis Hunter exploded onto the FBS stage. They soared into the AP Top 25 and wrecked rival Nebraska before navigating a double-overtime scare from in-state foe Colorado State. Behind that perfect start, CU climbed as high as 18th in the country.

That spotlight grew brighter. The noise became much louder, and sports media—B/R certainly included—latched onto the Sanders-led hysteria and would not let go.

If I'm allowed to be honest, it was pretty tiresome.

Oregon slammed the brakes on CU's click-fueled hype train, and everyone else but a rebuilding Arizona State team piled on. Colorado lost eight of its final nine contests in 2023, dealing with a porous offensive line and disastrous defense that ranked 124th or worse nationally in both sacks allowed and points allowed per game, respectively.

The 2024 campaign did not begin wonderfully for the Buffs, either. They squeaked past North Dakota State, looked overwhelmed in a lopsided loss at Nebraska and needed a last-second miracle catch in regulation to escape Baylor in overtime.

Yet every week, it seemed, there was a Colorado update. Look at what the mediocre team did, folks! Mediocre again!

Tiring. Exhausting, really.

In the following weeks, however, that spotlight dimmed. The noise quieted. Sanders' team blasted UCF on the road, but a loss to Kansas State put Colorado in the backseat of a Big 12 race featuring a breakout BYU squad, then-unbeaten Iowa State and key contender K-State.

The hype faded. Those on-field results were not happening in marquee games. It wasn't that CU would never be worthy of that attention; it was that, through then, the headlines felt empty. Interest levels dropped.

And that may be the exact moment everything truly changed.

Since falling to 4-2, the Buffs have become a well-rounded group. Pick a position, and Colorado has improved. The most important spots, of course, are a product of the transfers and other additions up front. The offensive line is no longer an absolute sieve, and the defense is a full 10 points and nearly 100 yards better per game this season.

Shedeur Sanders will occasionally throw a bad ball, as any QB would, but he remains a highly efficient passer. Hunter has made himself the clear favorite in the Heisman Trophy race, and CU's receiving corps boasts a deeper cast of regular contributors in 2024.

What's happening on the sideline matters an awful lot, too.

New offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has successfully hidden a nearly nonexistent rushing attack—one of CU's few remaining weaknesses. Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston is a strong contender for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach.

The phrase "changing the culture" can be overused, but there's no question Sanders has done so. This roster plays hard, and there's a confidence that simply has not existed in Boulder for many years.

Saturday's rout of Utah extended the winning streak to four; CU previously beat Arizona 34-7, Cincinnati 34-23 and Texas Tech 41-27.

Now 6-1 in conference play, the Buffs—and thanks to a little help from Houston and Kansas in earlier November games—are on the verge of heading to the Big 12 title game. Colorado travels to Kansas in Week 13 before hosting Oklahoma State to wrap up the regular season.

Win both matchups, and CU will lock in a shot at making the first-ever 12-team Playoff in only Sanders' second year.

As the 2023 season ended, that prospect felt inconceivable. One month into the 2024 campaign, it looked implausible. Now in mid-November, that Playoff path is impossible to deny.

Colorado, with no hesitation, is a genuine contender to make the CFP.

And somehow—after almost two years of attention disproportionate to results—the Buffs managed to get here quietly.