Ohio State had no reason to worry about Colorado in 2023.
The Buckeyes and Buffaloes are not in the same conference. They haven’t played each other since 2011. And the 2023 Buckeyes haven’t played anyone who has faced CU, so there was no reason to watch a game involving the Buffs.
Still, they had their eye on CU in Columbus, Ohio.
“Everyone was excited to see the Buffs play,” said Sam Hart, a freshman tight end at CU who played the last three years at Ohio State. “They had their weekly calendars marked with when they were playing, what time, who they were playing, things like that.”
The 2023 Buffaloes were one of the most watched teams in college football, averaging 6.03 million viewers across the nine games that recorded numbers (Pac-12 Network numbers were not reported). The only teams ahead of them – including Ohio State – finished the season in the top 10 of the national polls.
CU’s popularity was built on the arrival of head coach Deion Sanders, a Hall of Fame athlete, larger-than-life personality and highly successful coach at Jackson State before coming to Boulder in December 2022.
Sanders has brought unprecedented confidence and attention to the Buffs over the past year, not to mention a parade of celebrities never seen in Boulder. That’s good and bad, because since Coach Prime has been in town, no coach – or program – has been scrutinized as harshly as CU.
Fans will continue to tune in this year to see what Coach Prime is up to in his second season, and stories will continue to be written praising or criticizing the Buffs and Coach Prime.
But beyond all the attention and headlines, there is substance to the CU schedule, and that will determine whether the Buffs can not only get ratings but also win.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal year,” Coach Prime said at the conclusion of a press conference on CU’s media day on August 9. “I’m telling you what I know, not what I’ve heard.”
It’s no surprise that the most confident man in sports exudes confidence, but there are plenty of reasons why he’s excited about the upcoming season.
First, CU has arguably the best quarterback in the country and perhaps the best in program history in Shedeur Sanders. The head coach’s son set a school record last year with 3,230 passing yards, was one yard shy of the record for passing touchdowns (27) and was intercepted just three times. This was despite being sacked 52 times – a program record – and missing the final six quarters due to injury.
Hart sees similarities between Shedeur and his former teammate CJ Stroud, who was selected No. 2 in the 2023 NFL Draft and was voted the NFL’s best offensive rookie last season.
“Yeah, they approach it like professionals,” Hart said. “You can tell right away that these guys are professional athletes. They handle themselves on and off the field and are great quarterbacks. They’re super smart, they throw great balls and they work super hard.”
Shedeur alone may be worth the price of admission, but he may not even be the best player on the team. Travis Hunter is an All-American candidate at cornerback and receiver – a rare two-way star who, like Shedeur, is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hunter was voted the preseason best defensive player in the conference by the Big 12 media, while Shedeur was voted first-team All-Big 12 quarterback. The fact that CU could have two such stars and still finish 11th in the media poll suggests there isn’t much confidence in everyone around them.
Within the walls of the Champions Center, however, there is a lot of confidence in what the Buffs have built this offseason. Coach Prime said he wants to take four Buffs in the first round next spring and he sees NFL talent throughout the roster, but the team’s success is critical.
“Of the top teams in college football, Florida State included, I think they had the most drafted players,” he said. “That’s what a win does. So if you want more young men to get drafted from your team, you have to win. That’s all you have to do. Just win.”
The Buffs believe they can do that, not just because of Shedeur and Hunter, but because of a wealth of talent at receiver, an improved offensive line, a more experienced and talented defensive line, reinforcements at linebacker and secondary, and a kicking game they trust.
Of course, there is also confidence. Coach Prime and his sons have been winners all their lives and they plan to win this year.
“I don’t think we practice every day to lose,” Shedeur said. “That’s not what we’re trying to do. Obviously something happened last year that we couldn’t do that, but I think everyone in the building has the goal to win. … I’m confident that we’re all better versions of ourselves and that we have new and better players. So just do the math. It’s got to add up.”
