Colorado coach Deion Sanders has dismissed the notion that the Buffaloes’ game against Nebraska this week would be “in person” again. Instead, he praised Nebraska coach Matt Rhule ahead of the rivalry game.

“I have a lot of respect for Matt Rhule,” Sanders said. “He’s in — I call it our coaching class. We all passed a tremendous test last year along with (Arizona State) Coach (Kenny) Dillingham and a few others. I feel like we’re a brotherhood. So I’m rooting for this class of head coaches that came in this year.”

It’s a different approach than the one Sanders took before the Nebraska game last year, when he declared, “This is personal. That’s the message of the week: This is personal.”

Colorado won the game in Boulder last year, 36-14. Afterward, quarterback Shedeur Sanders said he had a problem with Rhule and several Nebraska players standing on the Buffaloes logo at halftime before the game.

Shedeur Sanders also said after the game that Rhule’s offseason comments claiming he didn’t want to be followed by cameras were disrespectful and were taken as a dig at Sanders and Colorado.

“Coach said a lot about my dad and the program, but now that he wants to be nice — I don’t respect that, because you hate another man, you shouldn’t do that,” Shedeur Sanders said. “It was just, any respect for them and their program was gone. I like playing against their DC, I like playing against them, but the respect isn’t there because you disrespected us first.”

After both teams suffered defeats last season, the animosity seems to have subsided.

“(Rhule) has been a professional and has done a phenomenal job,” said Coach Sanders. “Maybe not the job he set out to do, but he has a ton of experience and I’m excited about what he’s accomplished in his college coaching career.”

Colorado won its season opener against North Dakota State 31-26 last week. Nebraska opened with a 40-7 win over UTEP.