NFL legend Deion Sanders has big plans for the Colorado Buffaloes. After three years leading Jackson State, Sanders left to revamp a Colorado program that had won just nine games over the past three seasons. Over 70 players have left the program, with nearly 40 joining via the transfer portal. This has led to some criticism of Sanders’ behavior from other members of the NCAA coaching world. However, the hype has never been higher for the Colorado program. Perhaps as a result of this, discussions as to whether Colorado is going to leave the ever-ailing Pac-12 have begun to circulate.
However, the program is still yet to play a game under Sanders. It's a moment that everyone is eagerly anticipating. Despite the hype, the run-up to their season opener against TCU has been tough for Sanders. Sanders has been dealing with circulation issues in his left foot for a number of years. After having two toes amputated in 2021, surgeons could worry that the persisting problem could cost him the whole foot. Furthermore, he underwent emergency surgery last month to deal with blood clots in his groin and leg. Additionally, it was announced that he would miss his first-ever Pac-12 Media Day in order to receive a follow-up procedure. It was at that Media Day that we got our first look at just how the "football experts" are viewing Sanders' program going into the season.
Colorado Buffaloes Ranked Second-To-Last In Preseason Poll
As part of the Media Day proceedings, the preseason media pool was released, showing how the pundits view the conference going into the season. USC came out on top, earning 25 of the 40 first-place votes. Meanwhile, Colorado was ranked 11th, only beating out Stanford in the predicted standings. The prediction is very close to how the conference played out in the 2022 season.
In all likelihood, the low rating may be due to a few different reasons. Firstly, there is likely a good deal of skepticism over whether Sanders' much-hyped squad is actually worth the hype. He was many highly-rated freshmen and a number of well-regarded transfers from Jackson State. However, how they will transition to the Pac-12 remains to be seen. Furthermore, the Pac-12 is just very good right now. USC, Utah, and Washington could all challenge for spots in the CFP as the conference continues to be very top-heavy. While 11th may be a little harsh, this is the "expert" opinion.
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