College football, when done perfectly right, is one of the most chaotic sports in the world, with teenagers making outrageously crazy plays with no one knowing if they'll benefit their team or cause them to lose.
The ending of the Colorado-Baylor game is a perfect example of this, and why the sport continues to play despite the best efforts of the booster box players. After being sacked four times in five plays on Colorado's final drive, QB Shedell Sanders led the Buffaloes to the Hail Mary zone. On the first deep throw they attempted, Sanders was accurate, but WR Will Shepard dropped the ball.
On the final play of the game, Sanders worked his magic, finding wide receiver LaJontae Wester in the end zone for one of the most impressive plays of the season and tying the score at 31-31.
Here are a few points to make about this amazing piece of theatre.
1. This pass from Sanders is one of the more impressive passes by any quarterback this season. Rolling to his left and under pressure, Sanders fired a missile pass right into the only place a receiver could reach, and Wester made an incredible play by catching the ball without it hitting the ground.
2. This is an incredibly poor Hail Mary coverage by Baylor. Why does the corner have to be at the top of the screen in press coverage, where he's much more likely to be outrun? Why does the blitzer go directly into the teeth of the Colorado offensive line instead of blitzing on the edge and trapping Sanders in the pocket? They can't contain Sanders and he might do this.
The Buffaloes scored the extra point to send the game into overtime and take the lead. Baylor went on the offensive and running back Dominique Richardson dived to kick the ball over the goal line, but superstar cornerback Travis Hunter made a great play to force a fumble, ending the game and setting off a furious Buffaloes comeback.
This is what makes college football great. Moments like these, absolute scenes of Colorado coming from behind to win despite not being able to keep their QB standing the entire game. I don't know where the Buffaloes go from here, but this game will be remembered for a long time. The sun seems to be setting on head coach Dave Aranda at Baylor. Since winning the Big 12 in 2021, he's 11-18 and the offense has completely collapsed every year. The defense is still good at times, but the team just doesn't have it, and I'm not sure how much longer it will be before Aranda is fired.
Either way, a surprising ending to an incredibly chaotic game. Nothing beats college football.
