Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes took the college football world by storm last September.
The Buffaloes got off to a 3-0 start, hosted College GameDay and produced more bulletin board material in a month than most programs produce in a decade.
Then the bottom fell out.
Colorado made it to the finish line with a confused 1-8 record, but it couldn’t stop the Flatirons’ train of expectations from departing in Coach Prime’s second season in Boulder.
So how should bettors approach America’s most polarizing team?
Let’s take a look at the Buffaloes’ first five games (totals in brackets, asterisks indicate projected lines).
Week 1: vs North Dakota State -8.5 (58.5)
Pace is key in this opener.
Last season, Colorado averaged 75 offensive snaps per game with coordinator Sean Lewis directing the play.
This makes them a top 15 team in terms of tempo.
But in early November, Sanders replaced Lewis with Pat Shurmur, whose performance caused the team to take a major hit.
To protect his team’s fragile defense and exhausted quarterback, Shurmur played 17 fewer plays than his previous average.
Despite the head coaching change, NDSU has maintained the same staunch identity.
The Bisons control the ball with the run (sixth in time of possession) and will rely on a deep backfield led by poor man’s Taysom Hill (Cole Payton) to shrink this game down.
Under is the play here.
Week 2: Nebraska +6.5 (56.5)
Revenge will be a theme for Nebraska in this game.
The Cornhuskers lost 36-14 at Colorado last year, losing three fumbles and not getting enough quarterback play from Jeff Sims.
That should be different under the lights at Memorial Stadium this season.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola is expected to jump-start Nebraska’s offense, and a defense ranked ninth in return grades should attack Shedul Sanders. I’m betting on Nebraska.
Week 3: Colorado State -7.5 (67*)
Revenge Part Deux, Fort Collins ed.
Expect big fireworks at the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
Both starting quarterbacks were outstanding last year, especially in this rivalry game.
The Rams and Buffaloes combined for 745 passing yards and eight touchdowns, with the Buffaloes coming away with the overtime victory.
Sanders’ touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27-3 is high, but don’t overlook CSU’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who threw for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns five times last season. If the total is below 70, I’d strongly recommend the over.
Week 4 vs. Baylor -6.5* (59.5*)
Baylor’s Dave Aranda ranks high on the list of first college coaches to be fired, and this game could seal his fate early.
The Bears allowed 43 passes of 20 yards or more last season (87th) and failed to get close on the quarterback (118th in sacks).
To make matters worse, Baylor’s defense was ineffective on the road, allowing just 41 points per game outside of Waco.
This would be a big win for CU and a positive for the Heisman Trophy campaigns of Sheduer and Travis Hunter. Bet on CU.
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Week 5: Central Florida +5* (55.5*)
Colorado’s starting 22 are good enough to compete with any team in the Big 12, but this isn’t EA Sports College Football 25 .
Fatigue and injuries have taken a toll on both lines, which is problematic when facing a physical team like UCF.
When the ball is in the air, the Knights, who led the Big 12 in pass defense last season, have the advantage.
They added some interesting pieces in the portal defensively as well.
They should overpower Colorado with the run game and use the bounce house home-field advantage to cover this number.
