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Analyst gives damning assessment of early Colorado outlook in 2023

By Andrew Hughes

247Sports' Brad Crawford gave a damning assessment of the 2023 Colorado football schedule, providing a brutal potential visual after Week 4 Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
247Sports' Brad Crawford gave a damning assessment of the 2023 Colorado football schedule, providing a brutal potential visual after Week 4 Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Deion Sanders‘ debut season with Colorado football was given a damning assessment by 247Sports’ Brad Crawford — whose brutal visual of what the Buffaloes’ morale could look like after Week 4 should scare the bejesus out of any CU fans.

“There is a good chance the opening month of the season could be tumultuous for Colorado,” Crawford wrote. “This roster essentially has a few weeks during fall camp before the live rounds begin against TCU as a three-touchdown underdog in the opener. The Buffaloes entertain Nebraska and Colorado State at home after that before a trip to nationally-ranked Oregon and a showdown in Folsom against USC, the preseason Pac-12 favorite. Might as well get a handful of this brutal schedule’s toughest games out of the way early, right? Sanders will try and ensure his players don’t hang their heads if they’re exiting September below .500 with a couple lopsided losses.”

Colorado State is the only matchup remotely reminiscent of a break on that schedule, with Nebraska potentially a sleeping giant Matt Rhule is about to wake up, and then the College Football Playoff runner-up and two projected Pac-12 contenders featuring Heisman candidates (USC’s Caleb Williams and Oregon’s Bo Nix) on the slate as well.

Colorado football could bottom out before hitting stride in 2023

While things may not be as brutal by the end of Week 5 as many are likely hoping for after being rubbed the wrong way by Coach Prime in the offseason — his comments to players about hitting the transfer portal paled in comparison to some of the character guidelines he has for recruits depending on their position — there is a good chance that Colorado football could be 2-3 or 1-4 by the end of a wildly difficult stretch; especially for the Pac-12.

Things don’t necessarily get easy during the season in an improved Pac-12 with expected improvements to Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, and Washington State, but they certainly get easier than four of those first five weeks. UCLA and Utah have strong recruiting classes but more QB questions, while Stanford should be the worst team in the conference.

Come away with any integrity intact by October, and CU will be on its way to exceeding expectations. If what Crawford is imagining manifests itself, though? Let’s not go down that road just yet…

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