Oregon’s Dan Lanning made waves when he took a potshot at Colorado football following CU’s Big 12 departure for not winning much during its 11-year tenure in the Pac-12, but the pushback has not been in his favor due to the Ducks’ lack of a national championship themselves after Lanning claimed he was “trying to remember what (Colorado) won to effect this conference when they were part of it” but couldn’t remember.
Deadspin’s Sean Beckwith had a great callout of Lanning for going after Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes as opposed to USC and UCLA, who are similarly leaving the Pac-12 in 2024.
“There’s been whispers about Oregon and Washington following the California schools to the Big Ten, so perhaps he didn’t want to call the kettle black only to be covered in soot in the coming months,” Beckwith prefaced before saying, “Or maybe it’s because Chip Kelly and Lincoln Riley can defend themselves, while Deion Sanders doesn’t have a full roster in year one of a massive overhaul.”
Colorado football is not seen as an even match to Pac-12 powers in 2023
On one hand, it’s nice to see a national outlet call out Lanning for not picking on a program the size of Oregon, but instead going after an easy target that could still be getting its sea legs underneath them by Week 4 of the season; when the Ducks and Buffs do battle at Autzen Stadium.
On the other hand, though, it’s somewhat deflating to see Sanders’ CU squad seen as an easy target to begin with. Of course, it makes sense considering all the overhaul that has happened before, and especially since, Colorado’s spring game. Still, with all of the hype and attention the Buffaloes are going to receive in 2023, it’s a shame Colorado will likely be the loser in 75% of those games.
Then again, the low expectations mean even a decent season will be a cause for celebration in Boulder. A catch-22 by any stretch.