Analyst downplays Week 2 Nebraska win, rest of Colorado season

CBS Sports' Will Backus downplayed the Buffs' Week 2 win over Nebraska and the rest of the 2023 Colorado football season Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
CBS Sports' Will Backus downplayed the Buffs' Week 2 win over Nebraska and the rest of the 2023 Colorado football season Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

“I don’t think I stumbled or stuttered when I told you we were coming,” said Deion Sanders after Colorado football improved to 2-0 after a thoroughly one-sided second half helped clinch a 36-14 victory over Nebraska on September 9.

Not everyone listened, though, apparently. CBS Sports’ Will Backus believes things will come crashing down for the Buffs after upsetting TCU as a three-touchdown underdog in Week 1 and handily covering the spread against the Cornhuskers in Week 2 — and he even insinuated that Nebraska lost more than Colorado won in the Buffs’ latest matchup.

“There are some ready to argue that Colorado will factor into the Pac-12 title race, and that’s hard to envision,” Backus prefaced before saying, “This team still has issues. Beating Nebraska by 22 points is nothing to sneeze at, but the Cornhuskers gave Colorado a lot of help. Quarterback Jeff Sims fumbled the ball three times — twice on a snap and once on a handoff —  and Colorado recovered each time. Two of those gave the Buffaloes possession in Nebraska territory. ”

Analyst not off on Colorado football, but spin is an example of moving the goalposts

Oh, come on now. Before the season, there were many proudly proclaiming with certainty that the Buffaloes wouldn’t be much better than the much-maligned 2022 team. Now the goalposts have moved to analysts scoffing at predictions that Colorado football could compete for the Pac-12 Championship.

The staunchest of Coach Prime supporters are wondering at this very moment if Oregon’s trenches will be too much for the Buffs’s shaky offensive line and if Shedeur Sanders and Co. could keep up with the Caleb Williams-led offensive attack. Beyond that, even Oregon State and Wazzu loom as Pac-2 programs without a future conference home as things stand in potential revenge games for CU starting an exodus of programs out of the Pac-12 in 2023 after USC and UCLA left first in 2022.

Few are crowning the Buffs anything right now. Just kings of the transfer portal, and America’s team from a betting perspective.