Coming off a nine-win season in 2024, expectations are a bit lower for Deion Sanders and Colorado in 2025 due to a couple of significant losses on the roster. QB Shedeur Sanders and CB/WR Travis Hunter have moved on to the NFL, leaving major voids to be filled.
Colorado won't have the same ability through the air this season without Sanders, but they have two talented options at QB in Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and star freshman JuJu Lewis. Salter, along with an improved offensive line and a three-headed monster in the RB room, should lead to massive improvement on the ground.
Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston did outstanding work a year ago with the Buffaloes' defense, and despite some substantial personnel losses, should have a talented enough unit to once again field one of the better units in the Big 12.
The over/under of 5.5 wins on FanDuel is too low, but it's fair to believe that Colorado could take a minor step back in 2025 before another leap forward. Then again, the Big 12 is wide open, and it wouldn't shock me to once again see the Buffaloes in contention for the crown and a spot in the College Football Playoff come late November.
Coach Prime has a more reasonable goal in mind, however. At the annual kickoff luncheon, Sanders stated that Colorado's goal this season was to get to a bowl game and to win it this time:
At the annual kickoff luncheon, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said the goal this year, more specific than last year, is “To get Miss Peggy to a bowl game - and win!” #cubuffs
— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) August 15, 2025
Colorado's struggles in bowl games are probably worse than you think
Winning a bowl game would be a significant development for the Colorado program, if a bit short of championship aspirations. Colorado has one single bowl win this century, and hasn't come out on top in a bowl game since the 2004 Houston Bowl. Colorado's QB for that game was Joel Klatt. That's how long ago it was.
Colorado has lost five consecutive bowl games since that Houston Bowl win. Of course, just getting to a bowl has been a recent accomplishment for the program. Since 2008, Colorado has only played in a bowl game three times. That should tell you the shape of the program that Sanders took over.
Colorado was a powerhouse in the 1990s, but has been relegated to also-ran status this century. The program is certainly trending up under Coach Prime, but there's still a lot of work to get done to turn the Buffaloes back into a national contender.
As trivial as it may seem, winning a bowl game would be a big step in the right direction.