There may not be a more competitive league in 2025 than the Big 12. The difference between the team that ultimately wins the conference and the teams that are scrapping for bowl eligibility will be razor-thin. That means the range of outcomes for Deion Sanders and Colorado this season is wide. Could the Buffs compete for a conference title and a spot in the College Football Playoff? Absolutely. Could they also find themselves needing a season-ending win just to garner bowl eligibility? Yep.
There are a lot of unknowns for Colorado this season. Many are expecting a bit of a transition year following the departures of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, but Coach Prime has no interest in such a thing. He has reloaded with talent in the Transfer Portal; his team is talented enough to avoid too big a drop-off.
In a segment on Get Up this week on ESPN, Josh Pate and Joey Galloway discussed the expectations for Coach Prime and his team this season.
For Pate, that means being competitive in every game.
“That could be six wins. It could be nine wins in the Big 12," Pate said. "What he knows is what he’s experienced, and that is the gap between the lead car and the No. 11 car in that lead field is very narrow.”
Josh Pate and Joey Galloway define success for Colorado as "being competitive"
Pate's expectations are realistic, and he encourages fans and other analysts to look at Colorado through the microscope of what the program looked like before Sanders arrived. The year before the Prime era began in Boulder, the Buffs went just 1-11. He and his team were mocked for a 4-8 campaign in 2023, but that was a significant step forward. Last year's nine-win season was an even bigger leap. Another leap is on the horizon; it might just take a little longer to get there.
"He lost the best player in college football in Travis Hunter. He lost his starting quarterback," Galloway noted when discussing the unrealistic expectations some have placed on the program. "They're going to take a step back. You gotta win the games you are supposed to win, and then be competitive in the other games."
Fortunately for Sanders, he'll get an immediate litmus test for the quality of his team in the season opener. Even though it's a home game, Brent Key and Georgia Tech figure to pose a significant challenge for Colorado. If the Buffs can remain competitive, even in a losing effort, it would signal that the potential of this team is perhaps higher than some are giving them credit for. A win would signal Colorado as a legitimate contender in the Big 12.
But if Coach Prime's team goes out there and gets blown out on their home field to open the season? It'll be back to the drawing board, and Colorado could be on its way to a season much closer to 2023 than 2024.