Desmond Howard goes against the grain with Colorado-Nebraska pick on College GameDay

Desmond Howard was the only analyst to pick Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes to win their Week 2 matchup during the September 7 edition of ESPN's College GameDay. Reece Davis, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, guest-picker Michael Phelps, and Kirk Herbstreit all picked Nebraska.

The Buffs enter as more than a touchdown underdog against the Huskers in Lincoln. Howard, though, might have been picking with his heart. Coach Prime is a good friend of his, and the former Heisman WR has spoken out in support of Sanders before.

In particular, Howard weighed in on Sanders' banning of The Denver Post's Sean Keeler from answering questions at CU press conferences and provided a defense for why Coach Prime might've implemented it.

“When I first heard the story, the first thing that popped into my head was how we talk about protecting your mental health,” Howard said (h/t On3). “I don’t know if people realize that Deion Sanders is a human being who has spoken openly about trying to commit suicide before. So, when you have a person who is an advocate for mental health, who not only wants to protect his mental health, but the number one job of a coach is to protect the mental health of his players too because you always want to treat all of your players like they’re your sons."

Of course, there are football reasons why Howard may expect an upset. Shedeur Sanders looked more effective than ever against North Dakota State behind an improved offensive line and the Buffs' defensive line put pressure on Bison QB Cam Miller. Rattling Dylan Raiola in a similar manner can yield positive results and make Howard look like a genius.