Finebaum hammers Deion Sanders and Colorado football over Big 12 championship claims

Paul Finebaum has no faith in Deion Sanders' Colorado football program contending for the Big 12 Championship during the 2024 season -- demanding Coach Prime and Co. focus on a bowl game before worrying about anything grander.

“I mean, listen, everybody loves Coach Prime. But try getting to a bowl game, okay, before you start competing for a conference championship or anything else," Finebaum said (h/t On3).

“I think (a bowl) is their ceiling this year, maybe break six or seven wins. But conference championship? Not a chance.”

Deion Sanders never set goal for Colorado football higher than six wins

It wasn't Sanders who set the bar at the Big 12 Championship. Coach Prime promised Blenders NIL-sponsored CU Buffs superfan Peggy Coppom six wins and a bowl game at the Black and Gold spring game.

CU alum Joel Klatt, however, did predict Big 12 contention.

"There is a scenario where if Shedeur Sanders is healthy, and they maintain some of that health with guys on the outside, Travis Hunter, who I think is one of if not the best overall player in college football, there’s a chance that Colorado’s competing to go to the Big 12 Championship Game," Klatt said on The Herd (h/t AthlonSports).

"I would just make the argument that when evaluating Colorado, you can't just evaluate them in the current state of the race. Now, I think the play on the field is going to start to catch up with some of the expectations...I think that Colorado can win eight games. I think that they can double their win total from a year ago."

So Klatt's the culprit. Not Coach Prime.

It's interesting to see Finebaum withhold from calling Sanders a celebrity coach and say that everyone loves him. To be fair, though, besides day-dreaming Buffs homers, no one claims that Colorado will be a contender.

But good on Finebaum to really go out on a limb with that declaration.