By Rock Westfall
The honeymoon is over, and the thrill is gone. Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has had a bad month, and the worst is yet to come. This month, Sanders has dealt with allegations of a violent “Grand Theft Auto” culture by former players, who claim that there are fights, threats, challenges to manhood, floating cash, and big-time gambling.
In the days that followed, Sanders became testy with the press. He refused to talk to a local CBS reporter and challenged the questions of several other reporters. Remarkably, most of the questions, as always, were of the milquetoast variety, but Sanders was not having any of it.
His petulance resembled that of a coach who senses impending doom, which is likely to come on September 7 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hey @SeanKeeler, good column. Glad you've never bought into the Coach Prime hype.
Deion Sanders, 4-8 coach, gave a 3-9 news conference. Coach Prime showed CU Buffs fans a four-letter side they hadn't seen before: Fear https://t.co/cIAkEnT6Zj via @denverpost— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp) August 10, 2024
A Prime Time Credibility Gap
On September 7, 2024, college football’s ultimate cultural clash will take place when the Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Colorado Buffaloes.
More Sports News
Colorado is a personality- and click-based culture. It’s all about Deion Sanders, his sons Shedeur and Shilo, and the rest of a team that is nothing more than hired help. At least 41 players (and counting) left the program since the 2023 season ended.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was battered and beaten at the end of last year due to a lack of offensive line support. Coach Prime and Son face that prospect again in 2024 with a makeshift offensive line comprised of castoffs from the transfer portal.
Everything in Sanders’ program is transactional. There is no detailed blueprint for a buildout; and Sanders has been winging it since his arrival.
By contrast, Nebraska emphasizes a brotherhood-for-life culture. Everything about head coach Matt Rhule’s program is well thought out. Nebraska offers excellent NIL and focuses on recruiting instead of the portal. Rhule says that playing at Nebraska is about the next 50 to 60 years of a player’s life. It’s a program built on grit, character, camaraderie, and preparation. Rhule has a plan and answer for everything. He has “The Vision Thing.”
Last year, Nebraska gifted Colorado a 36-14 win with four turnovers and the sloppy play of a team in transition. But CU led by only 13-7 in the third quarter. Nebraska simply went Santa Claus the rest of the way. This is Rhule’s second season, and the change in roster quality and expectations is profound.
Now, Nebraska will face Colorado more on Rhule’s terms and at home. The atmosphere will be electric, and it will be on NBC prime-time television. Rhule has prioritized recruiting visits for the matchup. Everything points to a fundamental transformation of both programs for the nation to witness.
More than 90 players have transferred from Colorado in less than 18 months. We don’t have to be obtuse and pretend this isn’t unique, and that everyone in the country isn’t curious how it’s going. https://t.co/xtdzbuwUaj
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) May 1, 2024
The End of Coach Prime on Prime Time
Legendary former Colorado assistant and head coach Gary Barnett said last week on Hail Varsity Radio, “Whenever there’s smoke, there’s always a little bit of fire somewhere. My guess is the truth is somewhere in between,” regarding the CU Grand Theft Auto culture. During the interview, Barnett, now a CU football radio analyst, discussed the challenge of learning about the over 40 new players on the team. He also mentioned taking anonymous sources with a grain of salt.
Nebraska has no such problems. They are unified, focused on football, and familiar with each other.
In September 2023, Deion Sanders perpetrated a fraud upon College Football Nation with a smoke-and-mirrors 3-0 start. Eight losses in the next nine games revealed the truth of his makeshift program. There was no defense, offensive line, or depth. And there appears to be little more, if any, in 2024.
Worse yet, Sanders damaged goodwill with those who initially supported him and potential friends of the program. After winning his first game 45-42 at TCU on the FOX’s Big Noon feature game, on the field in what should have been joy, he went into a paranoid rant about nobody wanting a black man to succeed and sneering, “Do you believe now.” Within a few weeks, only the pop culture cultists remained as true believers.
During the offseason, Sanders showed little interest in leaving the luxury of his home and office to recruit. His coaching staff, including both coordinators, experienced significant turnover.
On September 7, 2024, Deion Sanders’ Colorado coaching career could end, either literally or figuratively, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he pulled a vintage 2020 Jim Harbaugh and called in sick for the rest of the year. He could also quit and take Shedeur with him to protect the QB for the NFL Draft, or he could stick around and endure weekly humiliations in what seems to be a terminally ill coaching career at CU.
Since that 3-0 start in 2023, Deion Sanders has been exposed. His Colorado career could be obliterated on September 7 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
https://twitter.com/InBijanWeTrust/status/1698061371395526930
