The hype around Deion Sanders and Colorado feels completely different entering 2026.
And after what happened last season, it should.
Colorado went 3-9 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12, losing seven of its final eight games. The Buffaloes averaged just 20.9 points while allowing more than 30 per game.
That’s not a minor step backward.
That’s a disaster.
Now Sanders enters his fourth season in Boulder, and Thursday night’s opener at Georgia Tech feels like the beginning of an important year for the entire Coach Prime experiment.
Nobody is saying Colorado needs to compete for a national championship.
Nobody should even expect this team to suddenly become what it was during the nine-win 2024 season.
But we need to see something.
Colorado was picked 15th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 preseason media poll and didn’t receive a single vote in either major preseason Top 25 poll. Expectations surrounding the program have fallen dramatically.
Maybe that’s exactly what Sanders needs.
For once, Colorado isn’t entering a season surrounded by ridiculous hype.
It’s entering one with something to prove.
The Buffaloes have made major changes, hiring Brennan Marion to install his fast-paced “Go-Go” offense and Chris Marve to rebuild the defense. And perhaps most importantly, the offense now belongs to sophomore quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Lewis showed some promising flashes late last season, including throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start at West Virginia. Now he returns to his home state of Georgia with an opportunity to establish himself as the face of Colorado’s next chapter.
But this can’t just be about Lewis.
It’s about Sanders.
We’re entering Year 4 now.
The transfer portal has been used. The roster has been rebuilt multiple times. Coordinators have changed. The program has received more national attention than almost anyone could have imagined when Sanders arrived.
Eventually, the results have to follow.
Georgia Tech actually provides a perfect first test.
The Yellow Jackets beat Colorado 27-20 in Boulder last season, rushing for 320 yards in the process. Georgia Tech went on to finish 9-4 while Colorado completely fell apart.
Now Colorado gets another shot.
This time it’s in Atlanta.
And while losing on the road to Georgia Tech wouldn’t automatically mean Colorado is headed for another terrible season, the Buffaloes need to look different.
They need to be competitive.
They need to look organized.
They need to show that Marion’s offense can actually move the football and that the defense isn’t going to get pushed around again.
Most importantly, they need to give people a reason to believe Colorado is moving forward.
Because another three- or four-win season would create a very uncomfortable conversation in Boulder.
Deion Sanders has already proven he can bring attention to Colorado.
He proved in 2024 that he can win there, too.
After what happened last season, though, it’s time for Coach Prime to prove he can build something that lasts.
Thursday night would be a pretty good place to start.
