Will Deion Sanders and Colorado seize the second half opportunity in 2024?

Coach Prime's team can win out and stay in the Big 12 hunt

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes venture into Tucson, Arizona for a homecoming battle with the Wildcats this weekend. At least the start time is reasonable. I heard from many Buff faithful about the plethora of late-night starts like last weekend’s tough loss at Folsom Field to the nationally-ranked K-State Wildcats. Said one ardent CU booster, “I live on the East Coast and had to stay up to almost two o’clock in the morning to watch the finish.”

Welcome to the world of college football these days. Money talks. Loudly. The networks are steering the ship and seemingly enjoy placing the Coach Prime-led Buffaloes in the late-night slot. It’ll happen again next week when the Buffs host Cincinnati in another 8:15pm matchup. Said another CU fan, “I can’t take the kids to the games.”

Warning to college football. Pigs get fat. Hogs get slaughtered. Be careful.

Back to Arizona and the health of CU’s Heisman candidate Travis Hunter and fellow wide receiver Jimmy Horn. Despite not having either the entire second half, Colorado kept rallying and fought to the finish. A poor officiating decision late in the game prevented what could have been another dramatic home win. I did appreciate quarterback Shedeur Sanders' comments afterward, “We can’t control what the officials decide. We gotta keep playing and trying to win.” Amen brother.

It was going to be tough to win without college football’s best player but Hunter is tough. The Florida native has never been able to finish a college football campaign without missing games to injury. Not at Jackson State or Colorado. It will continue the ongoing conversation about the wisdom of playing so many snaps each and every game.

The Buffs are halfway through their 12-game regular season. However, Hunter has played almost every down. The two-way standout takes all precautions available during the week to keep his body as healthy as possible. Good for him but it’s unrealistic to believe the future first-round NFL pick can stay healthy considering the weekly beating a strong but slim body receives.

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It elicits the well-worn question: If reducing Hunter’s workload is the goal, which side of the ball is compromised most? The answer is BOTH. However, one man’s opinion, Hunter’s offensive skills are unique. Buffs offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur can design many different plays to get the ball into Hunter’s hands. Not so on the defensive side. Teams stay away from 12’s side of the field.

If CU decides to cut down on Hunter’s participation, despite its stable of wide receivers, make it defense.

Arizona was highly-touted but sits 3-3 after BYU dominated in Provo last weekend. Sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita has struggled and has more interceptions, nine, than touchdown passes, eight. On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona is riddled with injuries.

Even if Hunter is not 100% the Buffs depth at wide receiver is apparently endless. Quarterback Sanders seemingly has a plethora of speedy, agile and elusive athletes to receive his accurate throws. It’s also apparent the 6’2” gunslinger needs to get rid of the darn ball and quit backpedaling while scrambling. That bad habit and large losses make it difficult to sustain drives.

This is a winnable game for Colorado. But it’s the same song, different verse for Prime’s second team. There must be more balance offensively and the defense must stiffen and not allow opponents to compile so many yards and points. KSU pushed around the Buffs defenders.

Back-to-back games against Wildcats. Has that ever happened in school history? Who knows and who cares. What really matters is Prime’s team sits at the halfway point with a legitimate chance to make this a season to remember.

Six opponents remain. Arizona, Texas Tech and Kansas on the road. Cincinnati, Utah and Oklahoma State at Folsom on Black Friday. Who says the Buffs can’t pull off something like Arizona did last season. The ‘Cats started 3-3 before ripping off seven straight wins, including an Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma.

The injury bug has bitten, including CU’s best player. “Next man up” is the battle cry. Finishing strong is the opportunity. The question is, “Will CU seize it?” Stay tuned.