Unlike Dan Lanning And Others, Stanford's Troy Taylor Doesn't Make It Personal With Deion Sanders

Stanford head coach Troy Taylor is fond of what Deion Sanders has done at Colorado thus far

On Friday, Stanford will hit the road after having the week off to take on the most popular team in the country, the Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes.

Similar to Stanford head coach Troy Taylor, Sanders is also in his first year as a Pac-12 head coach as they both made jumps from the FCS level after creating monstrous programs at Sacramento State and Jackson State respectively. While they have also been in the same spaces around the same times, their paths never crossed, it was evident when speaking to the media that Taylor has developed quite the respect for Sanders.

Both inherited programs that have been struggling over the past few years, with Colorado coming off a 1-11 season and Stanford coming off of a 3-9 season. Both programs have experienced success in the past, Stanford more recently, and they are both tasked with being innovative in their rebuilds. Sanders infamously urged last year's roster to hit the portal so he could bring in transfers, which he has brought in over 50 while Taylor is more so doing things the old-fashioned way. He brought in just five transfers, which is obviously due to the fact that Stanford is one of the toughest schools in the world to get into, and inherited the most inexperienced roster in the Power 5 which he will look to rebuild by recruiting the high school ranks.

Nonetheless, while Sanders has been criticized by the likes of Matt Rhule, Jim Mora, and Dan Lanning, Taylor praised what he's done in such a short time. 

"I gotta say he's done a really good job they have improved," said Taylor. "They play hard, it's pretty clear that they are a better team than they have been in the past."

He also was asked about the critics of Sanders and his methods, to which he was quite complimentary.

"I'm not critical at all of what Coach Sanders is doing," said Taylor. "He's doing what everybody else is trying to do in terms of adjust and find some sort of a competitive advantage..."

Sanders' roster made up of mostly transfers has stunned college football this season getting off to a 4-2 start, and even spending a few weeks ranked. The Buffs are favored by 11.5 points according to ESPN, and are home to one of the most prolific passing attacks in the country led by Sanders' son and quarterback Shedeur. Stanford is looking to end their four-game losing skid, with two of the losses coming by seven or less points.