SI

Keyshawn Johnson Claims Other Coaches Chipped in to Help Oregon Beat Colorado, Deion Sanders

The Oregon Ducks had no problem handing Colorado its first loss of the season on Saturday.
Keyshawn Johnson Claims Other Coaches Chipped in to Help Oregon Beat Colorado, Deion Sanders
Keyshawn Johnson Claims Other Coaches Chipped in to Help Oregon Beat Colorado, Deion Sanders

Colorado's blowout loss to Oregon on Saturday ended the Buffaloes' impressive undefeated start, but the discourse surrounding Deion Sanders's team hasn’t slowed down much

The latest strange take on Colorado’s first loss came from Undisputed’s Keyshawn Johnson, who says he found out through a conversation with a college coach that Oregon received substantial assistance in game-planning for the Buffaloes from other schools.

“They [were] telling me ‘Man, I’ve never heard from another assistant coach of how much information was being given to that [Oregon] staff about game-planning against Colorado so they can beat them,” Johnson said.

The insinuation here from Johnson is that other programs wanted Colorado to lose badly, with co-host Skip Bayless alluding to jealousy across the coaching profession of Sanders’ meteoric rise.

 
Here’s the full exchange:

The take quickly raised eyebrows across the college football world, namely because coaches sharing information about past opponents is common practice in the sport. Plus, the Ducks clearly outclassed Colorado Saturday, winning 42–6 and outgaining the Buffaloes 518 yards to 194. No amount of opponent tidbits would have changed the outcome of the game.

A side effect of all the extra buzz Sanders has brought to college football are takes like Johnson’s. And with a big showdown this weekend against Caleb Williams and USC in Boulder, Colorado’s moment in the spotlight isn’t winding down anytime soon. 


Published
Kevin Sweeney
KEVIN SWEENEY

Kevin Sweeney is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college basketball and the NBA draft. He joined the SI staff in July 2021 and also serves host and analyst for The Field of 68. Sweeney is a Naismith Trophy voter and ia member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Share on XFollow CBB_Central