EXCLUSIVE: Oregon great says Deion Sanders and Colorado could be dangerous

Like much of the country, J.J. Birden is excited to watch Oregon face off against the new-look Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday. The former NFL vet and Oregon Hall-of-Famer is optimistic going into Pac-12 conference play, but sees this matchup as one that Dan Lanning and the Ducks can't check out early.

"I expect Oregon to win," Birden told BuffsBeat. "I saw Oregon play against Hawaii. Obviously, Hawaii wasn't a great team, but you can still tell how good a team is and I've been watching Colorado, too. If Oregon comes out and dominates, it's their game. But if they allow Colorado to hang around and stay close, at the end of the third going into the fourth quarter, that's where it could get interesting."

The "Prime Effect" has spread across the country, especially with the way Colorado has stayed alive late in two of the three games to start the season. It's the CU vs. Everybody mentality and giving them a fighting chance to pull out a victory that make the storyline more attractive.

Birden doesn't need a reminder of how Sanders can outwork his opponents in a mental chess match. The two have lined up against each other during the prime of their respective NFL careers. Birden tours the country as a motivational speaker, and like Sanders, uses his experience to inspire others on a different level.

"A team like Colorado can be very dangerous because when you have a coach like Deion Sanders, who's been there and done that, and he's pouring belief into his team... And these young ones are believing. Their belief factor is growing... They become when they go into a game like this. When they believe they can win and when everybody is counting them out."

No. 19 Colorado hits the road to face No. 10 Oregon on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. from Autzen stadium with a national telecast on ABC.

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