One Colorado Stat That Needs To Change Under Deion Sanders

The College Football Playoff has been in place since 2014, meaning there have been 12 seasons in the new era. The Colorado Buffaloes have only finished in the top-25 of the CFP rankings two times, keeping company with programs like Syracuse, UCLA, Arizona State, and Kentucky. However, the Buffaloes have the same number of top-25 finishes as Temple, Tulane, Oregon State, and Washington State.

For Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes to earn the respect of the college football world, finishing in the top 25 is a good place to start.

Jan 20, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; The College Football Playoff national champion trophy at the CFP Champions press conference at Marriott Marquis Miami. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rankings in The College Football Playoff Era

In the College Football Playoff era, several teams have had lasting success. The teams with the most success are the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide, who have been ranked in the top 25 in all 12 seasons.

Number of CFB Playoff Top 25 Finishes (2014-Now) 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/UTh6Ks3VUS
— College Football Report (@CFBReport) February 16, 2026

For the most part, this era has been dominated by the SEC, but recently the Big 10 has made a case for being the best conference in College football. The last three national champions have come from the Big 10. In 2023, it was the Michigan Wolverines, in 2024, Ohio State, and in 2025, the Indiana Hoosiers.

However, as seen by last season with Indiana, NIL has shown that building a program can be done in a short time period, which gives hope and optimism to smaller programs.

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Nov 2, 2018; Tucson, AZ, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre reacts during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-Imagn Images | Casey Sapio-Imagn Images

Colorado’s Limited Success in The CFP Era

Colorado has only been ranked in the top 25 of this era in two instances. The first was in 2016, when they finished 10-4 and ranked No. 10 under former Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre. Other than 2016, it was a tough coaching tenure at Colorado for MacIntyre, with no other winning seasons.

After coach MacIntyre there was very little success or reason for optimism in Boulder until a new coach arrived to bring some hype to the program.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders arrived in 2023 to become the new head coach of the Buffaloes with the goal of creating a successful program with a winning culture.

In his first season, Sanders went 4-8. In 2024, Colorado was able to record its second winning season of this era, as the Buffaloes went 9-4 and had a fourth-place finish in the Big 12. Colorado finished No. 23 in the CFP rankings after the 2024 season.

However, after the departure of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter to the NFL Draft, Colorado had some missing pieces. The 2025 season was a battle as the Buffaloes finished with a record of 3-9.

With Deion Sanders, there is hope for the team to develop well and build a culture of sustained success, which Colorado has not had in the new era of college football.

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Why There Is Hope For The Buffaloes

While coach Sanders’ success at Colorado has been up and down in his first three years, he does have a revamped strategy with NIL and the transfer portal.

Sanders has realized that with Colorado’s current place in College Football, going after the big-time players may cost a lot more resources than the Buffaloes can afford to spend. Filling the roster with solid and experienced players at each position has been proven to succeed in today’s game.

So, Sanders has chosen to use his resources to improve his roster with players who have shown a history of production and success. Some notable additions for 2026 include wide receiver Danny Scudero, defensive tackle Santanna Hopper, linebacker Gideon Lampron, and cornerback Justin Eaglin.