Colorado’s Struggles Spark Overreaction About Deion Sanders’ Future

The Colorado Buffaloes fell to a 1-2 record following a Friday night loss to the Houston Cougars. It was a tough performance from the team all around, and has caused question marks surrounding Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ job with the program.

Sanders signed a five-year extension back in March, keeping the Colorado coach with the program through the 2029 season. The contract is worth $54 million, which makes him one of the highest-paid college football coaches. After the second loss of the season, questions regarding Sanders’ buyout were raised, but is it an overreaction?

Calling For Sanders’ Job An Overreaction

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Houston Cougars Yellow Jackets College Football Willie Fritz Ryan Staub Big 12 Folsom Field — Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It is fair to argue that the Colorado Buffaloes are underperforming within the first three weeks of the season, but calling for Sanders to be fired is certainly an overreaction. Sanders signed his extension this year, which means he will be locked in with the team for quite some time.

The NFL Hall-Of-Famer executed one of the most-exciting turnarounds in college football, taking over an 1-11 team in 2022, improving to 4-8 in his first season in 2023 and then leading the Buffs to a 9-4 record in 2024.

According to Sportico, if Sanders terminates his contract before Dec. 31, 2025, he would owe Colorado $12 million in “liquidated damages.” Each year, the number does go down. From a financial standpoint, it is unlikely that Colorado lets go of Sanders, but there are other reasons as well.

Colorado's Roster Turnover To Blame?

It is hard to put all the blame on Sanders with the amount of roster turnover the team faced throughout the offseason. Following the 2024 season, the Colorado Buffaloes lost their starting quarterback, four of the top wide receivers, and faced several transfer portal departures, especially across the offensive line.

Of the four wide receivers that moved on to the NFL, one was reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who was also a successful cornerback.

Of the top three running backs on the team, Micah Welch is the only one returning from the 2024 squad. While wide receivers Omarion Miller and Dre'lon Miller are both returning players as well, they are stepping up into bigger roles this season.

Sanders is fielding a team of several new players, whether they are new to the program or stepping up as a starter for the first time, and that takes time to adjust to.

Colorado Needs To Find A New Identity

Colorado was a one-win program before Sanders was hired, and he has helped turn the team around. It is hard to justify firing a coach who helped bring media attention and a different culture to Colorado's football program.

MORE: Three Concerning Takeaways From Colorado’s Tough Loss to Houston

MORE: Houston Coach Willie Fritz Addresses Missed Postgame Handshake With Deion Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Accepts Blame in Blunt Comments After Ugly Colorado Loss

While it is no secret that the Colorado Buffaloes must perform better, lacking identity on both sides of the ball is hurting the team. The offense is struggling on all cylinders, while the defense is lacking physicality.

Sanders was able to turn things around with Colorado before, and he can do it again, but he must help the team find a new identity. If Sanders is let go prematurely, it can cause more setbacks to the team, instead of the Colorado coach helping the program throughout the season.

Where Does Colorado Go From Here?

The Colorado Buffaloes are now 1-2, going 0-1 in Big 12 conference play. The chances of Colorado making the College Football Playoff or even the Big 12 championship are low, and there is a lot for Colorado to fix.

With Sanders facing adversity, the focus for the Buffaloes should be finding an identity and fixing the mistakes that are occurring each game. While the Colorado coach may not be able to turn everything around in one week, he can help tune the issues and show growth.

One of the biggest issues that the Colorado Buffaloes’ defense is facing is that they cannot stop the run, especially when the quarterback takes the ball himself. This is something Houston coach Willie Fritz noticed while looking at Colorado's first game against Georgia Tech, and the Cougars used that to defeat the Buffaloes.

Colorado’s quarterback struggles continued in week 3. Quarterback Ryan Staub got the start after a strong showing in week 2. Staub struggled to gain any rhythm outside of two drives in the second quarter. Sanders has to evaluate the quarterback position and decide if he will stick with one quarterback or continue to switch it up.

The challenge with continuously switching quarterbacks is that it can make it harder for the offense to gain a rhythm with a different leader. The team is struggling to find consistency on the field, and this is something that will be important to work on moving forward for the Buffaloes.

While it is an overreaction to call for Sanders’ job, this is the moment to see how he can overcome adversity. There is still a long season ahead, and Sanders will have to keep the team alive and motivated through the challenging times.

Calling For Sanders’ Job An Overreaction

Colorado's Roster Turnover To Blame?

Colorado Needs To Find A New Identity

Where Does Colorado Go From Here?

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