Three Overreactions From Colorado Buffaloes' Rough Start To Season

The Colorado Buffaloes' slow start to the season has naturally drawn significant criticism from fans and media alike. Through three games, coach Deion Sanders' squad has yet to find its identity on either side of the ball, and it's reasonable to believe considerable changes are needed to get the Buffs back on track.

Reflecting on Colorado's 1-2 start, the most glaring issues surround the uncertainties at quarterback, questionable offensive play-calling and tackling issues. Several Buffs have underperformed thus far, and even "Coach Prime" was at a loss for words following CU's 36-20 loss at Houston on Friday.

Overreactions Colorado Buffaloes Rough Start Season Deion Sanders Julian Lewis Ryan Staub Kaidon Salter Big 12 Football Prime — Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Ryan Staub (16) scrambles with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While Colorado's performance against the Cougars was certainly disappointing, it's important to keep things in perspective as the Buffs navigate a possible rebuilding year. Remember, this is a team that was forced to reload after losing quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and several others to the NFL.

Below are three overreactions to Colorado's slow start:

Deion Sanders On The Hot Seat

Shockingly, but almost expected based on the strange national narratives surrounding "Coach Prime," questions about Deion Sanders' buyout and his future in Boulder were raised after Friday's loss. This is a massive overreaction and one that would likely make athletic director Rick George laugh.

Although this season hasn't gone according to plan, "Coach Prime" has done enough to earn the trust of Colorado fans. Some patience may be required as Colorado adjusts to life without Shedeur and Hunter.

"We're in the infancy of what 'Coach Prime' is gonna do here," George told Thee Pregame Show just last month. "If you think about we went from a 1-11 team to a 4-8 team and to a bowl game last year at 9-4 on the season, and we've got a lot of high expectations for this coming year. I'm not a 'told you so' guy. I'm confident in the decision we made. 'Coach Prime' has exceeded expectations, in my opinion."

Jordan Seaton, Julian Lewis Want Out Of Boulder

As competitors, neither left tackle Jordan Seaton nor freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis is likely pleased with how this season has gone so far. Seaton has expressed some frustrations with Colorado's overcomplicated offensive approach, and Lewis should be wondering when his next opportunity will come.

At the same time, talks of Seaton and Lewis wanting out of Boulder are entirely unreasonable after only three games. Seaton is arguably the face of the program and Lewis remains the future at quarterback.

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Transfer Portal Method Isn't Sustainable

Reloading via the transfer portal each offseason may elicit some poor starts due to a lack of chemistry, but it has also become an increasingly popular approach for coaches leading a rebuild. North Carolina's Bill Belichick, West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire and others all put ample resources toward the transfer portal this past offseason, signaling that Sanders' success at Colorado has changed how respected coaches recruit.

Two losses to Power Four teams in the first three weeks of the season doesn't mean that Colorado's recruiting approach has failed. As "Coach Prime" said last year, signing a large number of high school players typically leads to many entering the transfer portal when they don't see immediate playing time.

There are risks on both sides of the recruiting spectrum, but "Coach Prime" has already proven that the transfer portal method can work when executed properly.