As cliche as this sounds, it’s best to let bygones be bygones. However, cast your minds back to Selection Sunday. One look at discourse on both new and traditional media alike would’ve had you thinking the new CFP field hosts about 24 teams, not 12. Every fanbase believed their school was getting in. Or at least was making the case for it. People of different persuasions were all divided. There was divergence even over what weapons they were deploying to make their team look superior. However, one argument/weapon was so prominent you couldn’t go 2 minutes without hearing about it. 3 cursed words. Strength of schedule. Fast forward to the present day, and those very words have circled back to haunt Deion Sanders and Colorado.
Fair warning goes out to Colorado fans for potential PTSD. But remember that time you had one foot through the door of the playoffs? That Week 13 loss in Arrowhead to Kansas was as ill-timed as any. But zoom out for a wider POV and consider this. How did a team that lost 6 on the bounce to end the previous season find themselves 8-2? Sure, Deion Sanders got requisite help in terms of personnel. Travis Hunter went up another gear, and Shedeur Sanders’ pass protection held up better. However, one of the keys to the upturn was a relatively “soft” schedule.
Colorado, who finished the season ranked 25th, played a grand total of zero playoff teams. To be fair to them, their average margin of victory was pretty solid. Colorado beat everyone they should’ve beaten handsomely. But it’s not a good look that the ‘best’ team Deion Sanders and Co. faced all season, BYU, blew the brakes off them. Alas, allegations of an easy path into the 12-team CFP are back. In fact, it’s not the adversaries that are making said allegations. It’s Colorado fans themselves. One glance at the 2025 fixture list and they’re not being irrational either.
A couple of things to note. There are a lot of misconceptions in the wider CFB sphere, and they only increase as newer fans delve into this growing world. First up, the easier schedules aren’t exactly by design. These schedules are made well in advance and there’s no way to foresight which program will present a challenge years down the line. The Buffs themselves would’ve been perceived as a cakewalk 2 years ago. Playing the Utah Utes in 2023 was an entirely different proposition to playing them in 2024. Deion Sanders actually did have to play them last season, but it transpired to be a non-challenge when the time came. Utah was considered the best team in the Big 12 by many in the preseason, and a tough challenge. Colorado beat them 49-24. Speaking of which, another factor to pay heed to is the conference matchups.
As part of the Big 12, Colorado played 6 of their 12 games against fellow conference members. You’d think that it should alleviate some criticism from Deion Sanders. He can’t help the fact that the conference is overall not in a very healthy position in terms of the strength of its members at this time. Whichever way you construe it, a Big 12 schedule is bound to seem weak. The crux of people’s disdain in this scenario is the other 6 games.
At least on paper, those aren’t particularly difficult either. Now, Coach Prime won’t have any complaints. Looks like a double-digit win season is on the horizon. Which could propel them into the playoffs. That’ll quell all concerns. However, an easy schedule does not instill the spirit of competition nor excitement within fans. As a result, Buffs fans didn’t mince words in letting Deion Sanders and the program know of their verbal wrath.
Colorado fans verbalize their disdain for the schedule Deion Sanders and team will traverse
The full extent of the schedule itself can be viewed on the aforementioned IG post. In the comments of this very post was pandemonium. “Can’t lie this schedule weak as s–t” wrote one fan. This sentiment was reiterated by another, writing, “Strength of schedule gotta be one of the lowest for a power 4 school ;)” February just began, and that godforsaken discourse around SoS is already brewing! Deion Sanders will probably feel the biggest indictment was one fan saying, “If they had this schedule last year they probably would’ve lost none or 1”
Some fans complained about the exact contents of the schedule, too. “No Colorado State game is weird now. It’s kinda like a smaller rivalry of Michigan vs Ohio st,” one said. Another underlying issue that affects those up in Boulder was expressed with “How about game times?? 8 PM? No thx.” More comments about the challenging nature, or lack thereof, followed suit. “Bro they gave them a easy schedule terrible” and “They ain’t playing nobody that’s a easy schedule” were proponents of this.
These strength of schedule debates are, unfortunately, a perpetual occurrence. There’s no real solution on the horizon. Certain ideas have been floated about by the likes of Joel Klatt, but adopting them is its own can of worms. Perhaps something will happen down the line. However, in the foreseeable future, Deion Sanders will seek to reap the rewards, get the monkey off his back, and reach the CFP.
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