Colorado Fans Won't Like This Prediction for the Buffaloes' Season Opener

CBS Sports Doubts Colorado

CBS Sports' Brad Crawford did an early prediction for the Week 1 battle between Colorado and Georgia Tech, and the final result seems to favor the Yellow Jackets heavily with a final score of 42-17. 

Crawford believes that Colorado coach Deion Sanders is just trying to hold on to the Buffaloes program, and with lots of changes, that could be too much pressure and too much to ask. Additionally, the performance of redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis seems to be in doubt, as he has only played in one road game for Colorado.

There is also a huge question on whether or not the Buffaloes can stop the run, which is something that the Yellow Jackets could lean on with running back transfer Justice Haynes from Michigan.

Colorado Buffaloes' Additions

As a result of almost a completely new roster from 2025, it is logical that many doubt Colorado’s ability to have success next season. However, there is a reason for optimism for the Buffaloes fans.

The first reason being that Coach Prime has brought in several capable coaches to help delegate more and coach more as a collective rather than a group of individuals. On the offensive side, Sanders has brought in offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and former high school head coach Josh Niblett, who have both seen success in their career as coaches so far.

On the defensive side, Coach Prime brought in defensive coordinator Chris Marve, who has previous experience as a defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. They also welcomed Vonn Bell to be the safeties coach who brings significant NFL experience as a player to help mentor and teach the secondary.

Sanders also addressed another weakness for the Buffaloes, which was the play in the trenches on both sides of the ball. 

On the offensive line, Coach Prime brought in offensive linemen Taj White, Bo Hughley, Jayven Richardson, Jayvon McFadden, Jose Soto, and Demetrius Hunter to help significantly improve protection for Lewis and create bigger lanes for the running backs. 

On the defensive side, Colorado recruited Santana, Hopper, Ezra Christensen, Sedrick Smith, Tyler Moore, Samu Taumanupepe, Toby Anene, Balansama Kamara, and Vili Taufatofua. Last season, the defensive line struggled to stop the run or get after the quarterback, which is something Sanders wanted to improve for a game like this. 

As this is Lewis's first full year as the starter, Coach Prime brought in several solid weapons, including receivers Danny Scudero, DeAndre Moore Jr., Kam Perry, and Ernest Campbell, with running backs Damian Henderson II, Jaquail Smith, and Richard Young, to complement the passing game. Fisher Clements was the lone tight end addition to give Colorado more depth as well.

Why The Buffaloes Can Beat Georgia Tech

Before the transfer portal, it seemed that Colorado had a lot of holes on the roster. However, Sanders and the coaching staff were able to significantly improve the roster in several areas, especially on the line of scrimmage, as well as with explosive players and offense.

Colorado also has the benefit of having continuity at the quarterback position, which is something Georgia Tech doesn’t have with the departure of Haynes King. With the Buffaloes emphasis on stopping the run to improve from 2025, that could spell trouble for the Yellow Jackets on offense.

With the improved offensive line and weapons, Lewis has the potential to lead Colorado to sustain drives with a consistent running game and a passing game that can be explosive. A consistent running game is something that Colorado has not had recently, and if they can produce on the ground, this is something the Buffaloes' opponents have never seen before.

Heading into year four, it may seem that there is a lot of pressure on Deion Sanders to perform, which definitely could be the case. However, this offseason, he has taken a more hands-on approach, which seems to have helped Colorado to improve as a team on the field, but also to start implementing a stronger culture off the field to find sustained success.

Many people may doubt Colorado’s ability to win this game against Georgia Tech, but those inside the Colorado program know how much potential they have. This could be one of the better games of Week 1 when the college football season begins. This season could be where Sanders and the Buffaloes turn the corner to find success in the Big 12. 

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