How Deion Sanders' Situational Coaching Will Decide Colorado Buffaloes' Fate

Two of the Buffaloes' three defeats were explicitly winnable and possibly avoidable if Sanders showed better clock management. Timeout calls, or a lack thereof, were of the essence after the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came out on top, but Coach Prime passed on any accountability.

Sanders then oversaw a misleading win over the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, where third-string quarterback Ryan Staub swooned him with a dazzling performance. This decision damaged the confidence of quarterback Kaidon Salter, who started the Buffs' first two games and was growing in mental fortitude with each snap.

As he watched from afar, Staub took a beating a week later to open Colorado's Big 12 slate. The Houston Cougars had Coach Prime flabbergasted after an apparently spotless week of practice, so he adjusted and went back to Salter before a restorative win over the Wyoming Cowboys.

But after Salter struggled late against the No. 25 BYU Cougars in another close loss, dropping Colorado to 2-3, Sanders took sweeping shots at his roster. Under Sanders, the Buffs dropped to 1-8 against ranked opponents.

"When it seems like you had more talent, but you didn't quite win the game, it makes it feel somewhat awkward," Sanders said. "Sometimes, it felt like the moment was just too big for some of our athletes, and they've got to do something about that."

The Buffaloes' Blame Game

How much of the Buffs' deficits tie back to execution, as opposed to those whose job it is to set up that execution?

It's abundantly clear that this team does not have the NFL-bound talent of 2024's 9-4 squad or even 2023's 4-8 bunch. Left tackle Jordan Seaton can only do so much. And yet, it feels that coaching has been the difference between 2-3 and 4-1. Room for error on Colorado's sidelines shrinks without personal trophy cases waiting on the other side.

Sanders' miscues in timeout usage continued last Saturday. The Buffs spent far too long contemplating a fourth down in the third quarter, burning a vital timeout in the process just to punt out of it.

And when the Buffaloes could have needed three stoppages rather than two on their final drive, they rushed a drive that ended in Salter throwing a game-ending interception.

In addition, offensive coordinator Pat Shumur had no counter-punches for when BYU forced Salter and the offense off its original script. It led to a familiar, dreary few sequences that capsized an initially high-octane defense into 17 unanswered points.

Yet Sanders' postgame presser left many under the bus.

"No, I saw what I saw at practice," Sanders said. "Everything I saw today, I saw at practice, and that's where it starts, and then the preparation. . . That's your prerequisite, that's your preparation for how you're going to perform. Rarely have I seen men in all levels practice bad and go out there and dominate in the game."

Coach Prime Not Built For Prime Time?

Indeed, several position groups are undercutting expectations. A defense that many thought would continue its steps forward under coordinator Robert Livingston has looked utterly hopeless, unable to stop the run, hard-pressed to contain opposing quarterbacks and without a takeaway since week 2.

But when multiple games are lost in near-identical fashion, littered with missed opportunities, that goes back to who is preparing and the advice they're giving. Sanders has never been a guru of X's and O's, but his mentorship as of late is worthy of doubt

Now, another season hangs in the balance. The Iowa State Cyclones and Utah Utes await after this Saturday's fight with the Horned Frogs, a string of foes that could leave the Buffs 2-6 and in need of four straight wins just to become bowl-eligible.

For Colorado to avoid this dire fate, Sanders must match his proven motivation skills with sharp situational wit. He's shown himself as a frontman, but to lead any program beyond simple relevance and into postseason glory, an efficient adjustment-making process is crucial.

Sanders shouldn't simply throw his hands up at how a game flows or what mistakes players will inevitably make. He must be as decisive, consistent and galvanizing as he wants his quarterbacks to become. Or else, "Prime Time" the player is not ready for prime time as a coach.