Why Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has no chance of winning the Heisman Trophy

Colorado has quickly become the darling of the college football world, and it's easy to see why. Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has captivated media and fans, and his son, Shedeur Sanders, is one of the country's most electrifying players.

Through three games, Sanders ranks second in Division I in passing yards (1,251), fourth in completion percentage (78.7) and seventh in touchdown passes (10). The Colorado quarterback is already generating significant Heisman Trophy buzz, too, as he's dropped from 125-to-1 odds to win the award before the season to 18-to-1, per DraftKings.

But those odds might as well be 18,000-to-1, because Sanders's chances of winning the Heisman are the same as Colorado's chances of winning the national title: zero.

The Heisman Trophy is as much about winning games as it is about putting up monster stats. Of the 87 Heisman winners, 73 finished the season with two or fewer losses, per the official Heisman site. Only 11 winners all time played for teams that lost three games. Three played for teams that lost four or more games. 

The voters put more emphasis on winning now than ever, too. Nine of the past 10 Heisman winners went 11-1 or 12-0 in the regular season; the only one who didn't was Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2016. That season, the Cardinals finished 9-3 in the regular season, and Jackson recorded the second-most total yards (4,928), the most rushing yards (1,571) and third-most total touchdowns (51) among Heisman Trophy winners.

Sanders, who has rushed for minus-59 rushing yards through three games, won't come close to matching those numbers, and Colorado won't come close to a 9-3 record.

The Buffaloes are 3-0, but they needed a late comeback at home to escape in overtime against Colorado State, a 24-point underdog. They'll also be without their best player, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, for a few weeks due to an injury, and what a few weeks the Buffaloes have on deck.

Colorado will play at No. 10 Oregon on Saturday before hosting No. 5 Southern California the following week. Later in the season, the Buffs will face No. 22 UCLA, No. 21 Washington State, No. 14 Oregon State and No. 11 Utah. 

Woof. 

But wait, Colorado is ranked 19th. Won't it be able to hang with the top teams in the Pac-12?

In short, no. Colorado's defense ranks 122nd of 130 teams in total defense (460.3 yards per game). Its wins came against Colorado State (0-2), Nebraska (1-2) and a down TCU team (2-1). How is this defense going to fare against reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of Southern Cal, Bo Nix of Oregon and the other talented QBs in the conference? 

Colorado is also limited on the offense. Sanders has been spectacular, but the Buffaloes rank 125th in  yards per rush (2.0) and last in sack yards allowed (134). The offensive line for Sanders is abysmal, and he won't be able to cover for it much longer with the schedule ratcheting up. 

Colorado will be lucky to win seven games, and even if it does, Sanders will have to blow Jackson's spectacular Heisman season out of the water to win the award. Sanders deserves to be a top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, if the junior makes himself available, but the Heisman Trophy is far from his grasp this season.