
Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has been the man in Boulder, Colorado for 2 seasons, and the Buffaloes made their first bowl sport look within the "Coach Prime" period in 2024. Colorado misplaced the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl in opposition to the BYU Cougars, however the Buffaloes are predicted to go bowling once more in 2025.
Regardless of shedding Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the Cleveland Browns, and extra contributors to the NFL, Colorado is anticipated to win at the very least six video games within the upcoming season by On3's Brett McMurphy.
McMurphy has predicted Sanders and Colorado to face the Florida State Seminoles within the Solar Bowl on Dec. 21. The Solar Bowl is performed in El Paso, Texas, and usually options an ACC group and a Pac-12 group.
Regardless of Colorado leaving the Pac-12 in 2024, the bowl tie-ins nonetheless apply to varsities that left the convention, therefore explaining why the Buffaloes performed a Massive 12 opponent in BYU in final yr's Alamo Bowl. That is the ultimate yr that the bowl contracts with outdated Pac-12 colleges like Colorado shall be honored, making Sanders and the Buffaloes eligible for the Solar Bowl.
Ought to the Buffaloes play in opposition to Florida State in a bowl sport, it might probably be one of many extra anticipated matchups outdoors of the School Soccer Playoff. Sanders performed at Florida State from 1985-1988, and he was named an All-American in his junior and senior seasons.
Sanders has not squared off in opposition to his alma mater as a university head coach.
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In his school profession, Sanders totaled 14 interceptions and returned three for touchdowns. Sanders additionally returned three punts for touchdowns, totaling 1,429 return yards on punts in 4 seasons.
In response to "Coach Prime," there was nearly an opportunity that he returned to teach in Tallahassee.
Again in 2022, Sanders revealed on the Dan Lebatard Present that he interviewed with head teaching positions at Florida State, Arkansas, and TCU previous to being at Jackson State. The Seminoles job was open in December of 2019 after Florida State fired Willie Taggart throughout the season, they usually finally landed on present Seminoles coach Mike Norvell.
"Coach Prime" was employed by Jackson State in 2020, a couple of months after Florida State employed Norvell.
Each the Buffaloes and the Seminoles are unranked within the preseason AP High 25 Ballot. The 2 groups even have their respective win totals set at 6.5 wins by DraftKings Sportsbook. Nonetheless, the chances for Florida State to succeed in seven wins are -130 whereas Colorado's odds are +110.
Can both group make a run on the School Soccer Playoff? The ACC is competitve with groups like No. 4 Clemson and No. 10 Miami getting into the yr with excessive expectations. No. 16 SMU is the third group from the ACC at present ranked whereas Florida State sits outdoors of the highest 25 to begin the season.
Within the Massive 12, there isn’t a clear betting favourite with three groups favored to win the convention with +600 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook: Arizona State, Texas Tech, Utah. Can Sanders and the Buffaloes make noise in a aggressive Massive 12?
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Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Geese, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written a whole bunch of articles for SI and has coated occasions just like the Massive Ten Championship and School Soccer Playoff Quarterfinals on the Rose Bowl. Whereas pursuing a profession in sports activities journalism, he’s additionally a lifelong musician, holding a level in Music and Philosophy from Boston School. A local of Pasadena, California, he coated sports activities throughout Los Angeles whereas at Loyola Excessive Faculty and edited the Gabelli Presidential Students Program’s journal at BC. He’s excited to deliver his ardour for storytelling and sports activities to followers of faculty athletics.
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