Joel Klatt says Colorado can win 'at least eight games' with 2024 schedule

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt is confident in Colorado again going into the 2024 season. While there was improvement in Deion Sanders’ first season, the hype didn’t match the win total of four.

Still, Colorado went from one win to four in Sanders’ first year and became relevant in the college football landscape. Now in the Big 12, the schedule looks quite different.

But, going into Year 2, the Buffaloes might have fixed the biggest issue that plagued them last Fall.

“I would pose you this question, I have been accused of being a homer and that I’m an apologist for Colorado,” Klatt said on The Herd. “However, Shedeur (Sanders), was sacked over 50 times last year. It was the clear weakness on a team that was very competitive … They have totally rebuilt their offensive line through the transfer portal, mainly, and getting Jordan Seaton the number one rated offensive tackle in the recruiting cycle last year.”

Colorado can win eight games?

“I’m just gonna throw out a hypothetical if they can now go from giving up over 50 sacks to giving up somewhere in the high 20s, which is still a lot,” Klatt said. “I’m not saying that they’re the most dominant offensive line in college football. I’m saying that they’re middle of the pack. Average. High 20s in terms of sacks.

“Tell me where they’re when total goes in a schedule that’s going to be far more, easy, I would argue, than it was a year ago? You see, this is why I say yeah, there’s a path to eight or nine wins and everyone’s like, ‘What are you talking about?’” 

Colorado had a poor offensive line, that much is true. If there’s improvement like Klatt says, sure, there can be more wins on the schedule.

It won’t be easy, but bowl eligibility looks to be within reach. It’s just a matter of how Colorado will go from four wins to maybe eight.

“Well, just look at it for a moment and think to yourself about the growth of the offensive line,” Klatt said. “What they are, if he is upright in the pocket, with the skill position players they have on the outside and the schedule that they face, far more difficult early than it is throughout the entirety of the schedule. It is not impossible, and I think (it’s) probably likely, that Colorado wins at least eight games, maybe more.”