Urban Meyer knew Deion Sanders, Colorado were ‘ready to shock the world’

Urban Meyer was aware that Colorado and Deion Sanders would do something great in Week 1. In fact, he practically called the Buffaloes’ upset of TCU during college football’s opening weekend.

Now, Colorado is No. 22 in the latest AP Poll ahead of a home matchup against Nebraska, one of the featured games of Week 2. All eyes are on Boulder.

So will Colorado and Sanders continue to shock the world? Meyer thinks so, if they haven’t done it enough already.

“Usually Vegas oddsmakers are pretty pretty on, but I had the luxury of sitting in the meetings, I went to practice, I was there basically all day,” Meyer said on Urban’s Take with Tim May. “And I walked out and I called my colleagues at Big Noon and I said, ‘Boys, he’s going to shock the world, man. This is a good team.’ The common denominator of a great team is great players. But number two, and very close number two, is hiring an excellent coaching staff. And I walked out of there and I was blown away. 

“You know, and I don’t want to say I was a naysayer … until I get the facts. And when I walked out of that room, I said, ‘No, this has a chance to surprise a lot of people.’ He took over a historically bad program … that was one of the worst teams in recent history. Their point differential I want to say is 500 and something to 100 and something.”

Meyer couldn’t believe his eyes. The difference between last year and this year is uncanny.

“I actually went back and watched them,” Meyer said of last year’s Colorado team. “It was awful. It was one of the worst displays of football I’ve ever seen. And then you roll into Colorado, I forget how beautiful that place is and you’re like how can you not win here? 

“And then you see coach Sanders, see a staff and you see those players and there was no doubt Vegas would in no way put in 21 point (spread) If they went to practice like I did. You know, I think I picked TCU because I thought the heat would get to him a little bit and I got a lot of respect for TCU. I think I picked them by a score. But their culture and their work ethic was on display in Fort Worth.”

As far as Colorado shocking people for the rest of the season, it can happen. But there’s another challenge in front of Sanders and Colorado.

No. 22 Colorado returns to action Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET at home against Nebraska.