Desmond Howard: Why a loss to Nebraska would be 'a devastating blow' to Colorado hype

Deion Sanders has been the talk of the sports world this past week after Colorado‘s upset victory over TCU. ESPN analyst Desmond Howard called it “a hell of wave” that Sanders and the program have been riding this past week.

Now the Buffaloes are in a totally different position than they were a week ago. They have Nebraska, at home and are favorites.

The world is watching, and as Howard explained Friday on First Take, a defeat would halt some of the momentum built last week.

He started by explaining the impact of Sanders on college football over the past 10 months.

“What he’s meant to college football in the short period of time where he’s been in Boulder, Colorado, I don’t even think you can put a price tag on it,” Howard said. “You can’t even express how important he is. He’s been probably the most significant hire in the past decade as far as college football coaches are concerned, and they have a hell of a wave right now.”

“They were a three touchdown underdog to TCU a week ago and they went in there, into Fort Worth, and they upset No. 17 TCU. They’re riding a huge wave. I was just in Boulder. I did interviews with Travis Hunter, their amazing, phenomenal two-way superstar and of course Shedeur Sanders the quarterback.”

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter each played their way into the Heisman Trophy race during the game versus the Horned Frogs. Sanders threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns during the game. Hunter had 11 catches for 119 yards and also snagged an interception and made three tackles as a lockdown cornerback.

They and the rest of the Colorado team have another chance to make a statement Saturday on national television versus a Nebraska team that underwhelmed in Week 1.

It could result in another major victory for the program, but could also knock them back down to Earth if Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers pull off an upset.

“I think that now mentally they’re prepared for this,” Howard said. “Their mantra this week is personal. It’s personal. TCU, they left that behind. Now they’ve moved on to Nebraska. I saw in Nebraska a week ago against Minnesota. If they lose to Nebraska this will be a devastating blow to Colorado based on what they accomplished a week ago when they took on TCU and upset the world.”