Joel Klatt believes it would be 'insane' to not call Colorado a Big 12 contender

Colorado returns to the Big 12 in 2024 in what will be their second season led by Deion Sanders. And the Buffaloes could potentially compete for a conference title immediately in the opinion of Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt.

Klatt asked questions about each of the Power Four conferences during a recent episode of his show on Monday. For the Big 12, he wondered who among them could actually win it with him naming seven of their 16 teams. That included the Buffaloes with him thinking they’re going to take another step forward in Year Two for Coach Prime.

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“Like, this whole time talking about the Big 12, you’re like, ‘Is he going to do it? Is he going to do it? Is he going to do it?’. Damn right I’m going to do it – Colorado is a dark horse for this thing,” Klatt stated. “Like, I would be insane to not put Colorado in there as a dark horse for the Big 12.

“This is a team that went from one win to four where they really threw away a couple of other wins, should have been a bowl team last year. Everyone is like, ‘Can they go to a bowl?’ Can they go to a bowl?! What are you talking about?” Klatt continued. “Like, this team, I think, is an eight or nine-win team, which puts them in the conversation in a deep, quality league for a potential bid to the Big 12 Championship.”

This might just sound like the take of a former Buff himself. However, Klatt ensures that this is a grounded one.

It starts with just their expected development as a team from last season to this one that should win them a few more games regardless. Add in a simpler schedule, albeit with another difficult non-conference, and that could get them one or two more.

Before you know it, Colorado could then be bowl-eligible or, in Klatt’s eyes, even better from that alone.

“If they keep Shedeur Sanders upright and he can throw to some of these talented players on the outside like Travis Hunter? Watch out. Colorado is going to win a lot of games – a lot of games,” said Klatt. “They’ve got a difficult stretch early – North Dakota State they play early, Nebraska they play early. If they win both of those games then watch out because guess what? It’s going to be 2023 all over again. That hype train is going to be barreling down the rails and I might be driving it. You never know. You never know.

“Again, I’ve said this plenty of times before. If you just play this out in a realistic manner, this schedule for them is easier than what they had a year ago. Their players are better, their roster is better. That should uptick your win-total from four to five or six,” Klatt continued. “Then you start looking at the play on the field. Even if nothing else improves, if you just keep Sanders upright from 52 sacks a year ago, which is an insane number, to something that’s good, not even great in high-20s, low-30s? You’re going to win two more games. That’s eight. Like, that’s how I get there. There are not just Buffs-colored glasses that I’m looking through although I have them.”

Colorado is going to have to prove it after that train to start last fall got off the rails by the end of it after losing the final half and eight of their last nine. Still, with all this considered, Klatt doesn’t see any reason why the Buffaloes can’t be in the Big 12 race this season.

“I think Colorado has got a chance,” said Klatt.