Paul Finebaum credits Deion Sanders for Colorado turnaround in 2024

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum credited Deion Sanders tenfold for the Colorado turnaround in 2024. Through eight games, the Buffaloes are 6-2 and bowl eligible for the first time since 2020.

After going 4-8 in his first season, with a lot of media attention, Sanders and crew have certainly settled in this fall. Colorado is still in the thick of the Big 12 title race too!

Finebaum even said this is the Sanders he expected to see at a certain point.

“I don’t know if I’ve really heard much from him since he started going after (and) singling out reporters, doing stuff like that, I think he has handled himself the way he, the Deion Sanders I’ve always known and admired,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “I think he got a little bit too defensive of certain things, and it’s not a good exercise. Just coach your football team, embrace them, make them feel special, because they’re playing for you. And that’s what we’re seeing.”

Deion Sanders has excelled in Year 2

Colorado, notably the worst Power Five program in recent memory, is a great story. Sanders brought buzz back to Boulder, along with sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, as well as two-way star Travis Hunter.

However the season ends, Finebaum can walk away impressed with Deion Sanders and Colorado this year.

“It is a remarkable story, and I think the media is now going to start gravitating and pulling back like they did before last season,” Finebaum said. “But I think that’s also been advantageous for him … Can you imagine having to entertain like he had to entertain the beginning of this season and last season? I mean, when the A-listers show up, you just can’t, like, wave at them. You have to, you know, make sure their G5 is met by (a) limousine with caviar. So I mean you can’t leave Shay Shay standing by himself. I think he’s just coaching football right now and you know what? He’s a really good coach.”

The Buffs head coach actually earned a $150,000 bonus for a sixth regular season win, and another $150,000 for Colorado’s bowl eligibility, per USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz.

Sanders put their mission into words after the Week 9 win.

“It’s cute. It really is, because we really want that,” Sanders said of his team’s bowl eligibility. “But that’s not all we’re after. That’s one of the hurdles that we’re jumping over, that we’re going over. That’s a tremendous hurdle, that we’re happy, we’re excited, but that’s not the end goal for us. That’s the beginning, but we are thankful and appreciative that the hard work is going noticed.”