Pete Thamel, Rece Davis discuss expectations for Colorado in 2024

Once again the Colorado Buffaloes football program has been a trending topic of conversation this offseason as they enter their second year under head coach Deion Sanders.

From social media controversy following another active offseason in the transfer portal, to their head man helping launch a signature shoe with Nike, and their quarterback recently releasing a song, there’s no doubt that the Buffs keep the spotlight pointed toward Boulder. But how will they perform on the field this season following a 4-8 finish last year?

ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Rece Davis recently discussed the expectations for Colorado this upcoming season, with Davis asking if the Buffaloes will hit the over or under on 5.5 total wins.

“Looking now I would take the under on 5.5,” Thamel said. “Now Shedeur, it needs to be said, I texted some NFL guys this morning because I knew we were going to be talking about this. A lot of NFL teams evaluated Shedeur last year because he was draft-eligible, and got a couple different responses back, but the thought is he’ll be at the top of this quarterback class.”

Shedeur Sanders established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation last year following an impressive first year at the Power Five level after spending two seasons at Jackson State. Throwing for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions on the season.

Sanders isn’t a perfect player and has room to improve, but so do his teammates around him. Especially after being the most sacked quarterback in the FBS last year, with the lack of a supporting cast worrying Thamel regarding Colorado’s win total.

“You can blame a lot of people for 52 sacks right? But at a certain point the quarterbacks’s gonna get rid of the ball on some of those … He needs to get better in realizing how to get out of things,” Thamel said. “So I’m a fan of Shedeur Sanders, we’re gonna have him in the green room in Green Bay next year. But I’m just not as confident on what’s around him, especially still up front. So I’m gonna go under.”

Davis also believes that Colorado will underachieve next season, but is more concerned with the Buffaloes’ schedule as they join the Big 12 versus their star quarterback and supporting cast.

“Me too, and I think also as you look at their schedule. Not that home and road is everything, the biggest win of the year last year was on the road at TCU. But they’re at Nebraska, they’re at UCF, they’re at Arizona, they’re at Texas Tech, they’re at Kansas, two of the teams that I think can win the Big 12,” Davis said referring to the Jayhawks and Wildcats. “I think, as difficult as it is to evaluate. So I’m going to go under too, I think they’ll be under five.”

There are plenty of unknowns for Colorado once again ahead of the 2024 season, but whether they’re wildly successful or a huge disappointment, there’s no question that all eyes will be on Sanders and his squad along the way.