Bo Nix describes his relationship with Deion Sanders ahead of Oregon vs. Colorado

Deion Sanders is Bo Nix’s enemy this week, but the Oregon quarterback still gave the Colorado head coach praise. After taking down Hawaii in Week 3, Nix paid respect to Sanders’ work with the Buffaloes.

“It’s awesome. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it happen before,” Nix said. “A complete turnaround of a program, that’s really hard to do in college football especially in today’s day and age.”

A complete turnaround is correct. Colorado was 1-11 last season. In Sanders’ first season in the driver’s seat, the program is 3-0 and listed as the No. 19 team in the country in the AP Top 25 Poll. This is the first time the program has sneaked into the elusive rankings since Dec. 6, 2020, when it was at No. 21.

Keep your friends close

Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, they aren’t the only team off to a hot start. Oregon is also undefeated, sitting at No. 10 nationally. The Ducks’ offense has looked unstoppable, boasting 587 yards per game, the third-most in the country.

Of course, Oregon’s exceptional offense is led by Nix. The QB1 already has 893 passing yards this season for eight touchdowns while throwing zero interceptions. Although Nix has dominated each opponent so far, Sanders has something other coaches did not: personal experience with Nix’s game.

“Coach Prime and I go back,” Nix said. “He was my coach at the Under Armour game. I know him. I know how fierce of a competitor he is. He does a good job of being a leader and being a coach. He has his team ready to play.”

An opportunity for Bo Nix

Sanders’ team won’t be at full strength in Saturday’s matchup. After suffering a lacerated liver in Colorado’s win over Colorado State in Week 3, two-way star Travis Hunter will be out this weekend. The loss will be pivotal to Colorado’s secondary.

In three games, Hunter tallied nine tackles, two pass deflections and an interception. With the former five-star prospect sidelined, the field will certainly look more lucrative to Nix. Despite the setback, Sanders has high expectations for his team.

“We have not played a complete game. We have not played a game with offense, defense and special teams all showing up in the same manner,” Sanders said. “The offense is playing well, the defense is hot garbage. If the defense is playing well, the offense is horrible and special teams aren’t special. We have to put it all together to be able to defeat a team like Oregon.”

The two teams will clash at 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ABC.