Deion Sanders is a 'net giant win' for Colorado, Joel Klatt believes
Deion Sanders instantly made Colorado football “relevant” in the eyes of many when he arrived there in December of 2022. Sanders fueled the media frenzy around the Buffaloes since his arrival, drawing in TV ratings and clicks for websites across the country. Now in the beginning of the second season with Sanders at the helm, the shine is starting to wear off after the team got pummeled by Nebraska 28-10 in their 2024 season opener.
On “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd on Wednesday, Joel Klatt said the hiring of Deion Sanders has been a ‘net giant win’ for the school, despite their on-the-field struggles.
“The first premise is and you would agree with this, regardless of what’s happened, he’s made them relevant. No one cares about this but the impact on the University has been staggeringly positive. From an admissions standpoint, economic impact, not only for the University but for the city (Boulder). It is a net giant win,” Klatt explained.
Even he realizes the on-the-field product is looking worrisome. “On the field, it’s starting to teeter. I’m with ya. It’s starting to teeter,” Klatt admitted.
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And things won’t get any easier this weekend when they face off against the Colorado State Rams, their heated in-state rivals, in The Rocky Mountain Showdown. It’ll be the last game in the rivalry for five years, when it will resume again in 2029.
“This game that they have. They play Saturday night. In Fort Collins of all places against Colorado State. This rivalry is one-sided. They hate Colorado. Hate them. Hate them. Because they don’t want them to go to Colorado. Trust me I was one of them,” Klatt explained.
“I wanted Sonny Lubick to recruit me so badly and he didn’t. So, when I had to walk-on at Colorado and when I played CSU, I was like, I wanted a piece of that. That’s how those players feel about Colorado,” Klatt continued.
Klatt recognizes the pressure will be at an all-time high on Sanders for The Rocky Mountain Showdown. “Well, this is the biggest game that they’ve played in his tenure. Because they cannot lose this game. They have to win this game against Colorado State. If they lose this game, it’s a signal of regression. You can’t do that. You can’t regress in Year Two. That’s not what this is all about,” Klatt explained.
“And you can’t regress when you’ve got two players that might be picked in the Top 10, one for sure gonna be selected in the Top 5 in Travis Hunter. That can’t happen. So this game. There has never been more pressure on Deion Sanders as a coach in his career than there is this week against Colorado State on Saturday night,” Klatt finished.
Colorado and Colorado State are set to get underway on Saturday, September 14th. Kick time is set for 7:30 p.m. EST on CBS. The Buffaloes are currently listed as 7.5 favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.