Can “Prime Time” Bounce Back?
Trevor Phipps
One new reality has struck for the college football scene in the Centennial state: Colorado has received the most national and social media attention than what was ever recorded in the past. Other college feats in our state couldn’t even play on the same media frenzy stage.
This marks a big change from previous years, when college football in Colorado often assumed a backseat role due to the dominant attention dedicated to the Denver Broncos. Those days are over.
Although there have been some bad headlines and even worse records broken by the state’s top professional and college pigskin teams, fans still seemed to be locked in their seats to watch the show.
It is fair to say that even though college football is only about halfway through the season, fans have already seen their fair share of ups and downs. The good news is there is a glimmer of hope that Colorado will produce more than one winning football team this year, as hopes for the Broncos doing the same have pretty much dwindled away.
I think that it is fair to say that all three major college teams have surprised fans in one way or another this season. Here are some highlights of the college football scene in the state thus far.
Is “Coach Prime” Overrated?
The second that Colorado University (CU) in Boulder announced that they hired Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, the nation went abuzz with what he may be able to do. And then after revamping the team who only racked up one win last year, Sanders proved he meant business in week one.
After the Buffaloes’ close win against the defending champions TCU, they went on to defeat their rivals from Nebraska. After starting the season 2-0, college football fans all across the nation had their eyes on “Coach Prime” who promised fans that he knew how to win.
But then after beating Nebraska, the team faced their other rival team who definitely gave them a run for their money. The Buffs were favored by 23.5 points to win before the game started, but the rivalry made for a good match right from the beginning.
At one point, sadness and grief filled the faces of the fans in the stands at Folsom Field when the Colorado State (CSU) Rams were up 28-17 in the third quarter. However, an amazing end-of-game drive led by Deion’s son Shadeur Sanders tied the game and sent it into overtime.
The Buffs would come out on top after the underrated Rams team kept answering scores to bring it into double overtime. The Rams resilient effort against the 18 ranked team in the nation was enough to drop CU to number 19.
And then once the Buffs were 3-0, some thought they were unstoppable until they took that trip to Oregon. Coach Prime should have taken it as a sign that bad things were on the horizon when his white Lamborghini was given a ticket for a parking violation by his own CU Campus Police earlier that week.
Then as soon as the team arrived in Oregon, things got worse. The number 10 Ducks completely dominated the Buffs to the point where CU was dropped from the Top 25 ranks.
And now many are wondering what the team will do next. Will they bounce back? Or are they really overrated? Only time will tell…
Prediction for this week: Colorado 43, Arizona State 21
Will the Falcons Remain Undefeated?
Let’s face it, Coach Prime has basically stolen the thunder away from Colorado football this season. The Prime Time headlines have basically taken all of the attention away from the college football team in Colorado that currently has the best record.
Whereas, the Air Force Falcons may sport one of the easiest schedules this year, they were still undefeated at the end of week four, and were vastly improving in the national ratings. And, their first handful of bouts haven’t even been close.
Before the season started, the team didn’t even know who their quarterback was going to be. But after his performance in the first game, QB Zac Larrier, senior, was chosen for the spot.
However, the stats show that the Falcons have definitely relied more heavily on their running game to score points and win games than putting the ball in the air. In four games, Larrier has only 8 completions of 12 attempts, 221 yards and a single touchdown.
But I think the team’s real test will come later this season when they face better teams. Their first loss could even come from a team in their division like Wyoming.
Prediction for next week: Wyoming 34, Air Force 31
Are the Rams a Sleeper Team This Year?
With their poor record last season and the newfound attention given to CU, nobody had any sort of high hopes for the Rams this year. And a lot like last season, the Rams started play in 2023 against a team that outmatched them (Number 16 Washington State).
The Rams had an early bye week after their brutal beating in week one and it may have been exactly what they needed. Once the team came off of their bye to challenge the Buffs, a new sense of energy seemed to overcome them.
The Rams put up a huge fight against the Buffs in a game they frankly should have won. But the devastating loss during the Rocky Mountain Showdown didn’t seem to ruin the team’s self-esteem.
The team came back the very next week with an upset loss against Middle Tennessee. If the Rams can keep winning they might be able to steal some of the thunder away from their in-state rival team.
Prediction for this week: Colorado State 34, Utah State 28
