Paul Finebaum slams Colorado, says Deion Sanders hype will quickly fade
Paul Finebaum is not a believer in Deion Sanders and Colorado.
During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning, the SEC Network host gave a pretty scathing assessment of the Buffs heading into Year 1 of the Sanders era.
“I think the first couple of games will be a novelty,” Finebaum said. “I cannot imagine how he can turn this thing around completely. I don’t think he has a very high ceiling. Everyone will be cheering for him. Losses will be masked as wins.
“… We will be watching Deion very closely but if they get off to a 2-6 start, we won’t be watching them. That’s just the nature of college football. Every Saturday, it’s about the top 25 and is anybody in the top 10 in trouble? It’s not just some meaningless game, Colorado and Arizona State late in the day — a 2-7 team and a 3-6 team. Those games are not watched or cared about.”
Colorado captured immediate attention when it hired Deion Sanders and has remained in the headlines for months since.
The Buffs signed a top 25 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle (transfers included) and appear well on their way to a historic turnout for the spring game in a few months.
Sanders hype is high, but Colorado’s schedule does it no favors.
The Buffs open their season on the road against a TCU team that just went to the College Football Playoff. Even if TCU takes a significant step back, a Power Five team in their own building isn’t exactly an easy open. CU’s home opener a week later is against a Nebraska team that expects to be much better under Matt Rhule and boasts a fanbase that travels extremely well.
Pac-12 play opens with Oregon on the road, then USC, then Arizona State on the road. Colorado also plays at UCLA on the final weekend of October.
Count Finebaum among those who think the losses will pile up early.