Deion Sanders now has tangible evidence. His efforts at Colorado have paid off. He demonstrated this on Saturday night when his Colorado football team won against Cincinnati, 34-23, achieving the necessary wins to qualify for a postseason bowl game at 6-2.

This achievement comes just two seasons after he took over a struggling program in December 2022 that was considered the worst in college football.

“This isn’t our final goal,” Sanders said afterward. “This is just the start.”

It reinforces a rebuilding strategy that has been unprecedented in major college football.

∎ As head coach, he revamped the roster with an astonishing influx of 51 scholarship transfer players in 2023, keeping only nine returning scholarship players the previous year out of a maximum roster limit of 85.

∎ He then restructured the roster again with 39 new scholarship transfers after finishing last season with a 4-8 record.

∎ He even reshaped his coaching staff this year after his top two assistant coaches left for other opportunities.

Now, just 20 games into his tenure, he has clear evidence that his approach is yielding the initial results he aimed for – qualifying for a bowl game, with greater achievements still on the horizon this season, including a chance at the Big 12 Conference title.

“We desire so much more,” Sanders stated.

What other remarks did Deion Sanders make?

The recent victory at the packed Folsom Field in Boulder showcased the impressive play of his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and standout two-way player Travis Hunter. Shedeur set a new school record with 15 consecutive completions to start the game, ultimately completing 25 out of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter caught nine passes for a career-high 153 yards and both touchdowns. Additionally, he made two tackles and four pass breakups on defense in his first full game back since sustaining a shoulder injury two weeks ago.

“Travis is the best college football player in the nation,” exclaimed Deion Sanders. “We all know it. Why is there even a debate?”

By that logic, Hunter should be a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. And he might be. Conversely, Shedeur doesn’t receive as much buzz as a top contender for the award, despite being viewed as a premier NFL quarterback prospect.

“Honestly, I just want Travis to take it home, of course,” Shedeur Sanders said. “That would be like my own win, since I threw him the ball.”

Deion Sanders advises voters against ranking his team

“Coach Prime” has his own take on why his son isn’t receiving more recognition for the Heisman.

“They don’t even acknowledge him for the Heisman,” lamented Deion Sanders about Shedeur. “He’s totally overlooked? Oh, that’s right, he’s my son. That’s the reason.”

This “us-against-the-world” mentality also fuels the team’s resurgence. It’s also the reason Deion Sanders asked voters to keep the Buffaloes out of the Top 25 rankings after this victory. He believes it’s better for his team to feel like an overlooked underdog hungry for more success.

“We don’t even desire to be ranked,” he said. “Don’t rank us, please. We prefer staying in the background, just chilling in the dark.”

How significant is bowl eligibility for Colorado?

Before Sanders joined, Colorado ended the 2022 season with a record of 1-11, including a stretch of 10 games where they lost by at least 23 points. This marks only their third bowl game appearance since 2007, counting the pandemic year of 2020 when Colorado lost in the Alamo Bowl and ended with a 4-2 record.

“This is huge for us because it means a lot to our fans,” Shedeur Sanders noted. He also pointed out that the team is “nowhere near” their full potential.

“It’s an important milestone for now, but we have even bigger goals,” he said.

By achieving bowl eligibility, Deion Sanders honored a preseason promise to take the team to a bowl game for their 99-year-old superfan, Peggy Coppom. Despite battling COVID, she showed enthusiasm on the phone call made after the game when she was brought in front of the team.

“We told her she’s going to a bowl; now we want to ensure she attends the best bowl possible,” Sanders remarked.

Can Colorado contend for the Big 12 title?

BYU (8-0) and Iowa State (7-0) remain undefeated, but the Buffaloes trail them by one game with a 4-1 record in conference play. They will have a break next week before facing Texas Tech (5-3) on November 9.

Colorado still has challenges ahead. Shedeur Sanders mentioned he was feeling “banged up” after the game and was eager for the off week to recuperate. The team also displayed some sloppiness toward the end, allowing Cincinnati to narrow Colorado’s lead to 31-23 in the final minutes after leading 31-14 in the third quarter.

Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the fourth quarter also left Sanders feeling a bit frustrated afterward.

“We should not have let that game get that close,” he admitted.

Quarterback recruit visits Colorado again

The Buffs still only allowed one quarterback For the second consecutive game, Colorado faced challenges with sacks. Last season, the team allowed a staggering 56 sacks, which led to Shedeur sustaining a fracture in his back. In response, Deion Sanders made significant changes by bringing in a completely new offensive line.

“We’re making progress,” shared offensive lineman Justin Mayers, who transferred from Texas-El Paso. “Our aim is to reduce the number of sacks to zero as an offensive line and make a significant improvement compared to last year.”

Colorado has already demonstrated improvement and is now gearing up for the last month of the regular season with momentum on its side. Last Saturday, Sanders also had a focus on the future. One of the highly-rated quarterback recruits in the nation, Julian “JuJu” Lewis, attended the game for a recruiting visit. Although Lewis has already committed to Southern California for next season, Sanders is attempting to persuade him to join Colorado as Shedeur prepares for the NFL.

It certainly helped that Lewis witnessed the Buffs achieve bowl eligibility in front of a sellout crowd (53,202) on national television (ESPN). Things may only get better from here.

“This is just the start of what we aspire to achieve here,” Sanders remarked.