Colorado’s chance to reclaim magic at TCU

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders returns to where his tenure in Boulder began this weekend, facing the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tyler Phillips/Sko Buffs Sports)

A one-win season. No bowl game appearances in a normal schedule for seven years. Five consecutive campaigns with a losing record in conference play. That’s the disarray of a Colorado Buffaloes football program that Deion Sanders inherited in December of 2022. 

Fast forward nine months, and the Buffs went from a Power Five anomaly to the center of the college football world. With all eyes on them, Coach Prime’s opening act was a trip to face then-No. 17 TCU, the same Horned Frogs who were coming off an appearance in the National Championship game that past January. 

Through the heroics of a Shedeur Sanders 500-yard passing clinic, multiple Dylan Edwards explosive plays, and two clutch red zone interceptions on the defensive end, Colorado did the impossible; winning a game in which they were 21-point underdogs. That snapped a four-year losing streak to ranked opponents and altered the perception of the Buffs. 

Colorado running back Micah Welch has fond memories of it. 

“During my recruiting process, that win was a lot of why I came here,” he told reporters Tuesday.

On Saturday, Colorado (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) returns to the same stadium that began its rise to national relevance. This time around, the roster is completely overhauled and seeking to establish a place among the Big 12’s challengers. However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

The Buffs aren’t expected to win this game either. TCU (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) already has two resume boosters. Beating SMU on the road, a playoff team from last year, was the cherry on top of a non-conference slate that included curb-stomping North Carolina in Week 1. 

This game is about proving CU belongs in the mix week in and week out. Coach Prime didn’t mince words in his Tuesday press conference. 

“We want to go in there and win,” Sanders said. “We are going there to get back to where we know we’re supposed to be.”

Now, the Buffs return as underdogs again, chasing the same spark that once lit the college football world on fire. It’s Colorado’s turn to prove whether lightning can strike twice in Fort Worth.