They say when one door closes, another one opens! Well, Deion Sanders‘ got his team to believe that 100%. Despite a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, many may be quick to count the Colorado Buffaloes out of the Big 12 Championship race. However, Coach Prime refuses to give up, firmly believing in the power of faith and determination. Sanders’ mantra of staying grounded in belief, both in God and in their ability to turn things around, keeps the Buffs’ dreams alive. The path ahead for Colorado now requires a perfect storm of victories and favorable results from other teams. But as Coach Sanders always says, “We are going to make it happen,” and this unwavering confidence gives the Buffaloes hope as they continue to chase the title.

The Buffs’ loss to the Jayhawks has created a difficult situation for them in terms of their playoff chances. Yet, if fate intervenes, they might still have a chance. On November 25th, Colorado’s insider Brian Howell sheds light on how important it is for the team to win their next game against Oklahoma State and additionally how other teams’ losses will benefit them. As Brian says, “The Big 12 releases its tie-breaker scenarios going into the final week. Nine teams are still alive for the title game spots. For Colorado, it’s basically: 1) Beat OSU and get 2 losses from ASU, BYU, and ISU or 2) Beat OSU and get wins from Houston & Texas Tech #cubuffs.”

Well, now the championship race has become more interesting than ever. In order to improve their Big 12 record, Colorado Buffaloes have to win their next game, which will put them in a 7-2 record and give them a green card to enter the championship, but other teams with that score must lose, and BYU currently tops the Big 12 standings, so if they lose against Houston, it will put them in a 6-3 record, eliminating Buffs direct competition in the game.

However, there is a little twist to the story: even if BYU loses next week, the Buffs still need Iowa State to lose against Kansas State and the Arizona Wildcats to the Sun Devils. Well, score is a major determinant here. If the Arizona State Sun Devils lose, it will keep them in a 6-3 record and will open wider doors for the Colorado Buffs to get in the playoffs. But if any of this doesn’t go the way it is supposed, the Buffs will have to rely on complex tiebreaker rules, which is not something Coach Prime and the team are hoping for.

Did Colorado Buffaloes bite off more than they could chew?

Now none of this tie-breaker scenario would have gotten into the picture if the Colorado Buffs successfully maintained their 4-game winning streak. But now that the team lost their last game against Kansas, they are left with no option but to fight against all odds. Moreover, even Coach Prime thinks the success has gotten into the team’s head, which was visible in their performance too. We know how Deion Sanders always has a critical mindset for the team, as he says, “We started smelling ourselves a little bit. We got intoxicated with the success.” 

Well, intoxicated is a big word, as the team has showcased a remarkable performance this season and with each passing game has shown what improvement looks like. And this is not the first time a top team has lost against the unranked ones; it basically keeps them grounded. For now, it’s important for the team to win against Oklahoma State, and this should be an easy win and not like what happened with the Jayhawks last week.