The current iteration of the Colorado Buffaloes football program is well documented. Typically, the Buffs have spent their time in the proverbial abyss of mediocrity. Devoid of much, if any, publicity or fanfare. Well, Deion Sanders’ name resonates with anything but typical. Since Coach Prime took over the helm, his eccentric persona, some very promising performances and the escapades of a Heisman winner have concocted one of the most revered programs in the CFB sphere. But it’s not always been this way, and 100-year-old Colorado superfan Miss Peggy can attest to that.

It’s not hyperbolic to say the blood coursing through Peggy Coppom’s veins is black and gold. She’s etched in the culture and history of the Buffaloes. The school and its stakeholders fully acknowledge this. The Buffs have often reciprocated Peggy’s unconditional love. Now, they’ve got more tangible means to give back to her, courtesy of Deion Sanders. Not only is he ensuring Miss Peggy’s presence in San Antonio, Texas, for the Alamo Bowl, but he’s taking it a step further.  

Earlier in the season, Deion made Peggy a two-fold promise. Not only was he to achieve Bowl eligibility for Colorado for the first time in 4 years. He said he’ll make sure she’s flown out to wherever the game is. In a private jet. *Pause for effect*. Well, he’s kept his promise. Earlier today, pictures of Miss Peggy and her family en route to their chartered aeroplane circulated over on social media. It seems like all those years of distress supporting the Buffs are paying off for her.

Deion’s been a huge proponent of easing the roadblocks that sports fans face across the board. In the lead-up to this momentous Bowl game, not only did he confirm superstar duo Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will partake. He pleaded with the media to have their imminent Bowl game be played somewhere in close proximity to Boulder. Just so fans can feasibly travel to the game. Alas, that didn’t quite transpire, and they’ve been dispositioned all the way down in Texas. At least Miss Peggy and her family don’t have to worry about shedding any green. For context, a regular charter of 4 people to traverse across the two cities costs upwards of $15,700. Pocket change for Deion Sanders, you’d argue. But it’s a lovely gesture and one he didn’t necessarily have to make.

Miss Peggy Coppum has probably forgotten more Colorado games than most fans can remember. She’s seen it all, the peaks and the troughs. This phase of relative success for her program is an awesome thing for her to witness. As she prepares to see only the 2nd ever Heisman winner in their history don the Buffs’ strip one last time, she’ll hope to see the team put a Christmas Star atop their figurative tree for 2024.

Deion Sanders and the Buffs will seek to make the arrival as great as the ride

Voicing angst over Colorado’s failure to make the CFP is a fallacy which snaps under the weight of context. If you offered Miss Peggy and fellow fans a 9-win season, they’d have snapped your hand off. Deion Sanders and co. built inadvertently set expectations that didn’t exist upon them. So when they take to the field against the BYU Cougars at the Alamodome, know that they’re playing for a double-digit win season. This was unfathomable back in August.

Kalani Sitake’s BYU isn’t a pushover, either. Despite both schools being in the Big 12, their paths didn’t cross in the regular season. BYU will be reeling for not making the playoffs. Their invincible 8-0 start dissipated down the stretch. The Cougars will, for once, be playing under the national spotlight, largely due to their adversaries. They’ll seek to show out and play spoilsport for Shedeur and Travis’ farewell party.

2 years after it began, this era of Colorado football shall cease this weekend. A new era beckons for Miss Peggy to witness. She’ll rest assured knowing that till Deion Sanders sits at the helm, her team is taken care of. So is she and, by extension, her family! They’ll hope the next jet ride is to a playoff game.