Is the Colorado Buffaloes’s 31-26 win legit? Sure, it’s a narrow victory, but their 1-0 start isn’t without some negativity. Some are beginning to wonder if the referees were biased toward Colorado during their game against NDSU.

This doubt has become so widespread that even a former Michigan quarterback has weighed in. Known for his harsh takes on Coach Prime and his team, Jason Whitlock isn’t one to leave any controversy untouched.

On his August 30th show, Whitlock didn’t hold back either, suggesting that Colorado’s win came from alleged favoritism. Whitlock first posed a provocative question asking whether NDSU blew that game last night, or did Deion Sanders actually win? He then argued why he believes North Dakota State might be the real victim here: “The game ended with North Dakota State catching a pass at the three or four-yard line, and if the referee hadn’t screwed over,” Whitlock says, they could have just spiked the pigskin and had a chance to run one more play from right near the goal line.

Whitlock didn’t stop there. He pointed out how the referees “ignored a targeting penalty.” Although there weren’t many penalties, NDSU was flagged five times. A main pass interference call helped Colorado run down the clock and punt with only a few seconds left. Whitlock also claimed they “stole 5-6 seconds from North Dakota State while resetting the clock before resetting” the pigskin.

Just like Whitlock, many fans also felt the referees missed a crucial targeting call as time went on. With the Bisons and Buffaloes neck and neck at a nail-biting 20-17 in the first half, Colorado’s eventual 31-point win seems “unbelievable” to Whitlock.

And amidst all the referee drama, who could forget what Shedeur Sanders pulled off mid-game?

Shedeur Sanders’ cramp comes to the Coloardo’s rescue

The Colorado Buffaloes had a dramatic win over NDSU, and thanks in large part to their quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. He threw for a massive 445 yards and made four touchdowns. But not just that, he also stirred up some on-field drama to save Colorado from a penalty. In the second quarter, Sanders went down with a left leg cramp just as the team turned it over on 4th downs. At that moment, NDSU’s offense was ready to take on Colorado’s defense, but the cramp led the referees to call a timeout, buying time for the Buffaloes.

The internet quickly exploded, calling Sanders’ cramp fake. With the injury timeout stopping the clock, Colorado got lucky; they were able to scramble their defense without using one of their own timeouts. While it’s possible the team might face a fine for this later, for now, people online are trolling them for their cheap gameplay. Even media outlets like On3 are questioning the move, asking, “Did Shedeur Sanders fake a cramp to avoid the penalty?” 

It seems the Buffs’ first win of the season is not coming without its fair share of drama.