The Deion Sanders hype train has hit a massive roadblock, and it’s not just about missing the playoffs. The No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes (8-3) had everything going for them—postseason dreams, a shot at the Big 12 title, social media clicks—but Week 12 flipped the script. An unranked, low-key struggling Kansas Jayhawks (5-6) squad pulled off a season-ending upset, exposing the Colorado Buffs’ glaring defensive flaws. For a team built on flash and big moments, it’s the unsexy issue of depth that’s threatening to derail the entire program.

On Nov 25th, on ‘The Ruffino & Joe Show’, Ruffino couldn’t hold back, “On Monday I said Kansas is going to run on this putrid Colorado defensive line… I got hammered by you.” Turns out he had every right to run his mouth. Kansas ran the pigskin straight through Colorado’s paper-thin defensive front all game long, hammering the Buffaloes’ glaring lack of depth. So what do the Buffaloes do to overcome this challenge? Did Absolutely nothing while getting run over by quarterback Jalon Daniels and his to-go-running back Devin Neal.

It wasn’t just about the game, though. Ruffino doubled down, pointing to Colorado’s arrogance in their defensive scheme: “If you’re Colorado and you let teams run the ba-l on you in the second half the way you do… tells me your depth is a problem.” The Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels and RB Devin Neal cooked Colorado’s defense like Saturday post-game barbeque. Neal was unguarded and untouchable, making the safeties and linebackers look like JV players out there.

The Colorado’s D-line struggles weren’t new. But Kansas took advantage like no one else. Ruffino explained, “Daniels is throwing passes to Neal in man-to-man because he knows the safeties and backers can’t cover him.” The Buffaloes and Deion Sanders failed to adapt to the tempo of the game and gambled a playoff ticket on aggressive man coverage and paid for it with blown assignments and massive gains.

Colorado Buffaloes vs. Kansas Jayhawks game analysis

If you’d told anyone, Kansas would steamroll Colorado to 37-21, you’d be laughing at their face. The Buffaloes swaggered into this weekend as heavy favorites. The bookies probably bet their house on the Buffs, thinking it’d be a casual stroll. Turns out, Kansas had other plans, and boy, did they deliver. The Jayhawks came out swinging, literally on the first snap of the game, and Colorado? They look like they left their game plan back in the film room.

Kansas QB Jalon Daniels wasted no time, tossing a quick pass to Devin Neal and boom—a 51-yard touchdown. Neal? absolute monster. He put up video game numbers—37 carries for 207 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, plus 80 yards and a receiving TD in the air. Meanwhile, the Buffs’ defense? A complete no-show. The Colorado Buffaloes defense made Devin Neal look like Barry Sanders’ Heisman season.

Colorado’s offense did everything it could to stay in the game. The Buffaloes’ gunslinger, Shedeur Sanders, slung that pigskin all day long, completing almost 80% of his throws, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. And his comrade, Heisman frontrunner Travis Hunter, had 8 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. But at what cost? The offense was balling out, but the defense was giving away 37 points like it’s Christmas.

With these three losses, Deion Sanders’ team took a hit to their playoff hopes. Not just that, Travis Hunter potentially slipped into second place, behind Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty in the Heisman race. After all, it’s college football. You’d be insane if you thought upsets aren’t common. Anything can happen on Saturday football.