Move over Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter as CFB analyst reveals Colorado's real game-changer
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have played a big role in the No. 17 Colorado Buffaloes getting off to a 7-2 start that has them within striking distance of the College Football Playoff. The two stars have garnered plenty of attention as both are projected to come off the board early in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
ESPN's Tom Luginbill revealed while speaking on "College Football Live" Wednesday that the Buffaloes' true game-changer has been the turnaround of their defense.
"What a remarkable story here. I mean, seriously, you look at the North Dakota State game, the Nebraska game and you're going, 'Wow, what would happen if you took 12 and 2 off of this team?'" Luginbill said.
"I think that's what stands out about what this team has developed into. It's not about Shedeur. It's not always about Travis Hunter. Look at this defense. If you looked at this defense a year ago, their point differential margin was minus 6.7 per game."
Luginbill continued:
"Look at it this year. Almost 10 points a game in the positive column, meaning that, defensively, Colorado is really making strides. You reference the quarterback issues at Utah. Well, if Colorado's any better on defense – and I think they are – that's going to help Colorado at home.
"And I just find the schedule fascinating because just about every team that was scheduled to compete in the Big 12 this year has failed to meet expectations while Colorado has continued to improve and exceed expectations," he added.
Check out Tom Luginbill's comments on the Colorado Buffaloes below:
Colorado's defense has been among the most improved units in all of college football. They allowed 34.8 points per game last season, ranking 124th in the nation. They have given up just 22.6 ppg through their first nine games, ranking 51st.
Could Deion Sanders leave Colorado to take over at his alma mater?
Deion Sanders has become, arguably, the biggest story in college football as he has led the Colorado Buffaloes to a quick turnaround. Paul Finebaum recently suggested that he could leave the program to take over as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles, where he starred in his playing days.
Speaking on "The Matt Barrie Show", the college football insider claimed that Mike Norvell has lost all of his goodwill.
"We've both watched a lot of schools bring back the favorite son. Deion couldn't get a phone call from Florida State a couple of years ago, but in fairness, what had he done? Now, I mean, he's one of the hottest coaches in the country," Finebaum said.
"A lot of people were wrong, I was wrong, a lot of people were wrong but that doesn't matter. That's who Deion is, he proves people wrong. He's also arguably the most famous football player to ever step foot in that stadium, and that's including a lot of people, by the way," he added.
(from 17:10 mark onwards)
Check out Paul Finebaum's comments on Deion Sanders coaching the Florida State Seminoles below:
Florida State has been, by far, the biggest disappointment of the 2024 college football season. After being ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, they are just 1-9 after their 52-3 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Week 11. Finebaum added that the program, which had been discussing leaving the ACC ahead of the season, needs an infusion to revive its credibility.
Do you think Deion Sanders should take over at Florida State? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.