"It’s pretty bleak": Paul Finebaum paints grim picture of Deion Sanders’ Colorado after early-season collapse

Deion Sanders’ third season in Boulder isn’t unfolding as he hoped. On Friday, Colorado dropped a 36-20 road game to Houston, slipping to 1-2 through its first three games of 2025.

Before the season began, Coach Prime confidently spoke about making Big 12 title contention the norm for Colorado, but right now that goal looks far out of reach.

On "The Matt Barrie Show," ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum also voiced doubts about the Buffaloes’ chances.

“It’s certainly in the short term, pretty bleak,” Finebaum said (via On3). “It was sad to watch that the other night. I think you know what Deion has overcome. I think everybody in the country pulls for him, but they’re not going to be a factor the rest of the season."

NCAA Football: Colorado at Houston - Source: Imagn

The road ahead doesn’t get any easier, as Colorado’s next four opponents include Wyoming, No. 10 BYU on Sept. 27, TCU on Oct. 4 and No. 12 Iowa State on Oct. 11.

After Colorado’s 31-7 win over Delaware on Sept. 6, many expected a strong bounce-back. However, the Week 3 loss at Houston has again raised questions about Sanders’ path in Boulder.

“I just don’t know how Deion, battling everything else he is battling, will be able to battle that because he’s so used to the spotlight," Finebaum said. "And there’s never been anybody better with the bright lights on, but when you lose a couple of games like this, and you’re treading water, you’re not going to garner a lot of attention the rest of the way.”

Deion Sanders stresses self-reflection after Colorado’s slow start

After losing top talent, including stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, Colorado entered 2025 with expectations of simply rebuilding on the heels of last year’s breakthrough.

But three weeks into the season, Deion Sanders’ squad finds itself facing more uncertainty than progress. Following the disappointing Week 3 loss, Coach Prime admitted he was “lost for words,” but he also challenged his players to look inward.

"You need to self-analyze yourself and don't point fingers at others," Sanders said. "Look at yourself first and see what you could have done so that we could have came out victorious. "I still believe in you. We still love you. We still appreciate you. We still feel like we're gonna have any winning seasons. And I know we are because we like that. You just gotta believe that."

Sanders transformed Colorado from a one-win team in 2022 into a nine-win program in 2024, and despite the current struggles, belief in his long-term vision at Boulder remains high.

Edited by Maliha