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Cast your minds back to Selection Sunday, and you'd have thought the CFP had expanded to 24 teams, with every fanbase convinced their team deserved a spot.
The debates were fiery, and one argument that dominated the discourse was about strength of schedule (SoS). Now, those three words are haunting Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Colorado came close to securing a playoff spot, only to suffer a gut-wrenching loss to Kansas in Week 13. But if we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, we see a remarkable turnaround for a team that ended the previous season with a 1-6 record.
Under Sanders, Colorado finished the season 8-2. Travis Hunter's rise and Shedeur Sanders' improved play were crucial, but one of the key factors in their success was their relatively "soft" schedule.
Though the Buffs finished the season ranked 25th, they didn't face any playoff teams. While they were dominant against weaker opponents, their one test against BYU was a disaster, as they were blown out.
And now, fans who once celebrated Colorado's success are raising questions about the team's path to the 12-team CFP. Ironically, these concerns aren't coming from rival fanbases-they're coming from Colorado's own ers.
Fans are losing patience with Sanders
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, a few things stand out. There are many misconceptions about college football scheduling, especially among newer fans. Colorado, once considered an easy opponent, is now a team to watch, as demonstrated by their impressive 49-24 win over Utah in 2023.
Utah was widely regarded as one of the top teams in the Big 12 before the season, making Colorado's performance all the more impressive.
In 2025, as part of the Big 12, Colorado's schedule includes 6 conference games, which, considering the state of the Big 12, doesn't seem all that challenging. The remaining 6 games are non-conference, and on paper, they aren't particularly difficult either.
While Coach Prime won't complain about the prospect of a double-digit win season, it's hard to ignore that an easier schedule doesn't necessarily generate the same excitement or sense of competition from fans.
This has led to an outpouring of criticism from the Colorado fanbase on social media. The moment the 2025 schedule was revealed, fans were quick to voice their frustrations.
"Can't lie, this schedule weak as s-t," one fan commented.
"Strength of schedule gotta be one of the lowest for a Power 4 school," added another.
The backlash is growing, even this early in the year.
"If they had this schedule last year they probably would've lost none or 1," another fan theorized.
While Colorado's 2025 schedule may not be the toughest, it could still lead them to a playoff berth. But the constant debate over strength of schedule is something Deion Sanders and his team will have to confront head-on. Whether they can prove the critics wrong and make a deep playoff run remains to be seen-but one thing is certain: the road ahead won't be without its challenges.