Colorado Comes Up Short In Upset Bid Against USC, But Deion Sanders Has His Team Growing Weekly

BOULDER, CO- The Colorado Buffaloes might've been the coolest thing in college football for the opening month of the season, but the hype around Colorado itself needs a break. Now, that doesn't mean that Deion Sanders or his crew will tamper things down, but it does mean that we need to focus elsewhere for a bit.

No, I'm not saying move on from Colorado, but we have to call them what they are, a middle of the pack football team. It doesn't matter what Deion Sanders says during the week leading up to the game, or what is said postgame, the Buffs aren't ready for the big moment yet.

The coaching staff might be ready, the event management crew might be ready, but the football team is far from it. It's only taken two teams that are on totally different levels to show proof to the fans and supporters.

Right now, Colorado football is a smoke & mirrors project. The program is trying to hide what they're lacking on the field by having home games turn into a celebrity hangout. It's almost as if the pregame spectacle in the real show, while the game itself is a distraction.

Unfortunately, neither Deion Sanders or Colorado can hide it any longer. We've now seen what the Buffaloes can do against quality opponents, which hasn't gone well. The first three weeks of the season came at the perfect time, considering they are now only three games away from Bowl eligibility. But the last two weeks have proven to be an unfortunate wakeup call.

Colorado fans, just prepare yourself for some tougher moments.

Deion Sanders walks off the field, following the loss t USC

The Deion Hype Was Always Going To Attract The Fans

There is certainly no harm in how Deion Sanders attracted new fans. The program had been in a horrible decline before Sanders was the coach. Now, the school is doing everything they can to get past athletes to campus for promotional speaking or book events. Why in the world do you think CC Sabathia, Michael Ivrin, and Desean Jackson have shown up? It's not because they need the fame. No, it's because they want to to join the party.

Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders following the USC loss

But Colorado did something in the second half that many inside Folsom Field weren't expecting, they kept it close. The hype paid off, with what looked like a packed house with five minutes to go in the game.

In all honesty, if the USC defense wouldn't have fallen apart in the second half, that 34-7 lead would've probably been much worse.

But Colorado wasn't going down this week like they did in previous outings, they would not lie down on the sidelines. For a team that was just destroyed at Oregon, for them to play like they did in the second half proves how far you can come in one week.

Where Does Colorado Go From Here?

It's simple, they've got to continue building the program, from the inside out. Not laying down against USC in the second half should speak volumes of where this team has been over the past seven days. But as a unit, they will not got anywhere with some of the conservative play calling, a lot we witnessed late in the second half.

Not having Travis Hunter hurt, but it probably wouldn't have won Colorado the game. But, seeing a community rally around its football team with a sold out crowd, they will one-day help them when a big one. Today, USC was the much better team, physically and mentally, even with Caleb Williams struggling late in the fourth.

The rebuilding of the Colorado football program will take a lot of bricks and time. But if Deion Sanders sticks around Boulder long enough, maybe we'll end up seeing Colorado beat USC.

Only time will tell, but today was a great way to learn about your team.