Colorado shocked the world week one by beating #17 TCU, who went to the title game last year, in a 45-42 shootout. Colorado was predicted to win only 3 or 4 games this year (win total O/U was 3.5) and TCU was favored to win their week one matchup by a whopping 21 points. Deion Sanders brought a low of hype and attention to the program in the offseason, and yet it seemed very few predicted this outcome. So, what did we miss about 2023 Colorado? Why is Colorado Football Good?

Shedeur Sanders Wasn’t “FCS Good” – He’s Just Good

Shedeur Sanders – Image Courtesy cubuffs.com

There were many reasons it was easy to dismiss Shedeur Sanders. Some didn’t even think he should be the starter at Colorado. First of all, he has the “coach’s son” complex to overcome, and the moment he transferred people were slinging accusations of nepotism. Furthermore, while he looked dominant at Jackson State (completing 272/313 passes for 3,231 yards and winning FCS Freshman of the Year), there was a lot of skepticism about that performance translating to the FBS level. Historically very few players that were dominant in FCS remained dominant in FBS after a transition.

But, one thing we may have overlooked is that Sanders was never a true FCS QB. Sanders was a 4 Star QB receiving offers from Alabama, Baylor, Arizona State and FAU as well as Jackson State. So, assuming he was just an “FCS Level QB” was never entirely fair to begin with. After Week One, it’s very apparent that he’ll continue to perform at the FBS level.

Travis Hunter Is a Freak Of Nature

Travis Hunter at Jackson State – Image Courtesy cbssports.com

Travis Hunter was always an intriguing athlete, given we haven’t seen many players try both sides of the ball in the modern era (with the notable exception of Hunter’s coach, Deion Sanders). Even though Hunter demonstrated he was a capable playmaker on both sides of the ball, few though an athlete could have the endurance to consistently play on both sides.

Travis Hunter proved anyone with that thought wrong, at least for now. Travis Hunter played an amazing 129 snaps in his Colorado Debut. That’s potentially pacing for an NCAA record, if he can keep it up. Furthermore, he showed no signs of slowing down. Hunter didn’t even look tired while making serious plays on both sides of the ball (11 receptions for 119 yards and 1 interception).

Colorado Has A True Play Caller

Sean Lewis, Colorado OC, as Head Coach at Kent State – Image Courtesy cleveland.com

Deion Sanders is a legendary recruiter already, pulling #1 overall recruit Travis Hunter to FCS Jackson State (among other high caliber players). Anyone that watches him in a press conference can understand why – the man exudes motivation and energy, not to mention his brand. but, people have been skeptical of how play calling will go for Sanders’ teams.

Enter Sean Lewis. Sean Lewis was a really good offensive minded head coach at Kent State, bringing a struggling program to a 5-7 record with the 65th most points per game at the FBS level in 2022 – no small feat for a struggling MAC school. Deion, in true recruiter fashion, poached him to be offensive coordinator and play caller at Colorado. We saw the impact of that in the game against TCU as Colorado stunned the Horned Frogs with 510 yards and 4 touch downs on a tremendous 11 yards per attempt.

Let’s be clear – we can’t be positive Colorado keeps this performance up, and it may end up being a story of TCU being much weaker than expected. That being said, the talent and capability is clearly there, and we can’t say we saw it coming this soon. We won’t be one of Deion’s doubters anymore.

Did you see Deion’s dominance coming before the TCU game? Do you need to give us a big “I Told You So”, or are you still a doubter? Let us know on Twitter @CFBSelect!