Is the hype real with the Colorado Buffaloes? Well, after watching their massive victory over No. 17 TCU on the road, many will say yes! It was the opposite for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska lost another one-score game to Minnesota last Thursday night.
This game has been being hyped up through the off-season and it’s not going to slow down. Especially after Colorado’s unexpected win over the Horned Frogs last weekend.
Now with Colorado being ranked 22nd in the newest AP Top 25 poll, it grants an incredible opportunity for Nebraska to end their losing skid to ranked opponents that has lasted seven years.
With that being said, here is a preview of the Colorado Buffaloes matchup.
Know The Foe: Nebraska v.s. Colorado Buffaloes
Off-Season Review
After firing former head coach Karl Dorrell five games into the season, the Buffaloes needed a new head coach. They went out and brought in NFL Hall Of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders from Jackson State.
Coach Sanders right away had a big task at hand. He had to rebuild a roster from a Buffaloes team that went 1-11 in 2022.
Sanders immediately went to work, bringing in 86 new players including a few players from Jackson State. Junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) and former No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class Travis Hunter headline the transfer class.
Let’s just say, Coach Sanders is doing something unseen before and somewhat against the acceptable way of rebuilding a team in college football.
Last Weekend
Coach Sanders was given a very rough schedule to start his tenure in Boulder. He would have to start his first FBS head coaching job on the road against a TCU team that was just coming off a National Championship berth.
Well, what a way to start your time in Power Five football. The Buffaloes went out and got the upset over No. 17 TCU and got themselves ranked No. 22 in the country.
The Buffaloes offense went ballistic on the TCU defense, putting up 565 total yards. 510 of those yards came from Shedeur Sanders, who completed 38 out of 47 passes for those 510 yards and four touchdowns.
Sanders’s performance has propelled him into the Heisman watchlist and should be someone to watch throughout the season.
However, the defense did have a tough showing. The Buffaloes’ defense allowed the Horned Frogs 541 yards, 262 of which were on the ground. Despite this, Hunter had himself a game on the defensive side of the ball. He picked off Chandler Morris and he had a couple of good plays on defense as well.
Week Two Matchup
Where: Folsom Field (Boulder, Colorado)
When: Saturday, Sep. 9, 11:00 a.m. CT FOX
This game should be a fun one to watch. An old rivalry that is being brought back to life. An interesting storyline to watch in this game is how many Nebraska fans will be present at Folsom Field. When Colorado announced Deion Sanders as the next head coach, Athletic Director Rick George pleaded with Buffaloes fans to not sell tickets to Nebraska fans.
Going back to the matchup, this may be one of the better defenses that Sanders has gone against in his college career as it’s only his second game at the FBS level.
The Nebraska defense held Minnesota under 200 passing yards and 60 rushing yards last week. The most important aspect of this game will be, can the Nebraska defense slow down the Colorado offense’s speed.
Another important aspect of this game will be for Nebraska to establish the run. Taking advantage of the size mismatch in the trenches will go a long way toward winning this game.
There is a lot at stake here for both sides of this rivalry renewal and should be a fun one to watch.
Main Image: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
