Colorado, Deion Sanders Are Expansion Big 12's Biggest Boom OR Bust Team in 2024: HARDEST Schedule.

According to a report by Bleacher Report, the initial optimism surrounding Deion Sanders and Colorado quickly dimmed as the team stumbled, losing eight of its final nine games this season. Many anticipate further struggles before any signs of improvement emerge.

As highlighted by The Athletic's David Ubben, Bruce Feldman, and Justin Williams, six different coaches and coordinators within the Pac-12 foresee a less successful campaign for the Buffaloes in 2024 compared to this year.

"It's gonna get dark for Colorado," remarked one coach.

Sanders assumed the Colorado head coaching role in December 2022 after a successful tenure at Jackson State, aiming to overhaul the roster significantly. Only 10 scholarship players from the 2022 squad, which posted a 1-11 record, remained on the team this season.

With 69 new scholarship players and 58 transfers, Colorado's roster underwent substantial changes in 2023. The immediate impact of this makeover seemed promising, as the team started the year 3-0, including a notable upset victory over TCU with a score of 45-42 in the season opener.

During this strong start, Colorado climbed as high as No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings, marking the program's first appearance in the poll since 2020. However, the momentum quickly faded, with the lone victory in the final nine games occurring on Oct. 7 against Arizona State.

In the midst of ongoing struggles, offensive coordinator Sean Lewis relinquished his play-calling duties. Lewis, in his debut season with Colorado after stepping down as head coach at Kent State, was replaced by Pat Shurmur, who had initially joined Sanders' staff as an offensive assistant and was subsequently promoted to co-offensive coordinator.

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