CFB win totals analysis: Is Coach Prime past his peak in Colorado?

Deion Sanders has long cut a polarizing profile in football, both during his playing career as a two-way star and future NFL Hall of Famer to his current post as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the topsy-turvy world of college football.

Long known for his brash disposition and penchant for promising to silence doubters, the 58-year-old Sanders brought his grandiose personality to Boulder behind the premise of reversing the fortunes of a Colorado program that had just one winning season in the 18 years prior to his arrival. His high-profile hiring came on the heels of a 23-3, two-year run at Jackson State and was met with a groundswell of media coverage from supporters and detractors alike.

His first spring game at Colorado in 2023 drew 47,277 fans to Folsom Field and a national television broadcast. Sanders, whose Prime Time nickname as a player morphed into Coach Prime for his second career, sent the hype train into overdrive when his team pulled off a 45-42 upset of TCU in his Colorado coaching debut as a three-touchdown underdog. However, that moment proved to be the pinnacle of a 4-8 season and last-place finish in the Pac-12.

Two years ago, the Buffaloes bounced back behind a 9-4 mark led by dynamic two-way star and eventual Heisman winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach's son, in the team's return to the Big 12. The duo awed audiences with their electrifying plays before both were taken in the NFL Draft.

But last year, the Buffaloes stumbled to a lackluster 3-9 mark with five consecutive losses to end the season by an average of 24.6 points per contest. Coach Prime's detractors delighted in their day of reckoning and early scouting reports, along with the college football betting future odds, suggest Colorado could be in for another rough season.

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Numerous sportsbooks are already offering futures bets on over/under season win totals for all FBS teams despite the uncertainty of roster composition and depth charts as we linger four-plus months away from the first kickoff. Still, backing Colorado for fewer than 4.5 wins already has emerged as a popular early position in the college football future odds. The price for this wager already has reached -160 at some outlets, and this stance is supported by numerous factors.

For one, Colorado's spring game last weekend drew a crowd of just 27,772, and many observers reported witnessing a club that appears to lack size relative to its FBS counterparts. The program also will be introducing new coordinators on both sides of hte ball. On the plus side, optimism exists because of a couple high-profile transfers led by receiver Danny Scudero, who notched an FBS-best 1,297 yards last season at San Jose State. The defense also landed some upper-tier talent, including former Vanderbilt linebacker Randon Fontenette, who notched 52 tackles for the Commodores last season.

But perhaps the key factor for handicapping Colorado's season-win total is a brutal Big 12 schedule that features consecutive dates against Baylor, Texas Tech and Utah. At first blush, it is difficult to find five realistic victories for Colorado, but the Buffaloes could get there if they perform above expectations as they did two years ago.

Bettors who are interested in jumping on the Colorado Under bandwagon should probably act quickly. Most of the time, betting outlets will simply adjust the price in response to one-sided action, but it's not unheard of for them to just move the number, similar to a point spread. Should this number move to 3.5, it would be unplayable on either side. 

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