Deion Sanders has an uncanny ability to change any situation into something that benefits him. That is even the case with Colorado’s ongoing losing streak.
Coach Prime managed to turn a four-game slide into a positive for his program. He finds it to be a positive thing for his recruitment of high school and transfer portal players because they want to help make the team better.
The Buffaloes won just one game last season. They began the year with three-straight wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State. It was the biggest story in sports. It was all anyone was talking about.
And then the honeymoon ended.
Colorado got smoked by Oregon, could not complete a comeback against USC, lost to Stanford in overtime, and then dropped back-to-back games against UCLA and Oregon State. There was a three-point win over Arizona State in the middle of that six-game stretch, but there are only two games left in the regular season.
Sanders’ college football team needs to beat Washington State and Utah on the road to make a bowl game. Where it once looked inevitable at 3-0, the outlook is rather grim at 4-6.
One might think that it does not bode well for recruiting. Watching a prospective future school lose does not often provide an encouraging outlook. Coach Prime said otherwise while speaking during Colorado’s weekly coaches show.
He believes that the losing streak has made his program even more desirable. In his eyes, recruits are excited to be a part of continued rebuild. They aren’t worried about the now, when they are the future.
They’re not thinking about what transpired. They’re thinking about them being the missing piece of the puzzle to help this transpire.
— Deion Sanders
There is some logic to what Deion Sanders is saying. This is only year one. The Buffaloes exceeded their expected win total of 3.5. It has been a successful season, even if the 3-0 start did not lead to an easy path to a bowl game.
Coach Prime will keep building. Players who want to help take Colorado to the next level look at the losing streak as an opportunity. That is true.
At the same time, though, watching a team lose five of six — and maybe as many as seven of eight — is not a great sign. It may also be as much of a deterrent as it is an incentive.