Colin Cowherd admits to underestimating Deion Sanders' Colorado football for 2023: "I didn't think they'd be very good this year"

When Deion Sanders arrived in Colorado, he certainly did so with aplomb, and the hype he generated alienated a few doubters who didn't believe that there was any substance to it.

Saturday's phenomenal 45-42 win against the TCU Horned Frogs, who were College Football Playoff finalists last season, has certainly muzzled the naysayers.

One of those is prominent Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd, who predicted a blowout win for No. 17 TCU just a few days ago.

Cowherd admitted to being wrong and explained the reasons behind his earlier hypothesis:

"Deion Sanders, I thought he would give the program juice and publicity, and Colorado football needs it. So, I thought it was a good hire, but I didn't think they'd be very good this year because I didn't think you could bring in 75% of your program through the transfer portal and be anything other than inefficient and chaotic and mistake-prone early."

He continued explaining his admiration for how quickly Sanders has imprinted on Colorado, which finished last season with a woeful 1-11 record.

"I was shocked. Deion Sanders obviously can coach, we saw that at Jackson State. But for a first game! These are 20-year-old kids, they were mistake-free and penalty-free," Cowherd said.

---

The Deion Sanders hype-train comes with media scrutiny

It hasn't been smooth sailing for Deion Sanders since he took the Colorado job, having to deal with a doubting media who only credited him for the hype created around the program.

When Coach Prime got rid of almost 75% of the Colorado roster via the transfer portal and brought in several of his players, including his sons from Jackson State, the criticism reached a fever pitch.

After the win over TCU, he was keen to point out to Fox Sports the people who never doubted him and pass a message to those who did:

"Man, this is a blessing. Everybody, Buff Nation, who supported us, and all the hood that had my back. I thank y'all. God, this is good. We told you we was coming. You thought we were joking? Guess what, we keep the receipts."

Deion Sanders knows that the win against TCU will only offer him a temporary reprieve and that the naysayers are still waiting for an opening, and he admitted as much after the game.

“We’re gonna continuously be questioned because we’re going to continue to do things that have never been done. That’s the way our life has presented itself,” said Sanders. “We do things that have never been done, and that makes people uncomfortable.”

Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes next play the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, Sept. 9. The game begins at 12 p.m. ET and will be shown live on FOX.