Colorado Buffaloes record by year: How has Deion Sanders turned things around in Boulder?

Deion Sanders has been able to revitalize the Colorado Buffaloes during the two seasons he has been with the program. The 2024 season marked the first time that the Buffaloes had made a bowl game since 2020. While they were unsuccessful in the Alamo bowl, getting there was a win in itself, especially when one considers the recent history of the team.

Let's take a look at the last five seasons of the Colorado Buffaloes and analyze Sanders's impact.

Colorado Buffaloes record 2020-2024

2020

The 2020 season needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, especially in comparison to the entire history of College Football. This is because it was a shortened season, affecting records, and the number of games played wasn't the same for all programs.

The Buffaloes had a five-game schedule in 2020, and they went 4-1 under new coach Karl Dorrell. Their record earned them a bowl game against the Texas Longhorns in which they were trounced 55-23. However, one could consider the 4-2 season a success.

2021

The Buffaloes retained Dorell for the season, which returned to its normal schedule. This was something that did not help the Buffaloes. They finished the season with a 4-8 (3-6 PAC-12) record, which included defeats to Oregon, Texas A&M, and Minnesota. But they were able to defeat Oregon State in overtime.

2022

In the previous two seasons, the Colorado Buffaloes had won 4 games each, However, they endured a horror 2022 season. The Buffs ended the season with a 1-11 season, and they were lucky to have that one win against the California Golden Bears, in a game that went into overtime.

This was one of the worst seasons in Buffs' history and they lost all but three of their games by more than 25 points. It was no surprise that Karl Dorrell was fired during the season. However, his replacement would bring a change of wind to the Buffaloes.

2023

In comes, Deion Sanders, who brings in stars like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter from his former program to Colorado. These two players would shine, and the Sanders era started well, with a surprise win over TCU (who made the national championship the season before) in an opening week game. However, they couldn't keep up this form and ended the year with a familiar 4-win season.

2024

Sanders remained for his second season, and the campaign marked a massive improvement in form for the Colorado Buffaloes. Led by Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter (who would win the Heisman Trophy), the Buffaloes took advantage of their new conference to finish the season with an 8-4 record. This gave them a bowl game appearance.

Deion Sanders succeeded in turning the side around but with his stars leaving, can he keep this up in 2025? He may not even continue coaching the team though and fans are waiting to see if he will make a move to the NFL.