Last night, going into the midnight hour, I found myself gripped by a Big 12 conference game between two unranked, mediocre teams. This isn't atypical for me, particularly this season, but what is unusual is how many others seemed to be watching alongside me based on social media. That's the thing about the Colorado Buffaloes, despite how average they are, people can't stop watching. We're all waiting for something: an implosion, an explosion on the field, a rapper on the sideline, two of the best players in college football, or the Deion reaction cam and postgame presser bait. Most importantly, we're watching to see if they win or if they lose.
The Colorado Buffaloes faced Dave Aranda's Baylor Bears last night, the first in-conference matchup of the year and Colorado's first in their reintroduction to the Big 12. Coming into the game, I assumed it would be a toss up, as both teams are incredibly flawed and especially beatable. I underrated the fact that teams really get up to play Colorado. Their flashiness and Instagram-ready personas, along with the Coach Prime bravado really gets under everyone's skin. Baylor seemed in control the entire game and were particularly effective at getting to the quarterback, particularly linebacker Steve Linton, who was attacking Colorado's Shedeur Sanders to the point that someone could have called the police. At one point the Bears were up 24-10 and it seemed as though they were gonna pull away and boat race the Buffs. But if Colorado deserve credit for nothing else, they fight like hell. We saw it in Deion's first season, and although I'm not convinced they're all that much better overall this season, that fight is just as fierce. Starting with a miracle of a touchdown where Shedeur Sanders ducked another sack, throwing for 58 yards to receiver Omarion Miller, who managed to evade a defender and barely keep himself off the turf on the way to a the end zone. The Buffaloes steadily got themselves back into the game at every turn.
And then came the last seconds of the game. Down by seven, Buffaloes receiver Will Sheppard misses a perfect hail mary throw from Sanders that probably should've been the night cap. But with one last play Sanders threw up one more prayer and this time it was answered by LaJohntay Wester in the end zone, sending this game into overtime at 31-31. Colorado was able to score quickly in OT and it seemed like Baylor was about to do the same until Travis Hunter, the best football player in college, was able to punch the ball out of Bears running back Dominic Richardson's hands at the 1 yard line, it squeaked into the end zone where the Buffaloes knocked it out of play for an automatic turnover and the game.
Colorado students were so amped they started storming the field and yanking down the goal posts before the call was even confirmed. Lucky for them, it was. Final score: 38-31.
There's no way to read into this game that Colorado is any better than the year before. They escaped with a last second miracle win in much the same fashion as they did so many times at the start of last season. And while Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have both shown at times a superhuman ability to make up for their teams flaws, it's a dangerous game that cannot last for a full season. This is especially true of Sanders, who has taken hit after hit after unbelievable hit in only four games. But a win is a win.
Sanders, the coach, was measured in both praise and criticism for his team afterwards, worried that his squad still only shows "glimpses" of the great team it can be. I'm not quite sure of that. But whether you want to call Colorado lucky or tough, or even a great team just struggling to breakout, one thing is for sure: it's never boring.
Correction (1:47 pm EST): Neither Colorado or Baylor were undefeated going into Saturday's game
