Colorado football reeling
The bigger the Buffalo, the harder it falls—that’s the message surrounding the University of Colorado football team, which was bludgeoned by No. 10 Oregon on Saturday, 42-6.
+8000 before kickoff to +25000 by halftime
What had been the biggest story in sports, the rise of Colorado’s program thanks to Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, has been tarnished by the lopsided loss over the weekend. According to BetMGM sportsbook, the Buffs’ odds to win the national championship moved from +8000 before kickoff to +25000 by halftime of the Oregon game.
It’s not getting any easier for Sanders’ squad this week, either. Reigning Heisman winner and current frontrunner for the award, Caleb Williams, and No. 8 USC are heading to Boulder for a noon Eastern showdown.
The oddsmakers have already installed Colorado as a 21.5-point underdog, a half-point larger than the Oregon spread.
Ducks demolish the Buffs
It was a disaster from the opening minutes for Colorado.
Oregon had the nation’s second-ranked offense, but looked off-kilter in its one game against a Power Five opponent, Texas Tech. Although the Ducks still won, they were held to a season-low 38 points and needed 20 in the fourth quarter to come from behind and win.
That went by the wayside on Saturday as Oregon jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead. Coach Dan Lanning said during the buildup that Colorado was competing for clicks (in reference to their prominence on YouTube and social media) while they were fighting for wins, and his team backed it up.
sending a message—not just to Colorado, but to the nation
Lanning and company even went for a couple of two-point conversions and fourth down attempts that most coaches would advise against to make it clear they were sending a message—not just to Colorado, but to the nation.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Coach Prime’s son, finished the outing with 159 passing yards and his team’s lone touchdown. His Heisman odds suffered mightily as he plummeted from +1800 to +8000.
Oregon QB Bo Nix, on the other hand, was fantastic. He threw for 276 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, and added another touchdown on the ground. His performance helped him jump to +1200, fourth on BetMGM’s list of Heisman odds.
Still in the spotlight
Colorado has been the talk of the sports world because of Coach Sanders’ ability to draw the eye of the camera. Whether it be his warning “We comin’,” fiery pre-game speeches, or flashy look, he still has the same appeal he did when he was winning Super Bowls and making the Hall of Fame as a player.
However, other coaches have taken exception to the hype surrounding Colorado’s program. Colorado State coach Jay Norvell insinuated that Sanders’ mother raised him without manners before they met in a hard-fought rivalry matchup a couple of weeks ago, and Lanning used Saturday to take out his emotions on CU’s program.
Neither Williams nor USC have ignited any beef ahead of their matchup. They’re coming off a 42-28 win over Arizona State in which Williams tossed 322 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another two scores.
99% of moneyline bets and 71% of spread bets were in favor of the Buffs
The public has been heavily invested in Colorado as a betting prospect thus far. Despite being huge underdogs to the Ducks, 99% of moneyline bets and 71% of spread bets were in favor of the Buffs at BetMGM.
Sportsbooks have been vocal that Colorado has been the largest liability nearly every week of the season thus far.
Colorado is also one of the most popular picks to win the national championship despite only entering the season with an estimated win total of 3.5. 11% of the public’s money is also on the Buffs to win the College Football Playoff, which is a higher amount than any school except for Alabama.