Finding optimism in Colorado football after bowl elimination, 3-7 record
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The Colorado Buffaloes effectively ended their season with a 29-22 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.
As the Buffs practice through their last bye week of the season, they've been eliminated from bowl contention and sit at a lowly 3-7 and just 1-6 in the Big 12 Conference. Despite the 2025 season turning into a disaster late, after two blowout losses to Utah and Arizona, there was a time when the Buffs were playing close games against highly ranked opponents. Much like in those times, the loss to West Virginia inspired some confidence in the program moving forward.
Welcome to the "Sunny Side," a place filled with positive thoughts about the Colorado Buffaloes and where Julian Lewis dropbacks are the only entertainment in town.
Julian Lewis is the future
The hype around Julian Lewis has been inescapable since his performance against West Virginia, and I'm not here to dispel the excitement. It's for good reason, Lewis was by far the best quarterback we've seen for the Buffaloes in 2025 once he got his feet underneath him. His ability to create and push the ball downfield is precisely what the offense has been missing, finally allowing them to take advantage of their excellent wideouts.
Throwing Lewis in there was a sink-or-swim test for the true freshman, and he swam like an Olympian. The next few years of Colorado football will be must-see television as long as Lewis is commanding the offense.
Deion Sanders is the right leader for this team
In my time covering the Buffs, the most common question I'm asked about the 2025 season is: "Should Colorado fire Deion Sanders?" Every time my response is simple, the Colorado administration would be insane to let Coach Prime go this offseason. Look around the college football landscape, and some of the biggest schools in the sport are looking for new leaders at the helm. There's simply no way Colorado could compete with the likes of LSU or Penn State in a coaching search.
Not only that, but under Sanders, Colorado football was relevant in the national media conversation for the first time in decades. He has a proven track record of winning for at least one season, and his name carries weight in the recruiting cycle that the school desperately needs. A solid coach for 2026 keeps Colorado moving in a winning direction, rather than starting from scratch with slim pickings.
Building a foundation
Against West Virginia, the Buffs who shined brightest were underclassmen, a welcome sight for a team that's been ravaged by injuries. From sophomores Brandon Davis-Swain and Joseph Williams to the freshman Lewis, the youth stepped up to make plays and keep that game close. If Colorado can keep these players and star tackle Jordan Seaton, then I start to feel really solid about the cornerstones that Sanders and his team can build around for 2026.
Not needing a quarterback, tackle or star wideout should help Colorado narrow its focus in the offseason, targeting areas of the roster that struggled, such as linebacker and the interior offensive line. It's a luxury they didn't have last offseason, and they should be able to take advantage of it.
Portal magicians
Speaking of the offseason, I'm not sure Colorado gets enough credit for finding gems in the transfer portal, given how disastrous the 2025 season has been. Key additions brought in via the portal last offseason were Joseph Williams, Tawfiq Byard, DeKalon Taylor and Larry Johnson III, to name a few. These were players who flew under the radar, and the Buffs found diamonds in the rough who made their team significantly better.
While there were misses, the Buffaloes have shown an ability to find contributors around whom they can build for the future. Another swing at the roster with more solid pieces will do wonders for a Buffaloes team that was so close to competing in the Big 12 in 2025.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football: Deion Sanders, Julian Lewis offer hope
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