Deion Sanders has the last laugh: Colorado now a favorite to make the CFP Playoff

If you had the Colorado Buffaloes as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender on your Bingo card heading into the 2024 season, please stand up.

Things looked primed to fall off the rails in a hurry up in Colorado at the beginning of the year once the Buffaloes were dropped by Nebraska in a 28-10 loss. Then, in the middle of October, Colorado was beaten again in overttime, this time by Kansas State.

With two losses in the middle of October, many were beginning to question if Deion Sanders — even with talents like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter — could get the job done, or even if the Buffaloes would be able to hit the "over" on their 5.5 win total for the 2024 season.

It's amazing how quickly things can change in college football.

After that loss to Kansas State, Colorado has reeled off three-straight wins and the Buffaloes are ranked inside the Top-20 of the College Football Playoff Rankings, and they're going to move up once the committee releases its new edition this coming Tuesday. That's just the start, though.

With a 7-2 overall record and a 5-1 record in the Big 12, Colorado now officially controls its own destiny to the Big 12 Championship game. With Iowa State losing a second game in conference, the Buffaloes sit alone with BYU as the only two teams who control their own destiny in the conference heading down the final stretch of the season.

Of course, the final stretch won't be an easy one.

The Buffaloes will have to play Utah this coming weekend, and then they'll follow that up with a trip to Kansas. Neither of those games will be easy wins and a loss would put Colorado in a potential five-way tie for second place in the Big 12, so the margin for error is thin.

But, you can't help but be impressed with what Deion Sanders has been able to do in just his second year in Colorado. Remember, this is a program that went 1-11 and finished last in the Big 12 just two seasons ago in 2022. Now, Sanders has them competing at the top of the Big 12 and has brought in a flurry of big names — including NFL talents — that have them sitting pretty in the conference standings.

Can you imagine if Colorado is able to cap off this season with three wins and then win the Big 12?

The Buffaloes, led by Sanders, are already one of the most impressive stories in college football this season.

If they are somehow able to clinch a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff, the pandamonium would reach a whole new level, if that's even possible.

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