- Deion Sanders’ FBS head coaching career is off to a fast start, as he and the Colorado Buffaloes beat TCU as 21-point underdogs.
- QB Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, had an impressive performance to send his Heisman Trophy odds catapulting at online betting sites.
- Colorado’s 2023-24 College Football National Championship odds witnessed a significant jump, as well.
In Deion Sanders’ highly anticipated Colorado head coaching debut, QB Shedeur Sanders and the Buffaloes shocked the country with a thrilling 45-42 win over the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
As 21-point underdogs, Colorado was well-prepared to play on the road. Now, Sanders is +2600 to win the Heisman after opening with +12500 odds at BetUS.
It didn’t take very long for the public to jump on the Sanders bandwagon. Moments after Colorado and Sanders won at TCU, there was a monumental shift in the 2023-24 Heisman Trophy odds. Since the victory, money has poured in on Sanders to win the Heisman Trophy.
This has continued through the holiday weekend, and likely won’t stop before Sanders has a poor showing. Sanders’ Heisman odds shot to +4000 following the victory.
On Tuesday, Sanders’ Heisman odds moved from +4000 to +2600, which puts him in the same territory as Georgia’s Carson Beck and LSU’s Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy odds.
Sanders Leads Colorado To 45 Points In Shootout
The son of NFL HOF player Deion Sanders, Shedeur, followed his father to Boulder after the elder Sanders accepted a $29.5 million contract to coach the Buffaloes. It’s the largest contract in Colorado football history, but the school is confident that the investment will pay off quickly.
Previously, the son-and-father tandem led Jackson State to two SWAC titles. When Colorado came knocking on the door, the offer was too lucrative to ignore. While there is a long road ahead for the Buffaloes, initial impressions were well received.
Shedeur Sanders with a ridiculous debut for Colorado.
Set a school record for passing yards in his FIRST GAME 🔥 pic.twitter.com/h3CXvoNEgO
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 2, 2023
In his FBS debut, Sanders passed for a school-record 510 yards in the 45-42 win. The 21-year-old completed 38 of 47 passing and threw four touchdowns on the hapless TCU secondary.
The Buffaloes’ offense hasn’t looked this potent for at least two decades. But it will be important for the team to stay grounded and quickly move on to their next assignment mentally. There is room for improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Colorado needed every yard from Sanders, as the defense was getting gashed on the ground. The Horned Frogs’ Emani Bailey had 14 carries for 164 yards on 11.7 yards per carry. Trey Sanders beat Colorado for three touchdowns.
There was one Colorado defender who received straight ‘As’ for his effort, though. Two-way player Travis Hunter excelled as a wide receiver and cornerback. Between Sanders and Hunter, the Buffaloes appear to have something special this season.
Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy Odds Are Flying
Sanders isn’t the only Buffalo who had a head-turning performance at TCU. Hunter, who played both sides of the ball, was a star at cornerback and receiver in the win.
Hunter hauled in 11 receptions and 119 yards as a receiver. However, it was his athletic interception at Colorado’s 4-yard line to kill a TCU drive in the red zone that sparked attention from football fans.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME TRAVIS HUNTER🔥🔥🫨 pic.twitter.com/NxT5EE9gaV
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 2, 2023
Hunter’s ball instincts to read Chandler Morris were particularly sharp. In addition to the interception, Hunter made critical tackles throughout the contest. He finished the game with three tackles and the clutch INT.
If he doesn’t make that play in the third quarter, it’s plausible that Colorado doesn’t pick up the win. Currently, Hunter’s odds of winning the Heisman Trophy are +2500. Most online betting sites did not have Heisman odds on Hunter before the electric start in Week 1.
If he did have odds, then they were +10000 or worse to capture the top individual honor in college football. While Sanders was incredibly impressive, Hunter may have been the more valuable player in Colorado’s win.
Colorado’s National Title Odds Cut In Half
Bettors were quick to react in the 2023-24 College Football Playoff betting markets, too. Prior to kickoff, BetUS had Colorado listed at +20000 to win the College Football National Championship.
Today, Colorado has +10000 odds to win the national title. With an implied probability of one percent, the oddsmakers do not have nearly as much confidence in Colorado as Sanders or Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy.
Team success often goes hand in hand with Heisman Trophy voting, but the two odds are currently detached from one another.
As mentioned, Colorado’s defense has to make several adjustments before they beat the top contenders in college football. And, it will be interesting to see how the offense responds after such an emotionally charged win.
Tough Schedule Ahead
Additionally, the schedule will get tougher for the Buffaloes. Much larger tests than TCU are on the horizon. TCU is coming off a trip to the CFP National Championship, but they lost plenty of talent, including QB Max Duggan.
Coach Prime will make his debut at home this Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Currently, at BetUS, Colorado is a 3-point favorite to beat the Cornhuskers. There are a handful of matchups that should be circled on Colorado’s schedule.
The Buffaloes have Oregon and USC on consecutive weeks, September 23 and September 30. That will be the toughest part of the schedule. Also, UCLA at the Rose Bowl in late October will be interesting, along with Oregon State and Utah in November.
The public is falling in love with Colorado for now. However, champions aren’t made in early September. What will happen in Boulder when the Pac-12 schedule opens later this year?
