The anticipation already being created by Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes’ move to the Big 12 has been shocking to the masses; however, not all are in approval of this move. The Big 12 is one of the most competitive conferences in college football, and thus, the Buffs will possibly not have it easy.

Joel Klatt, a popular college football analyst, is not having it. He opined that this could be bad for the Buffs, and he has a rationale for his opinion. Klatt’s largest worry is the league’s general level of competition within the Big 12. He said it in clear terms. “The Big 12 is gonna eat each other alive”.  Klatt said that in such a highly competitive environment, it is going to be very hard to have more than one team to have a slot in the playoffs.

Klatt elaborated further, reiterating that the reason was due to the fact that there is a lot of talent in the Big 12. “Think about it, just play it out for a moment,” he said. “There are seven or eight teams that could win the Big 12 championship.”  But here’s the kicker: the team that loses the Big 12 championship is likely to have at least three losses.

It’s not going to be accepted in a room full of powerhouse teams. The cards are clearly against the Buffs; Klatt does not shy away from admitting it, either.

The Big 12 gauntlet: Joel Klatt’s warning

And the Big 12? Well, if there is such a thing as a ‘murder league,’ this must be it. Klatt feels that for the Buffs, now under Deion Sanders they are entering a war where every game is a fight. Klatt agreed that the Big 12 champion would get in but was quick to note that any further debate on the second team would be a herculean task.

But remember, Klatt’s biggest concern was that Buffs could get in the process. “Well, it means that you are in a locker with 13 teams, including those that are considered outrageous, such as Penn State, Ole Miss, and Michigan.” So, the Buffs have to play their best every single week and even that may not be enough. To Sanders, this is not only a changing of desks but equally a strategic shift. 

Many of the fans and enthusiasts have been asking and thinking whether the Buffs have bitten more than they could chew. As one might expect, Big 12 is a conference in which the competitive level is high, and pressure rises constantly; however, Sanders and the team will not be playing in the high stakes with empty hands. It is not only a victory in the set series: it is a victory in a grinder of top-class matches.

The Buffs have the talent, no doubt, but the Big 12 is a different situation. The Buffs will simply have to get used to it in order to adhere to the other conference mandates of the Big 12 so that the Buffs are able to compete against other teams in other leagues. On this occasion, Klatt highlighted the reality of how this could be a complete disaster in the making.