Colorado owns one of the most embarrassing distinctions in the Power Four. When Deion Sanders walked into a program after a 1-11 season in 2022, he told half the roster he was “bringing his luggage.” Three seasons later, for all the hype and roster flips, the Buffs still haven’t won a bowl game in over two decades.

When you count only the playoff era records, it’s even more embarrassing. Colorado is the only Power Four program, across the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12, without a bowl victory since the College Football Playoff era began in 2014. That drought stretches all the way back to the 2004 Houston Bowl against UTEP. Since then, they have suffered five straight bowl losses. 

The CFP era only made it look worse. Colorado lost to Oklahoma State in the 2016 Alamo Bowl, then Texas in the 2020 Alamo Bowl, and then BYU in the 2024 Alamo Bowl. All three appearances led to the same ending. The pressure on Deion Sanders to break this streak is heavy entering 2026 because the Buffs already showed it could work.

After going 4-8 in his debut year in 2023, Colorado made fans believe change was coming to stay. The Buffs won nine regular-season games in 2024 and finished tied atop the Big 12, led by Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. But the bowl ending didn’t change. 

Colorado missed the Big 12 title game because of tiebreakers. Then it got pushed around by BYU in the Alamo Bowl, which led to a 14-36 loss. Then came 2025, and the regression hit like a brick after Deion Sanders lost his two star players to the NFL. The Buffs crashed to 3-9 and won only one conference game as the magic from 2024 disappeared. 

A 27-22 loss to West Virginia killed Colorado’s bowl hopes, and Deion Sanders took accountability for it.

“This is not who we are,” he said. “We’re better than this and [Colorado fans] deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this.”

For someone who rarely admits public defeat, that was something else. He had the roster, but the results just didn’t match. But let’s not exclude the fact that Deion Sanders was battling health issues last season. But now that he’s better, 2026 suddenly feels enormous for his long-term vision in Boulder. On3’s J.D. PicKell pointed out Colorado’s biggest need. 

“Show all of us that things are stable in Boulder when it comes to the on-the-field product,” he said while discussing expectations for Colorado in 2026. “Because I know last year was so disappointing on a number of levels. I mean, missing a bowl game after winning nine games has to be enormously frustrating.”

He wants to see stability because right now, Colorado is creating a dilemma. Fans don’t know which is real: the nine-win team from 2024 or the three-win mess from 2025. That uncertainty is exactly why the offseason became another massive reset for Deion Sanders and his staff.

What changes did Deion Sanders make ahead of the 2026 season?

Colorado went aggressive in the offseason, bringing in 43 transfers while reshaping the coaching staff from top to bottom. The biggest offensive change comes with Brennan Marion taking over as OC. He arrives after a successful stint at Sacramento State, where his offense averaged 33.8 points per game in 2025. Julian Lewis is expected to become the face of the offense, though Deion Sanders hasn’t officially named him QB1 yet. 

Defensively, Colorado promoted Chris Marve to DC after Robert Livingston left for the Denver Broncos. Marve previously coordinated defenses at Virginia Tech and now inherits a unit that allowed 222.5 rushing yards per game, the second-worst mark in the entire country behind only Eastern Michigan. 

CBS Sports analyst Tom Fornelli pointed out Colorado’s biggest issue entering 2026 is that there are very few easy wins. 

“Colorado is playing two nonconference games against Power Four opponents (Georgia Tech and Northwestern), and both are on the road,” he said. “In conference play, the Buffs get both Texas Tech and Utah, though at least those games are in Boulder. It’s difficult to predict how the Big 12 will shake out, but overall, the Buffs don’t have many games against teams that finished in the bottom half of the league last season.”

That’s the uncomfortable truth facing Deion Sanders now. Colorado has become one of the most visible programs in college football under him. But right now, the Buffs are still chasing a bowl win, something every other 67 P4 teams have won since 2014.