Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has always been a man of his word. But sometimes, not everything is in Coach Prime’s control. This time, the Buffs’ luck played them dirty. However, it must be stinging Deion right in his heart now that his promise for someone special is going to remain unfulfilled. The Buffs head coach wouldn’t have cared otherwise, but when it’s about Colorado superfan 100-year-old Peggy Coppom, Coach Prime might be worrying a little.

Right now, the Big 12 gates are closed for Deion’s boys, all thanks to the Iowa State Cyclones sealing their glory against the Kansas State Wildcats. But the hammer was in the BYU Cougars’ hands on whether they would put the last nail in the Buffs’ championship hopes. And they did, dousing off Colorado’s playoff fire.

Even at 100 years old, Coppom stands as steady as a rock. So the Buffs had to make it special for Miss Peggy as she hit a milestone. On the occasion of her hitting a century on November 19, Deion’s boys gifted her a big 49-24 win against the Utah Utes in front of 54,646 fans at Folsom Field. Coach Prime, ever the perfectionist, couldn’t help but reflect on a mix of fulfillment and regret.

He once promised Coppom, “I was really dedicated to get Peggy to a bowl game,” a promise he delivered after their win against Cincinnati. But as the Buffaloes set their sights on controlling their destiny in the Big 12 Conference championship, he raised the stakes, saying, “Now we trying to get Peggy to the game. Yeah, it was a bowl game. Now it’s the game.” But better luck next time! 

Initially, it looked like their playoff hopes improved on Thanksgiving night, as Tulane lost to Memphis in a 34-24 feat. However, focusing on the bigger picture dropped some reality checks on Deion’s program. The Buffs’ luck depended on two programs, the Iowa State Cyclones and the BYU Cougars. Both the games were lined up for Saturday, November 30. And it turned out to be an ominous day for Deion’s army. 

At first, Matt Campbell’s squad crushed Chris Klieman’s army in their 29-21 impressive feat. So that’s where Colorado’s playoff hopes were dimmed. But the final blow came with Kalani Sitake’s BYU Cougars grabbing a big 30-18 victory over the Houston Cougars. But while Deion failed to keep his playoff promise to Coppom, he gifted Miss Peggy another big win that she will likely cherish for a long time.

Deion Sanders’ present for Peggy Coppom’s 100th birthday

Remember the time when, back in May, programs locked horns to land the four-star QB recruit Julian Lewis? The young chap had already given his words to Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans. So the Buffs, along with other programs, dived straight into the Mission JuJu race. That’s when Deion thought of using his trump card, Coppom, to melt Lewis’ heart. And we must say, Miss Peggy did some good work in the wooing game.

The 100-year-old shot a clip only for Lewis, where she said the right words with the right emotions to reach out to the player, “Juju I have been cheering for this Colorado Buffs team for 84 years and I’m getting tired of being a good loser. I would love to be a good winner. So come on out here and play for us and help us win.” Now that Deion Sanders’ red-carpet treatment was enough to mold Lewis’ heart, the 4-star recruit committed to the Buffs on November 21. 

And how could Peggy Coppom not be happy? After all, what better timing for the commitment flip than her 100th birthday? The superfan shared a heartwarming video with the message, “Hi Juju, this is Peggy in Boulder, Colorado. I’ve just heard that you’ve committed to play football for the University of Colorado and become a Buffalo. I am so excited for that good news and its’ a wonderful 100th birthday gift to me.” So, Deion Sanders can now stop beating himself for not making to the playoffs.