Paul Finebaum has had some spicy takes on Colorado football, especially before this season kicked off. He just loved all the controversy saying that the Buffaloes were “irrelevant” and the school was just a “gimmick.” A few weeks later, things have changed drastically. This season, with a four-winning record, and with a minted Coach Deion Sanders, Finebaum’s sentiments have changed.

Now he’s on-air admitting, “Colorado doesn’t appear to be a gimmick. They appear to be a legitimate football team.”  You could almost hear the growling from him, you know, like a kid who’s just been told to share his candy. Everything in this whole saga is more thrilling than the actual game. Finebaum who was preoccupied with throwing some serious shade at Deion Sanders, has had to eat some of his words.

Paul said, in an attempt to douse the flames with his clarification, that he did not have an issue with Sanders, but was rather offended that Stephen A. Smith was defending him. “My biggest beef last week wasn’t with Prime. It was with Stephen A. Smith defending Prime,” Finebaum said. Well, one must realize he is picking on this notch to be slightly more diplomatic, so it comes off as though he has one foot in the hot seat.

We know that Finebaum has been trading barbs with Deion Sanders all season long, and with each barb he fires, the barbs get stronger. Instead of giving in to Finebaum’s insults, Sanders fired back in style by saying, “A fan only blows when you hot … so we must be hot.” The lights were on for what has now become a daily rage, but now that Colorado has pulled off one of the most incredible Hail Mary passes over Baylor, Finebaum is running for cover as fast as a cornerback in trailing technique.

Finebaum is giving some props to Coach Prime while, at the same time, he is trying to stay as skeptical as possible. “I’m going to say fiction,” he said when asked about Colorado’s chances at the Big 12 Championship, still pointing to issues on the offensive line.

What compelled Paul Finebaum to change his stance

It has been quite enjoyable to watch Finebaum go from a loudmouthed enemy to a begrudging respecter of the Buffaloes. Yes, he knew that after seeing all the energy and passion Colorado exhibits on the field, he had to eat his words. But it is not all about the victories; it’s all about how Deion Sanders and his squad have been able to transform the whole culture of the program.

The Buffaloes have since drawn a reputation as perhaps the most fun team to watch in college football, and Finebaum has been forced to eat his words about their performance against Baylor. “That was simply beyond words what I saw there,” he said about their thrilling performance against Baylor.

But let’s be serious—while Finebaum is serving up compliments here and there, he hasn’t quite turned over a new leaf. Yeah, he’s still got that defense of doubting, particularly on how well Colorado is going to do in the Big 12 conference. Nonetheless, Finebaum has his reservations concerning the further performance of the offense, particularly the lines. “The fact of the matter is that the offensive line cannot protect Shedeur Sanders,” he remarked. In statements made, it is quite evident he is not yet prepared to climb up on the Buffs’ hype train.

But they revealed their abilities, with Shedeur Sanders achieving 290 passing yards against UCF seeing the team triumph 48-21. The offense was firing on all cylinders, showcasing depth and skill across the board. The defense stepped up big time too, holding UCF well below their average rushing yards. Their success in the game shows the fact that the Buffs are more than just a gimmick with special talent, such as Travis Hunter and Will Sheppard. Finebaum must now acknowledge their legitimacy as they continue to impress week after week.

After all the talk and the hype, college football is all about the theater, and Finebaum turned out to be an asset by going from a skeptic to a grudging fan. His interaction with Deion Sanders has most definitely kept people fixated, and who doesn’t like a bit of hype in sports, right? Here’s to the Buffs who are coming up and getting rowdy, and to Finebaum, who now knows that sometimes you have to swallow your words when things you didn’t anticipate take place.