Deion Sanders’ Colorado era once felt like the center of the college football world a couple of years ago. Now, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum admits he is simply sad to watch where the program has ended up, after Buffaloes disappointing loss against Northwestern.

“I’m sad, because I don’t certainly root against Northwestern, or everybody’s fuzzy little teddy bear, but I just have started really pulling for Deion once he got sick, and his career just continues to spiral,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show.

Last year, in April, doctors found bladder cancer during a routine CT scan. Sanders went through treatment and has said since then he’s cancer-free now. But this health scare is what Finebaum was talking about. 

That feeling became harder to ignore Saturday night. Colorado walked into Northwestern at 2-0, but the Buffaloes left Evanston after a 41-7 blowout. More than the score, it was the way Colorado unraveled that made the loss more damaging.

Finebaum pointed to just how dramatically Sanders’ standing has changed since Colorado became one of the biggest stories in college football.

“it’s just much different between him and DaBo [Dabo Swinney ]and Belichick, because Deion is a guy that is so electric mad, you know him very well, and I just don’t know where he goes from here,” Finebaum added in the YouTube clip. “Because what was it, three years ago? I mean, he was literally at the epicenter of sports, not only college football, and now a lot of people listening on Sunday are going, I didn’t even realize that happened, because it just doesn’t matter anymore.”

Saturday’s loss offered plenty of reasons for that feeling, because Colorado actually showed signs early that it could move the ball. Joseph Williams caught a 20-yard pass from Julian Lewis, while Quentin Gibson broke off a 20-yard reverse. The Buffaloes also moved into the red zone while leaning on the running game.

Then the mistakes started piling up when Micah Welch lost a fumble near midfield. Lewis and Damian Henderson later mishandled a handoff inside the red zone. Two holding penalties created a first-and-30 situation, and Lewis threw an interception on the next play.

By halftime, Colorado had three turnovers, five penalties for 46 yards, and a failed fourth-down attempt. Northwestern turned those opportunities into a 21-0 lead.

The Wildcats never let Colorado back into the game. Aidan Chiles finished with 220 passing yards and three touchdown passes through three quarters, while Joseph Himon II caught all three of those scores. Colorado eventually got on the board when Lewis found Williams for a 50-yard touchdown, but Northwestern immediately answered.

The final numbers painted a surprising picture, with Colorado having committed four turnovers, going 0-for-3 on fourth down, and finishing with nine penalties. Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown while throwing two interceptions.

Now Sanders has to take Colorado into Big 12 play at Baylor next Saturday.

For Finebaum, though, the disappointment goes beyond one bad night. Colorado’s latest loss is another reminder of how quickly the spotlight can disappear. The program that once dominated the national conversation is now trying to find its footing again.