Is Colorado in hot waters again? Well, the criticism against Deion Sanders and Co. hardly ever stops coming. It’s almost a staple. However, criticism based on their disastrous 4-8 record continues to haunt them. There were many faults in their previous season’s roster, but the sloppy O-line takes the bag. The offensive linemen failed to do their part in protecting their QB. As a result, Shedeur Sanders got sacked 52 times, the highest in the country.

This is precisely why Josh Pate is furious over EA Sports 25’s rankings. Per the 2023 offensive YPG rankings for EA Sports top 10, Colorado ranked 8th on the list. Pate was not only shocked but also in disbelief. Last season, Colorado finished 60th in points per game chart. ESPN’s 2023 offensive leader’s chart of the Pac-12 conference saw Colorado ranked 9th among the 12 teams.

While Colorado was sitting at the 8th position, Ole Miss got the 10th spot in EA Sports rankings. Whereas, in the points per table chart, Ole Miss was 8 spots higher than Colorado at No.52. Another reason for Pate to be aghast—Per ESPN rankings of 2023 team total offense stats, Ole Miss ranked 11 spot, while Colorado was sitting too far behind at No. 79.

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The evident discrepancy elicited several reactions from the analysts worldwide. SportsGrid’s Ben Stevens mercilessly ripped the ‘overrated’ offense of Deion Sanders by pulling out some numbers from 2023. “Colorado’s 2023 offensive numbers (FBS rank out of 133 teams): Scoring – 28.2 PPG (No. 57), Total – 363.6 YPG (No. 78), Sacks allowed – 56 (No. 132),” Stevens prefaced before pulling the ultimate sarcastic card saying, “But sure, 8th best offense in the country makes sense.”

While everyone is busy pointing out the evident gap in the rankings, they’re forgetting what might be a major reason behind it.

Is Travis the reason behind Sanders’ team getting attention?

All of us remember Travis Hunter featured as the center athlete on the cover page of the EA Sports 25 CFB game, one of the biggest possible reasons for Colorado getting all the attention this season. Plus, it is Deion Sanders’ team. Even though the rankings of the 2023 season look a tad bit unfair, Colorado is trying its best to change the narrative in the 2024 season.

Now, the addition of O-line beasts like Jordan Seaton, Yaikiri Walker, Ivan Yates, Justin Mayers, and more have toughened up the offensive lineup at Colorado. Even the O-line players, like Cormani McClain, whom Coach Prime was not too confident about, have left Colorado this spring transfer portal. After this revamp, the O-Line performance is expected to be significantly better.