After losing to UCLA on Saturday, a subdued Deion Sanders repaired to the media room inside the Rose Bowl to face the music. Asked about his team’s “big picture” plans to protect their much-maligned quarterback, the Colorado coach snapped: “You go get new linemen. That’s the picture, and I’mma paint it beautifully.” As a shutdown corner in the NFL, Sanders was famous for springing traps. For him to start falling for them shows just how hard it is to sustain overnight success in a sport that’s all about playing the long game.
The 28-16 loss to UCLA dropped Colorado to 1-4 since their blazing 3-0 start to the season took the US by storm. Once the feelgood story that attracted the TV networks, celebrities and a national ranking, the Buffaloes are now a college football unicorn: the arrivistes who bring out the other side’s A-game.
