LAS VEGAS – The Deion Sanders incident began Wednesday morning at Big 12 Media Days. Before a network interview began, Sanders directed a cameraman into the interior of Allegiant Stadium.
He directed, “Please turn (the monitor) for me and let me see the shot immediately.”
Well content and situated in a sports jacket and hoodie on a 116-degree day (outside), Coach Prime began to use his inner voice to enjoy the day, even if the conference wasn’t done yet.
You may not have gotten the memo, but until further notice, the face of the new Big 12 is a bankable brand endorser coming off a 4-8 season.
“Man, I love Deion,” said Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, who coached Sanders’ son, Deion Jr., in high school. “He makes no excuses, and he doesn’t hold anything back. He’ll say what he believes in and say what he thinks.”
When Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was asked who was the new face of the league without Texas and Oklahoma, he told CBS Sports, “It’s probably going to be me, right?”
A case can be made. Along with Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Gundy (19 years with the Cowboys) has the most seniority of any FBS current coach at the same school. Gundy has won 166 games and one Big 12 title.
It was then suggested to Gundy that Sanders could be the face.
“He’s Taco Bell, Aflac, he’s got a lot of other things going on,” Gundy said of Sanders’ endorsement. “When it comes to the football aspect of it, (I) would probably have an accurate answer.”
Gundi was speaking tongue-in-cheek for that half-answer; The coaches mutually praise each other.
But he may be right. Don’t call Deion the face of the best team in the Big 12, or even the best program. Think of Coach Prime as best in class. Entertainment In the Big 12. Maybe in all of college football. A guy who has more “college gameday” than sports. And in his day and age – certainly in this conference –This makes sense on some level.
Considering everything he brought to the game, Prime had one of the best Septembers in college football history last season, going 3-0 before losing to Oregon and USC. The ratings were so good that they extended across every demographic and beyond sports.
“I’m judged on a different scale,” Sanders said during his podium availability.
That decision is not going to stop; This may just be the beginning. A Hall of Fame player and pitchman may be the best thing to happen to the new Big 12. Rating! Publicity! Advertisement! circle! sunglasses!
“They’ve got the juice, they’re nationals,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said of CU.
Sanders may be just what the newly expanded, still-in-shape Big 12 needs: attention. Commissioner Brett Yormark started Tuesday by boldly saying that his league is the third-best league in FBS — a clear shot at the ACC. He further said that the league is open for business again. (Hello, Florida State?)
The two influencers shared a warm embrace in a hallway before Sanders’ appearance at the podium on Wednesday. It could be argued that Yormark would not have been able to complete his bold Four Corners expansion without Sanders’ brand and the coach’s willingness to return to Texas recruiting.
Just don’t zoom in on the football. Not yet. Coach Prime’s coaching chops are still under construction at this stage. That’s because Colorado enters 2024 on a six-game losing streak. It’s one thing to go 27-6 at FCS Jackson State, it’s another to revive a moribund Power Five. Sanders is at a school that will tolerate a slow climb to success because, well, he’s Deion. This calms the situation when the program boasts only one winning non-COVID season since 2004.
“My victory is completely different than your victory,” Sanders told a media member. “Your wins are measured just on football…expectations are high. But it’s not just football. It’s been like that my whole life. I’ve always had high expectations for myself.”
But then finally someone asked the question that needed to be asked: Why Is Colorado going to be better in 2024? Prime said the offensive line has improved, the defensive line coaches are demanding, the running backs are being led by former walk-ons, special teams, etc. He noted a record team grade-point average and 150 years of NFL experience. The staff now includes fellow Hall of Famer Warren Sapp graduate assistant,
But this should not be surprising. This is still America, where flash sometimes triumphs over substance.
Still, Colorado enters the season balancing a duality. Despite last year’s losing record, it returns two of the game’s best players – Sanders’ son, quarterback Chedure Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter, who was named Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Both are considered strong candidates for first-round NFL draft selections next spring. Malzahn even went so far as to say that he had projected Shedeur to be a ninth-grader who attended the Auburn camp, rather than a five-star prospect.
Malzahn recalled, “Shedeur was better than that guy as a ninth-grader.” “I brought him over to my office. Of course, I’m a big fan of Dion… I offered Shedure on the spot. He was better than that five-star big shot.”
Predictably, one of Car Wash’s first questions during the day-long interview concerned the two players in the Heisman race.
“It’s going to happen,” Sanders said.
If Scheider can’t stay straight after suffering the most sacks (56) by any Power Five quarterback since 2012, not for much longer. In fact, Prime’s debut exposed a glaring weakness. Despite the initial transfer portal acquisition, both lines had little to no buffs. The defense ranked second-to-last in the Pac-12 and 115th nationally in yards allowed per play (6.27).
Now what, Coach Prime?
He said, “I don’t care how you look at me, how you look at me.” “I’m more able to understand how I see me and how God sees me and how He sees me. Nothing I do will ever be enough.”
Certainly not four wins again. Take a look at the schedule. FBS-killer North Dakota comes to town for the state inauguration. Then, there are road trips to Nebraska and Colorado State, both of whom are looking for revenge after last season’s losses. Based on the results to date, it is hard to envision six wins needed for bowl eligibility.
The face of this new, expanded Big 12 then turned introspective.
He said, “I’m a bro from Fort Myers, Florida, I’m sitting here in the end zone in Las Vegas talking to the whole country about that boyish game I played when I was little.” “This is a moment, man, you better make the most of it.”
Mixing in a bowl will also help.
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