Deion Sanders’ Colorado football team receives 1 vote in first AP top 25 poll of season

The Colorado Buffaloes’ 2023 season started out like a lion but ended like a lamb.

The Deion Sanders-led team started with an upset over TCU and nearly topped USC in one of their first matchups of that year. But after losing eight of their last nine games. Sanders’ 2024 campaign hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start as he’s had confrontations with the media.

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Coach Deion Sanders during the MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game at Globe Life Field on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

He probably shouldn’t check the first Associated Press rankings of the season either.

Even with the team returning Shedeur and Shilo Sanders and Travis Hunter, Colorado only received one vote to make the initial top 25 poll of the season.

Georgia was ranked No. 1 and five Big 12 programs were in the Top 25.

Colorado will embark on a new journey this season, debuting in the Big 12 Conference.

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Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes before the UCLA Bruins game at Rose Bowl Stadium on Oct. 28, 2023, in Pasadena, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The Buffaloes start with North Dakota State at home on Aug. 29, which will be far from a cakewalk as the Bison were 11-4 last season and made it to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs.

The team then starts its conference schedule at home on Sept. 21 against Baylor.

Colorado was ranked No. 11 in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll, setting up the team to have a bigger chip on its shoulder than it already has.

Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders scrambles during the Black and Gold spring game at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, on April 27, 2024. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

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The Buffaloes brought a ton of hype with them at the start of the 2023 season, and it will be interesting to see whether they can bring success early and maintain it.

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