Deion Sanders says CU Buffs plan to be in next year’s playoff

Deion Sanders was not hard to find as the transfer portal opened for college football on Monday, appearing on TV shows left and right the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes chanted, “Portal day!”

Sanders went on Good Morning America, The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz and joined 24/7 Sports’ Transfer Portal Palooza show. In his appearances, Coach Prime shared a message of the season being tough at 4-8 in his first year leading the Colorado Buffaloes. Yet he also talked about where the program was headed and pivoted this year’s College Football Playoff, which left out his school in Florida State, to share who he thought would be in next year’s expanded 12-team playoff.

“I want those problems, give me those problems,” Prime said on LeBatard of the tough decisions of leaving programs like Texas out. “Leaving out a Florida State and a Georgia, that’s why I’m glad it’s increased next year, and guess who is going to be in?”

A very excited Sanders said on ABC’s show this morning that to get where he thinks the Buffaloes need to be they first need to take advantage of the portal and find kids who are unhappy in their situation elsewhere.

But Sanders has lost some talent in the last few weeks both in his coaching staff and in future recruits. The first he seems to be happy for his peers, who are advancing in their careers the second, he’s brushed off to, “If you do your homework on what we lost, did we really need that?… We haven’t lost anything that we truly can’t live without.”

Among that group leaving was Colorado’s top assistant coach in Sean Lewis, starting tight end Michael Harrison, starting linebacker Marvin Ham, starting offensive linemen Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan and Van Wells and part-time starter at running back Anthony Hankerson.

“It was tough because I’m a darn winner, I’m a winner so that’s tough with losing games not only losing games we got our butts kicked twice,” Sanders said on LeBatard’s Show.” Now the rest of the games we were in it within eight points of victory, we were right there. You’re talking about a team that won one game prior that was in it for 10 games that could have possibly won but we didn’t know how to win, we didn’t have those eight to 10 players that we need to get us over the hump but guess what today is its portal day.”

“I am in the portal like like I’m not hard to find, I’m not hard to find and guess what I’m finding, lineman! You guys watched us play what did you say, if they had some of those guys, they would be right there guess what today is—portal day and I’m going get those things you said I need.

“We plan on being one of them,” Sanders said on 24/7 Sports of the schools that will make the expanded College Football Playoff next season. “We plan on being in that situation.”

"You're not going to leave Georgia AND Alabama out. It ain't no playoff if you do that."@DeionSanders when asked if the CFP committee made the right decision in putting in Alabama over Florida State 🗣️

WATCH📺: https://t.co/HZQdMMBhOu pic.twitter.com/FRVMRODeLd

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 4, 2023

Sanders quest for linemen is what the Buffs’ CFP hopes will hinge on, given his son, star quarterback Shedeur Sanders took a beating this season. The program also moves from the super strong Pac-12 to a Big 12 that looks a lot more open for the taking. Either way, Colorado hasn’t won a postseason game since 2004—let alone a conference title game since 2001, which may be required of the Big 12 even in a 12-team playoff.