Broncos and Buffs providing hope to two fanbases that needed it

The Denver Broncos and CU Buffs did something this past weekend that both fanbases desperately needed.

And that was providing hope.

The Broncos dismantled the Buccaneers, winning a game 26-7 that they controlled the entire way. CU had a lot more drama, but an improbable Hail Mary from Shedeur Sanders followed by a clutch fumble forced by Travis Hunter in overtime moved the Buffs to 3-1 on the season.

Man, it felt good to go to bed on Sunday night with both teams getting victories. That hadn’t happened in a two-day stretch since 2021. Talk about a long wait if you’re a fan of each.

Let’s start with the Broncos and let’s start with the obvious. Defeating Tampa Bay saved their season. Only one team since 2002 has made the playoffs after starting 0-3. Translation: it wasn’t going to happen if Denver fell to the Bucs.

No, this isn’t a prediction that Sean Payton and Bo Nix will lead Denver to the postseason. But at least we’re not talking about potential draft order this week. Now, if the Broncos can beat the New York Jets this coming Sunday and a complete a perfect 2-0 road trip, they’ll return to the Mile High City with a 2-2 record and a clean slate as the calendar flips to October.

Nix just looked comfortable in Florida. In fact, he looked like the guy we saw in the preseason, producing points on the majority of his drives. Denver punted the football only twice, Nix helped them score two touchdowns and also set up four field goals from Wil Lutz. That’s a winning formula.

And on the defensive side of the ball, Vance Joseph continues to be redeemed as much as anyone in town. Some of us wrote about that last week, but it seems like everyone is getting on board with it now. That’s what happens when you shutdown Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and company.

If the defense can continue to hold opponents in check and Nix can protect the football (zero interceptions, zero sacks), maybe the Broncos can get to eight or nine wins after all. Stranger things have happened, and the game against the Bucs helped wash away the awful feelings of the Seahawks and Steelers losses.

Up in Boulder, wow. That was an incredible scene to witness. Obviously, the miracle at the end will be the stuff of CU legend. Hail Mary’s rarely work, but Shedeur Sanders is just that good. And then in OT, of course it’s Travis Hunter who seals the game.

The two-way star might not be climbing the Heisman odds like he should, but it’s apparent he’s the best player in college football. NFL teams have to be salivating to have him on their roster, and it’s looking more likely by the day he could be the No. 1 overall pick.

After the debacle in Lincoln, people were angry with Coach Prime’s squad, and rightfully so. They laid an egg in a rivalry game, down 28-0 to Nebraska and unprepared in a hostile environment. There definitely was a “here we go again” feeling among the fanbase, after the first year with Deion Sanders stumbled to a 4-8 finish.

Perhaps it’ll be under .500 again, but perhaps not. The Baylor game is the kind of contest they gave away a season ago. In 2024, they found a way to steal an unlikely win.

It’s September, and football is supposed to be fun and provide hope this early on. That’s what the Broncos and Buffs did on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, refreshing both fanbases after some ugly losses early in the season.

This isn’t to say either campaign is ending in a championship. But it doesn’t feel like either will end in disaster. And that’s a good feeling, after we’ve suffered from bad football for a long time in the state of Colorado.