ESPN’s Paul Finebaum: Buffs won’t make CFP; CU football ‘irrelevant’

Deion Sanders elevated the number of eyeballs watching CU Buffs football. But in the minds of some, that doesn’t mean he elevated Colorado football, at least in the eyes of analysts elsewhere.

Or specifically, the eyes of Southeastern Conference-minded ESPN pundit Paul Finebaum. In his SEC-centric universe, in which the planets of college football revolve around the sun that shines from Oklahoma to the Atlantic Ocean and Kentucky to the Gulf of Mexico, the Buffs program remains “irrelevant.”

Deion Sanders matters, in his mind. But that’s where it ends.

.@finebaum says Colorado is "irrelevant in the big picture of college football" 😳 pic.twitter.com/4sWxWKEmaY

— First Take (@FirstTake) July 15, 2024

“He’s a stand-alone person. He’s one of the most charismatic people we’ve ever seen,” Finebaum said from the SEC media-days event Monday.

“But Colorado is nothing. They don’t matter. They’re irrelevant in the big picture of college football.”

And, despite having two potential top-5 draft picks on their roster, he doesn’t see the Buffs as playoff material — not this year, and perhaps not ever under Sanders, he asserts.

“Anyone asking whether Deion Sanders and Colorado are close to the playoffs simply doesn’t understand the reality of the road,” Finebaum said. “They’re not going to the playoffs this year, and I’m not sure Deion Sanders is ever going to get them to the playoffs, because I don’t think he has the patience to stay at Colorado long enough.

“There’s so many misconceptions out there. Deion Sanders is the best salesman I’ve ever seen. I personally love the guy and what he stands for. But the program looking out has a ridiculously inflated view of itself.”

And for him, that starts with Deion Sanders’ son, touted quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders.

“I heard Shedeur Sanders — who’s a fabulous quarterback — say last week, ‘We are everyone’s Super Bowl.’ Shedeur, you are not,” Finebaum said. “You are an easy win nowadays. You got off to a phenomenal start last year beating a couple of mediocre teams that had big names. And quite frankly, you haven’t done anything since, other than crash and burn.”

On this point, Finebaum isn’t wrong. After their 3-0 start — including wins over defending CFP finalist TCU and Nebraska — the Buffs went 1-8, with their only triumph coming over hapless Arizona State, which endured a tear-down season under NCAA sanctions.

“So, I know that the media loves this story,” Finebaum continued. “We fall all over ourselves. But Colorado isn’t important in college football.”

The Buffs can do plenty to change that in the next five months.