Can Shedeur Sanders lead Colorado to a Big 12 title?
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are aiming to make a leap after a promising season that turned into a disappointing 4-8 campaign. They want to make a splash as they enter their first season back in the Big 12 since leaving the conference for the Pac-12 following the 2010 season.
Colorado won its first game of the 2024 season, beating the North Dakota State Bison at home, 31-26. But do the Buffaloes have the pieces to make a run at the conference championship?
Keyshawn Johnson made the case for why Colorado will win the Big 12 on the latest edition of "All Facts No Brakes."
"As crazy as it may sound, I got them winning the conference because whenever you got the best quarterback — and I believe they got the best quarterback in the conference — you typically win," Johnson said of Sanders and the Buffaloes. "Florida State was headed to the National Championship last year. Until Jordan Travis got hurt, they had the best quarterback. Andrew Luck at Stanford, they won because they had the best quarterback. USC should've beaten Utah and been in the Final Four a couple years ago, [but] Caleb [Williams] got hurt; they had the best quarterback … .
"Shedeur is so much better than he was a year ago. All they got to do is continue to protect him and put the football in the playmakers' hands, and I'm telling you, they're going to win the conference."
Sanders is considered one of the favorites to be the first quarterback — and potentially first overall player — selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, along with his teammate, two-way star Travis Hunter.
Last season, Sanders totaled 3,230 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and a 151.7 passer rating, while completing 69.3% of his passes. He also