Deion Sanders on Colorado's Struggles: 'This Is the Toughest Stretch of My Life'

University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders struck a somber tone Friday night following his Buffaloes' 56-14 road loss to the Washington State Cougars.

When asked during the post-game press conference whether he is in the midst of the toughest stretch of his coaching career, Sanders responded, "This is the toughest stretch of probably my life."

Coach Prime's Colorado team was the talk of college football after a 3-0 start, but the Buffs have since lost seven of their past eight games, including five in a row, leaving them 4-7.

Since Colorado has just one game remaining on its schedule and the best it can finish is 5-7, it will not be bowl eligible.

After Colorado went just 1-11 last season, there was hope for a quick turnaround when Sanders arrived from Jackson State.

The Pro and College Football Hall of Fame cornerback took Jackson State from being a cellar-dwelling FCS team to an instant contender, as the Tigers went 4-3 in his first season before going 11-2 in 2021 and 12-1 in 2022.

Sanders brought that same energy to Boulder, especially after the Buffaloes upset the defending national runner-up in TCU on the road in Week 1.

Sanders brought some elite talent with him from Jackson State, including his son in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter, who was widely regarded as the top recruit in the country when Sanders brought him to Jackson State.

While Sanders and those players had Colorado and its fans thinking about a potential Pac-12 title, the Buffaloes have not been the same since a 42-6 road shellacking at the hands of Oregon.

Colorado has just one win since that loss, although it was agonizingly close in a couple of its losses, including a 46-43 defeat against Stanford that saw the Buffs blow a 29-point lead, and a 34-31 loss to Arizona.

The way the season has gone is undoubtedly a disappointment, but when considering the fact that Colorado won only a single game last season, the team has made strides as a whole.

With another offseason of Coach Prime bringing players who he recruited, it stands to reason that the Buffaloes should take another step forward next season qualifying for a bowl game.

Before then, Colorado has a chance to end its 2023 campaign on a high note, as it will face No. 22 Utah on the road in its final game on Nov. 25.