Frustrated by locker room laughter following a blowout loss, Coach Prime dismissed three players as leadership concerns and lack of discipline threaten to derail the Buffaloes' season.
The Colorado Buffaloes' 41-7 loss to Northwestern was embarrassing.
One of the biggest questions that wasn't asked in Deion Sanders' press conference on Tuesday was not having control over the locker room. Coach Prime had Colorado defensive back Ben Finneseth apologize for his comments concerning Northwestern’s temporary lakeside venue, which has since gone viral.
Sanders reported that he released a "few players" after Saturday's game. Sources tell Roundtable three Colorado players are no longer with the team. However, no names were provided. Coach Prime added the players in question were heard laughing after the blowout loss.
Anytime a player can walk off the field after being dominated by the way the Buffs were last week, it shows the team doesn’t have discipline. We hear all the time that players take on the identity of their coach. So what does this say about the state of the program? The overall leadership has become a topic of emphasis when it comes to the Buffs players.
Sanders stated that he expects leadership from certain positions, but it's unclear how removing players from the roster solves a bigger issue. Colorado experienced another turnover year under Coach Prime with 44 new players coming to Boulder. What sets this year apart from previous ones is Sanders putting his mark on the entire roster. Any decisions made by Sanders at this point should be on him and a reflection of his coaching ability.
Honestly, it's time for Coach Prime to be challenged in team preparation. The loss hurts, but how did the Buffs get to this point? If Colorado has another subpar game this week against Baylor, the fans may turn on Sanders and be looking for CU athletic director Fernando Lovo to move the program in a different direction. Coach Prime hasn’t lived up to the expectations of building a winning program.
Outside the 2024 season, with Colorado finishing 9-4, Sanders' consistently flipping the roster year after year isn't the right call. He stated that player conduct was detrimental to the team last season, but he didn't immediately remove them and waited for the offseason. What can be said about the 2026 roster? Sanders' own players who were picked to be in Boulder. The responsibility to win falls on Coach Prime and his staff.
Colorado faces Baylor on Saturday in Waco (Noon ET, ESPN2). The Bears average 32.0 points per game this season. The Buffs, against Power 4 opponents, average 10.5 points per game while allowing 27.0. They must find a way to limit the distractions this week to get their third win of the season before facing Texas Tech and Utah.
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