When Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, there was an understanding that several aspects would change. A red carpet like a sideline on game day. Considerable media coverage. Even frequent uniform changes.

The initial idea of incorporating shiny or mineral gold into the uniforms makes sense. Especially since Sanders arrived. The team colors are black and gold and have been for most of their existence. Deion Sanders has often commented about the importance of gold, to him. Stating that growing up in Ft. Myers Florida gold was the measure of success and achievement.

While the shiny gold is not a stark contrast to the gold they typically wear, it is a noticeable change. There is a concept that, if used accordingly, would make sense. The sports comparison that comes to mind is Tiger Woods wearing red in the final round. Red is obviously a no-go in Boulder, but the idea still works. The motivation behind why Tiger wore red is how the Colorado Buffaloes should treat the shiny gold.

The shiny gold is an updated change that has received significant resistance from fans outside of Boulder. Many have said it's loud and gaudy. If the shiny gold is something reserved for big games or games Colorado wins more often than not, it could work.

Even the idea of a different uniform combination every week could work without pushback. The issue with it comes back to the idea's origin. Frequent uniform changes were popularized by Oregon about 20 years ago. It was resisted back then, but became an Oregon staple because they won. Often.

The problem is they don’t play well in the shiny gold. If Tiger Woods had the same lack of success in red as Colorado has in shiny gold, the Tiger wears red thing would have become a joke. Instead of opponents fearing Tiger in a final round in red, it would be a non-factor.

For comparative context: Tiger won five Masters, three US Opens, three Open Championships, four PGA Championships, not to mention his famous “Tiger Slam” and his Tour Championship comeback while wearing his famous red.

Conversely, the Colorado Buffaloes are 2-3 when wearing the shiny gold facemasks, and they are outscored by a combined 109-76 in those five games.

2023 vs Arizona State. Colorado won 27-24

2024 vs Kansas State. Colorado lost 31-28

2026 vs Georgia Tech. Colorado won 14-13

2026 vs Northwestern. Colorado lost 41-9

2026 vs Arizona State. Colorado lost 20-10

On Saturday, Colorado lost a game they were almost never in against Arizona State 20-10. With this loss, Colorado is one more loss away from being mathematically eliminated from bowl eligibility. This came off last week, when Colorado got their first win in six weeks.

Following the 27-24 win over Kansas State, there was a sense the team was correcting or improving certain factors that plagued them in the previous five weeks. Quarterback Isaac Wilson was turnover free. Richard Young had 24 carries for 120 yards rushing. The defense had five sacks and nine tackles for loss.

In Tempe this week, most of that did not continue. Isaac Wilson threw a costly interception. Ricard Young got the start again but only managed 47 yards on the ground. The defense was almost half as effective. With two sacks and gave up 26 yards per reception to the Sun Devils’ WR Reed Harris.

There was good news in this game on an individual level. The Buffs' defense did not allow former Buffalo Omarion Miller to beat them. He had five receptions but for only 64 yards. On the Colorado side, the same two players are carrying the team with top performances.

Gideon 'ESPN' Lampron remains the best player of the 2026 season. Against the Sun Devils, Lampron had 18 tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and seemed to be everywhere on the field. After some basic math, it is possible with Colin Simmons of Texas registering no stats in his first game back and Indiana on a bye, that Lampron could move into the number one spot in the country for tackles for loss.

Joseph Williams remains the offensive MVP for this season. Williams added seven receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown made the final score closer than the game felt. That should put his season totals near 850 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Potentially putting him in the top 10 of receivers in the FBS. If Williams averages even 40 yards in the remaining three games, he should clear the 1,000 yard mark.

Colorado falls to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12 with three games remaining on the schedule. That puts them at 14th in a 16-team conference. Colorado needs to win out and remain bowl eligible or the program could be headed towards some difficult conversations.