KANSAS CITY, Mo. — All Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes need to do Saturday is take care of business against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium.
Yes, the No. 16 Buffs can possibly sew up a berth in the Big 12 championship game with a win — along with a BYU win over Arizona State and a Utah win over Iowa State.
But instead of depending on a little help from other teams, the Buffs can also clinch that title game berth the old fashioned way: with a win Saturday over the Jayhawks (1:30 p.m., FOX) and another win next Friday at home against Oklahoma State (10 a.m., ABC).
Then it doesn’t matter what happens in other games. The Buffs (8-2 overall, 6-1 Big 12) will be in and have a shot at a College Football Playoff berth.
But getting a win against suddenly feisty Kansas (4-6, 3-4) won’t be easy. After an early season five-game losing streak knocked the Jayhawks out of conference title contention, they have bounced back and look like the team that opened the season as the nation’s No. 22 team. They have won three of their last four, including back-to-back wins over ranked teams — 45-36 over then-No. 17 Iowa State and 17-13 over then-No. 7 BYU.
Guaranteed, they would like to make it three in a row over teams in the top 25.
But the Buffs are on their own streak. CU has won four in a row and all by healthy margins. The offense is clicking, the defense is creating game-changing moments and special teams are chipping in with big plays.
So how do the Buffs move one step closer to a championship game spot?
Our weekly Fast Five:
1. Protect quarterback Shedeur Sanders. No doubt, this has been a critical piece of the puzzle every week for the Buffs. But as they head down the stretch where the stakes are higher every week, it becomes even more important.
The Buffs are at their best when Sanders has time to work his magic in the pocket.
Kansas’ pass defense isn’t exactly stellar — ninth in the Big 12, allowing 229 yards per game and 18 touchdowns this year. But the Jayhawks do have a good pass rush, with 24 sacks to their credit (third in the Big 12). That includes three sacks in the win over Iowa State and two against BYU.
Colorado’s much-improved offensive line needs to provide Sanders with a solid pocket. If they do that, the Buffs’ offense will produce.
2. Get pressure on KU quarterback Jalon Daniels. It’s been an up-and-down season for Daniels, who was supposed to be one of the Big 12’s premier signal callers.
Instead, he was plagued by interceptions early, a big reason for KU’s five-game losing streak. In that stretch, he threw seven interceptions and just three touchdown passes.
But since then, he’s been much better, with just two interceptions and six touchdowns in the last four games.
The Jayhawks would rather lean on their run game. But if the Buffs can put KU in passing situations, they can get to Daniels and force some errors. Colorado leads the Big 12 in sacks with 33. If they can add a few to that total Saturday, it will be a big step in containing the KU offense.
3. Continue to produce turnovers. Coordinator Robert Livingston‘s defense has produced 10 interceptions and a Big 12-best 10 fumble recoveries. The Buffs have turned those takeaways into 55 points.
If the Buffs defense can come up with a couple more of those game-changing moments against the Jayhawks, it could be the difference in the game.
4. Limit self-inflicted wounds. The Buffs had three turnovers last week against Utah and a handful of costly penalties.
Those are the kinds of mistakes that can change the outcome of a game in a closely contested affair. With a Big 12 title game now firmly in reach as well as a playoff berth, CU can’t afford to make silly mistakes that might cost them a game.
5. Continue to play with confidence. Since the moment Sanders completed his Hail Mary touchdown to LaJohntay Wester against Baylor to force overtime, the Buffs have been playing like they know they will win.
They have overcome adversity, improved in key areas and most importantly, made big plays at the most crucial moments.
If the Buffs continue to play with that attitude, they’ll leave Arrowhead Stadium with a win.
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Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.