Colorado football: 3 bold predictions for Week 3 vs. Colorado State

The Colorado football train rolls on as Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, and Travis Hunter welcome their in-state rivals Colorado State to Boulder on Saturday. Ahead of the Rocky Mountain Showdown, let’s make some bold Colorado football predictions for Week 3.

The Buffaloes are the biggest story in college football after two weeks. Deion Sanders took over a 1-11 program, brought in his own guys from Jackson State, jettisoned most of the team from last year, and is now 2-0 after victories over TCU and Nebraska.

The Rams didn’t start out nearly as well. In the team’s opener, No. 23 Washington State dismantled Colorado State 50-24. On paper, this seems like a massive mismatch, but when two in-state rivals get together, you never know what will happen.

With that in mind, let’s get to some bold Colorado football predictions ahead of their game against Colorado State.

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3. Shedeur Sanders continues his Heisman Trophy campaign

No Colorado football players were on the preseason Heisman Trophy watch list ahead of the 2023 college football season. However, after two masterful performances, quarterback Shedeur Sanders has vaulted into the race.

Through two games, the Jackson State transfer — and head coach Deion Sanders’ son — has 903 passing yards, a 77.5% completion rate, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. He is now in the running for the sport’s biggest award alongside quarterbacks like USC’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Florida State’s Jordan Travis, and Texas’ Quinn Ewers, among others.

On Saturday night, the bold Colorado football prediction is that Shedeur Sanders will rack up another high completion rate, 300-plus-yard, multi-touchdown game to keep his name in the running for the Heisman. Colorado State also won’t become the first defense to pick him off.

2. Travis Hunter officially jumps into the Heisman Trophy race

College football pundits are calling 2023 the Year of the Quarterback. In addition to the Heisman Trophy hopefuls mentioned above, QBs like Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, and Oregon’s Bo Nix are also in the running.

The only non-QB in the top 10, odds-wise, to take home the hardware is Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

The next bold Colorado football Week 3 prediction is that will change come Sunday morning, as the Buffaloes' do-it-all CB/WR Travis Hunter will vault himself into the national awards conversation.

Hunter was the No. 1 recruit in the nation in 2022 and shocked the college football world by going to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State. Now, he is leading college football (by a wide margin) in total snaps with 275 through two games. He’s played 81.6% of the plays on offense, 95.8% on defense, and nine special teams snaps.

And he’s not just a decoy either. Hunter is third on the team in receptions (14) second in receiving yards (192), and has two passes defended, an interception, and seven tackles.

College football hasn’t seen a player like this since 1997 when Michigan’s Charles Woodson played corner and had 11 catches or 231 and two touchdowns at WR. Hunter could surpass those numbers vs. Colorado State, and possibly win the Heisman, just like Woodson did.

1. Colorado 48, Colorado State 10

This game is a heated rivalry, but it won’t be close on Saturday night. Colorado State is a middling team at best, and Colorado is a football program on the rise heading into Week 3.

The new Buffaloes from Jackson State already got fired up for their new school’s rivalry game against Nebraska and put a whooping on them. Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and company will surely want to give their new institution more to celebrate by beating their neighbors to the north.

If AP poll rankings, Heisman trophies, and college playoff implications weren’t enough, Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell threw fuel on the fire by taking a shot at Deion Sanders.

“I took my hat off, and I took my glasses off,” Norvell said on his radio show. “When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.”

The Rocky Mountain Showdown kicks off at 8 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) so it will be the darkness of night by the time the final whistle blows. However, after Norvell’s comments and the Buffaloes blowing the Rams out, don’t be shocked if Coach Prime throws on a pair of shades to go with his Colorado football hat to do his postgame interview.

This game will go off with Colorado as more than a three-touchdown favorite, but it won't even be that close in the end. The Buffaloes will win this game going away but at least 30 points.