Colorado football fans watched their team take a halftime lead Saturday at Oklahoma State. They watched Isaac Wilson find open receivers and an offense give itself a chance to win a conference game.
They deserved a better second half than the one Deion Sanders' team delivered.
Oklahoma State won 57-24 after outscoring Colorado 34-0 over the final two quarters. The Buffaloes are 2-5, have lost five consecutive games, and remain winless in the Big 12.
"We're trying. It's not like we're not trying. It's not like we're throwing in the towel and we're not trying," Sanders said afterward.
Nobody needs convincing that losing bothers him and winning games for Colorado is his ultimate goal. Still, everyone around the program needs evidence that the coaches
can do something about it.
Colorado's quarterback decisions need a clearer direction
Sanders started the season with Julian Lewis, then replaced him with Wilson at halftime against Baylor. Wilson has since started three games without a victory.
There have been reasons to understand the move. Wilson gave Colorado an excellent first half Saturday, throwing for 222 yards and accounting for three touchdowns. His ability to extend plays helped the offense, and his receivers were producing.
Then he lost a fumble on the opening snap after halftime and later threw two interceptions. Colorado eventually turned to freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne.
The concern is where this leaves the position. Lewis hasn't played a snap since the Baylor game, and his sideline body language suggests he's completely checked out. Wilson's turnover problems keep the Buffs from winning games, and true freshman Kaneal Sweeteyne showed Saturday in garbage time he is far from ready.
Sanders and his offensive staff need a clear plan to develop the quarterbacks they selected. Continuing with Wilson requires changes that help him protect the football. Returning to Lewis seems like a last-resort option and would likely make the situation worse, requiring an explanation of what has changed since the team benched him.
Colorado cannot keep reaching the end of games with less certainty about its quarterback situation.
Brennan Marion has to deliver the balance Sanders wants
The play that opened the second half deserves scrutiny. Wilson had connected with receivers repeatedly before halftime, and Colorado began its next possession with a quarterback run that ended in a fumble.
Wilson must secure the ball. Brennan Marion must also answer for the decisions surrounding Wilson, who is already prone to giveaways.
The larger issue remains a rushing attack that gave Colorado and Wilson little help. With Micah Welch unavailable, the running backs combined for 42 yards on 15 carries.
Sanders acknowledged the problem afterward.
"Passing game was getting the results that we wanted, but we've got to have a balanced attack," he said. "If we don't balance it, it's going to end up as it ended. We've got to do better."
That assessment should carry directly into how Marion uses his personnel. Damian Henderson II and Richard Young have done little to establish themselves in the rotation, and Colorado still hasn't found dependable production behind Welch and JaQuail Smith.
Sanders has to show he can stop these losses from getting worse
Oklahoma State's offense exposed problems Colorado couldn't solve during the game. The Cowboys finished with 598 yards and repeatedly found room against the defense that, before then, was the primary reason the Buffaloes were competitive this season
"They tested our corners, and we didn't do well against the opposition," Sanders said.
Colorado also continued giving away opportunities through penalties. Once the Cowboys took the lead, the Buffaloes struggled to make the stops or sustain the possessions needed to stay close.
That is the most troubling part of Saturday. Colorado entered halftime with a lead and enough offense to win. The coaching staff had the chance to guide that performance through two more quarters.
Instead, the game became a blowout.
A result like this brings questions about Sanders' long-term direction. It doesn't mean Colorado is considering a coaching change, but it should end any suggestion that the head coach deserves protection from criticism.
Sanders has had time to shape this program. As losses mount, Colorado fans are entitled to ask when his team will start correcting the mistakes he keeps describing.
Follow James Carnes on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado's problems might start with Deion Sanders | Opinion
