Following a tough showing in 2025, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has something to prove as he enters next season with Colorado.As a coach at the FBS level, Sanders has a significant amount of pressure to perform, and heading into 2026, it seems that the pressure is ramping up, and having a great showing next season is critical.Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during the second quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn ImagesDeion Sanders Ranking Among FBS CoachesAfter what seems to be a very successful offseason for the Buffaloes, coach Sanders has an opportunity to prove why Colorado is much better than what they showcased in 2025. With a significant amount of the offseason having already taken place, CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli released his rankings for all coaches at the Power Four level 1-68. In Fornelli’s rankings, he had Sanders at No. 60 overall, down from No. 33 before the 2025 season.While Sanders was ranked in the top half of Power Four coaches before last season started, he was coming off a 9-4 season, in which Colorado was bowl-eligible and seemed to have a chance to build on that performance. However, in 2025, the Buffaloes finished with a 3-9 record and had struggles all season to become consistent on both sides of the ball, which put Colorado in a very tough position in a competitive Big 12 conference.CU football head coach Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime, watches his team warm up before the game against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. | Cris Tiller/For the Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesOther than the 2024 season, when Colorado went 9-4, Sanders has struggled to find consistent success as the Buffaloes went 4-8 in 2023 and 3-9 in 2025. Overall, Colorado has a 16-21 record under Sanders, which puts the Buffaloes in a very difficult position as they prepare for the 2026 season.Heading into next season, it seems that at a minimum, Colorado must have a winning season and become bowl eligible to deem it a success and prove that 2024 was not a standalone season. While winning at the Divison 1 level of college football is very difficult, being able to do it consistently is what separates the average coaches from the great coaches.So, as Sanders and the Buffaloes head into the 2026 season, being able to have consistency across the board on offense and defense should help Colorado to have more success as a team and allow Coach Prime to become more consistent and lead the Buffaloes to what could be his best season yet in Boulder. Key Games In 2026Oct 4, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders hug following a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn ImagesAs Colorado gets ready for next season, Sanders seems to have several tough tests on the schedule, which could be problematic for the Buffaloes, but also give them a chance to prove themselves against great competition in the Big 12 and across the landscape of college football.On the schedule for Colorado next season are matchups with Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, Utah, Arizona State, and Houston, which are all games that will push the Buffaloes to give full 60-minute efforts.For Sanders, having this kind of schedule will be difficult to overcome, but if Colorado can come out with victories in a few of those games, the Buffaloes would be battle-tested and could be in a spot to make a bowl game and potentially win it.However, even with the tough schedule, Sanders did make a change to his roster construction with emphasis on experience and production as key factors that have shown the ability to work at other programs like Indiana and Michigan.Oct 4, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn ImagesWhile Colorado does seem to have a very tough schedule, this does give Sanders the opportunity to prove that 2024 was not a fluke and that his new approach to roster building in the transfer portal that prioritizes experience and production is conducive to success for the Buffaloes in the Big 12.How Deion Sanders Can Have A Winning SeasonFor Coach Prime, the biggest question seems to be whether or not 2024 was a one-off or if he can lead them to a winning season consistently starting in 2026.There is no doubt that if Colorado wants to have a winning season, the team needs to take advantage of every game they can, so the pressure to win late is not raised to the highest level. If Colorado can pick up three to four wins in the first few games, that could be a great way to do that with the schedule getting more and more difficult as the season progresses.With Sanders, the Buffaloes have lacked the ability to stack consecutive winning seasons, which is something that Sanders does have the opportunity to change over the next two seasons, especially with two new coordinators in Brennan Marion and Chris Marve, who have both found varying levels of success throughout their coaching careers. If Colorado can once again have a winning season and become bowl eligible, Sanders has a tremendous opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and put the Buffaloes in a position to repeat that success in 2027. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow