Paul Finebaum Reveals Burning Question About Deion Sanders After 'Bust' In Year One

The discourse around Deion Sanders has changed dramatically over the past month.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum went from naming him a perfect replacement for Lincoln Riley at USC to saying that talking about him and Colorado is a waste of time. Finebaum is adamant that Sanders and his Colorado squad will not be worth the hype in 2024.

Finebaum also revealed he has questions about Sanders' coaching ability, which he dove into on Wednesday's episode of ESPN's First Take .

“But Stephen A., I don’t think anything’s going to happen this year, other than just a lot of white noise coming out of Boulder, Colorado,” Finebaum said to Stephen A. Smith. “I think Coach Prime’s already had a rough offseason. He snapped back at the reporters, I know you’ve dealt with that, and I’m not looking to re-litigate some of the reasons why. But I just think it’s going to be a tough sell for the nation, as we get ready for a playoff where so many other schools are involved, to waste a lot of time. And I really mean that, waste time on Coach Prime.

“He’s Hollywood, it’s sizzle, he’s done a remarkable job of getting attention," Finebaum said. "But really, that’s about it, there are a lot of question marks out there. Is he really a great coach? Or is he simply just a showman?”

As he has done frequently this offseason, Finebaum also implied that Sanders is selfish and that his program only has a lot of buzz because the media loves to give him attention.

“I think it’s all about Coach Prime. Can he do an encore?” Finebaum asked. “Listen, the season was a bust, the second half of the season. The first half had a lot of energy and it had a lot of energy because of people like Stephen A. Smith showing up, giving love, and making that program relevant. Of course, it didn’t hurt that they won the first couple of games, not against great competition, but they did it on a big stage.”

It was a big stage indeed, as four of Colorado's first five games were on FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff." On top of that, their Week 3 game against Colorado State also had ESPN's "College GameDay" in attendance.

The Buffs performed well in their first three games, going 3-0, but were brought back to Earth against Oregon in Week 4. The Ducks beat them 42-6, and the Buffs would go on to win just one more game the rest of the year, finishing 4-8.

Heading into 2024, Sanders brought in another top 10 transfer portal class, and his son/quarterback happens to be one of the best in the country. It also helps to have two-way star, Travis Hunter, who can dominate at both receiver and corner.

Sanders and the Buffs open their season on Thursday, August 29, against North Dakota State.

Related: Nick Saban’s Two-Word Lane Kiffin Insult Revealed In New Book