Shannon Sharpe Gives Brutally Honest Opinion About the Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes have been the center of media attention since NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders became their head coach before last season. The Buffaloes began Sanders' tenure with a 3-0 record and had an upset win at No. 17 TCU to start the season.

After that, the Buffaloes only won one of their next nine games, finishing the season 4-8. Many people, including Fox Sports' Joel Klatt , expected significant improvement from Colorado this season.

Klatt predicted that the Buffaloes would win eight games before the season and mentioned that he saw a path to nine wins. The Buffaloes can still accomplish that, but after a disappointing showing against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, they haven't inspired much confidence.

ESPN's Shannon Sharpe expressed his concerns about the Buffaloes on Monday's edition of "First Take," citing a lack of improvement from last season in several areas.

"Very concerning," Sharpe said. "I was concerned when I saw them against North Dakota State because the things that I saw last year haven't gotten fixed. They can't stop the run. They can't consistently pressure the quarterback. They can't protect the quarterback. They can't run the football."

The Buffaloes suffered a 28-10 defeat in Saturday's game. The outcome was never in doubt, with Nebraska taking a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime and coasting to victory. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, considered by some to be the top quarterback in the country, completed 60.5% of his passes for 244 yards, with one touchdown and one interception that was returned for a touchdown. Additionally, he was sacked six times.

It wasn't just Sanders. The Buffaloes only managed to run the ball 22 times for 16 yards, averaging just 0.7 yards per carry. In contrast, Nebraska ran for 149 yards at an average of 4.3 yards per carry. Additionally, the Buffaloes were unable to sack true freshman Dylan Raiola during the game.

The Buffaloes will have an opportunity to bounce back against their in-state rival, Colorado State, who took Colorado to double overtime last season. The game will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Related: Big 12 Analyst Reveals Surprising Team Could Take The Conference By Storm In 2024