Catch a CU season preview on "Coach Prime's Playbook with Romi Bean"

Coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes remain at the center of the college football universe as they make a return to the Big 12 Conference this season. Their season starts on Thursday when the Buffs host FCS power North Dakota State.

Don't miss the first episode of "Coach Prime's Playbook with Romi Bean" -- which airs on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS News Colorado (on air and stream) -- for a preview of that season provided by Sanders himself.

The team was forecasted as a 3 1/2-win team a year ago. This season, the total has been bumped up to the cusp of bowl territory at 5 1/2 victories, according to BetMGM College Football Odds. The Buffaloes were picked to finish 11th in the Big 12 media poll as they make their way back to a league they called home until 2011 when the school jumped into the Pac-12.

The roster has been retooled with 38 new players joining since the spring, including quite a few from the transfer portal. Colorado has completely rebuilt its offensive line to protect quarterback Shedeur Sanders after he was sacked 52 times last year.