The Colorado Buffaloes’ loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday has put them in an ugly position down the stretch of the season. The Buffs now have to win out to make a bowl game, but with the way this team has been playing since its first loss of the season to the Northwestern Wildcats, that’s far from their biggest concern.

Colorado’s concerns are now for the program as a whole, primarily revolving around its future. Here’s a look at Colorado’s biggest concerns after losing to ASU.

How to handle Deion Sanders and his contract

Sanders’ job has been in question since before the final whistle blew on Saturday’s game, and his seat has never been hotter at Colorado than it is right now. The conversation around who will be his successor has now grown louder than the questions of how he’ll turn this around.

But that is due to this game killing off any of the hope that was left in fans. With Colorado’s next test being against the No. 17 Houston Cougars, whose only losses came against two of the Big 12’s top dogs, most Buffs fans have waved the white flag on this season.

But for Colorado, it must now navigate handling Sanders and his enormous contract. It currently has three years remaining and a buyout estimated at around $25 million. However, Colorado would pay him around $32 million if he were to stick around for its full length. As Colorado navigates that buyout, which loses affect on Jan. 1, 2027, they’ll have difficult conversations ahead at every level of the program.

The uprooting of a recruiting class

But along with coaching concerns always come those of commitment. Colorado recorded its best recruiting class of the Coach Prime Era (on paper, at least) in the 2027 class. It was a class that once had four blue-chip commitments, per 247Sports composite.

However, amid the Buffaloes’ losing skid, commitments have been dropping like flies. Since Oct. 27, the Buffaloes have lost the commitments of three different recruits, and more will likely follow if there’s a coaching shakeup. 

So as these talented newcomers disperse to other schools around the country, Colorado fans will have nothing to do but watch what they missed out on blossom from afar.

Transfer Portal potential

But the wasted potential doesn’t stop on the recruiting trail. Colorado’s incoming transfer class this offseason was also regarded as one of the best of the Coach Prime Era. Although the product on the field hasn’t matched those expectations, there was still a plethora of talented players in that class after all.

The likes of defensive lineman Santana Hopper, linebackers Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau, safety Randon Fontenette, wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. and several others have lived up to the hype and may even be on their way to the NFL once this season is all said and done. 

But for all of that next-level talent on one roster, the Buffaloes have only produced three wins. If Colorado can’t turn its season around in miraculous fashion, it’ll have to live with the ‘what ifs’ that will follow this roster around for years to come.