Count Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh among the believers in Deion Sanders and Colorado. "Coach Prime" has been the talk of the sport after the Buffaloes shocking 45-42 win over TCU in Week 1. Harbaugh, who has been known to spark national conversation himself though his colorful career, especially enjoyed Sanders' statements to the media during the Buffaloes' victory over last year's national runner up.
"I loved Prime's halftime interview, too, (saying) 'if we had hit him on two more passes, Heisman would be chilling in his crib,'" Harbaugh said on WXYT-FM 97.1 in Michigan Tuesday. "That's awesome — 144 plays — and that was in Fort Worth, too. That was about 94 degrees down there. That was quite a performance. ... maybe the 'Coach of the Year' award is chilling in Prime's crib."
Harbaugh's praise for the Colorado program didn't end there. He lauded the performance of do-it-all star Travis Hunter, who finished with 11 catches for 119 yards on offense and an interception on defense.
"That was quite a performance," Harbaugh said. "And Travis Hunter — the 144 plays. I mean, it was tough to take the eyes off that game."
Just one week after not appearing on a single ballot, Colorado jumped into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018. The win marked the the program's first road victory over a top-20 opponent since 2002.
Colorado will look to keep momentum rolling this week in its home opener against rival Nebraska. The Buffaloes and Cornhuskers met every season from 1948-2010 when they shared the Big 8 and Big 12 conference. Though he's new to the rivalry, Sanders already has a grasp on the game's importance among Colorado faithful.
"I've learned the serious nature of this rivalry, and I'm embracing it 100%," Sanders said Tuesday. "This is personal. That's the message of the week. This is personal."
As for Harbaugh, he just served the first of his three-game suspension. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter served as the team's head coach in Michigan's 30-3 win over East Carolina. This coming weekend, special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh and running backs coach Mike Hart will split head coaching duties when Michigan hosts UNLV on Saturday.
