KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No. 16 Colorado heads to Arrowhead Stadium to face Kansas on Saturday knowing full well where it stands in the Big 12 picture.
Beat the Jayhawks and conference bottom-dweller Oklahoma State and the Buffaloes will be playing for the title. Lose to Kansas and everything changes: They would need Arizona State and Iowa State to lose at least one more game, or BYU to lose its last two, and that would take their College Football Playoff aspirations out of their own hands.
Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders doesn’t sound as if there is any extra pressure on this weekend.
“Look at me, man. Do I look like I subscribe to pressure or do I look like I apply it?” Sanders asked. “We apply pressure.”
In the new-look and jumbled Big 12, the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1) are tied in the standings with the Cougars, but they are just a game ahead of Arizona State and Iowa State — and curiously enough, did not play any of the three. And while the Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4) are well off the pace, by virtue of a dizzying stretch of last-second losses, they might be playing the best of anyone.
Kansas knocked off then-No. 17 Iowa State before dealing then-No. 6 BYU its first loss on the road last weekend. The back-to-back wins over ranked teams are a first in school history, and the Jayhawks would love to make it three straight on Saturday.
“They have not given up, regardless of what their record may state,” Sanders said. “The last two weeks, they’ve knocked some people off their feet. It’s going to be a tremendous task for us. (Lance Leipold) is going to have those guys ready to play. We’re going to be in an environment that’s not conducive to us being successful in Kansas City.”
Kansas, which is playing its home finale Saturday, has been playing Big 12 games at Arrowhead Stadium while their on-campus stadium is renovated. Sanders played there once with the Falcons, returning kickoffs in a 14-3 loss on Sept. 1, 1991. He also played at neighboring Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals, going 3 for 13 in three games with the Yankees in 1990.
“I’m not as young as I once were,” Sanders said, “but I look forward to going there.”
Kansas will be sending off 30 seniors in its home finale Saturday, many of whom were instrumental in taking the program from a winless laughingstock in 2020 to bowl games each of the past two seasons. Leipold is wary about focusing too much on the emotional sendoff when there is still a game to be played, and two wins needed to reach a third straight bowl game.
“It becomes an emotional drain, especially right before kickoff sometimes, so hopefully that’ll be a small positive of not being in Lawrence,” Leipold said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the guys, but if we can balance those things with what the day is, hopefully we can make a special day.”
Sanders interrupted a question this week after being reminded of how he said earlier this season that his son and quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, and two-way Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter would be top picks in the upcoming NFL draft.
“A lot of people didn’t believe me, huh? Remember I said Travis and Shedeur have the opportunity (at) one and two?” he said. “Everybody just pulled out a double-barrel shotgun and shot at me when I said that, right? Now it’s all coming to light.”
Sanders has thrown 27 touchdown passes, one away from Sefo Liufau’s school record. Hunter is coming off a game in which the cornerback and wide receiver played 132 snaps — he has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine TDs, along with three picks.
Sanders and Leipold might at first seem like the most unlikely of buddies, given one was a Hall of Fame player and two-sport star while the other fought his way through the coaching ranks, beginning at Division III school Wisconsin-Whitewater. Yet when the Buffaloes joined the Big 12, Leipold reached out to Sanders and they became fast friends.
“I love him to life. He’s a friend,” Sanders said. “For these guys to, on their own account, reach out to me, to show me love and respect is tremendous.”
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