Two years ago, FanDuel Sportsbook tried to stir the pot by asking fans to set a hypothetical spread between 2023 Colorado and the 2019 LSU national title team. That’s not a joke. They asked the public to imagine a matchup between a first-year roster patched together from the transfer portal and arguably the most dominant team in modern college football history. The engagement farm was thriving.
Fast forward to now, and FanDuel is singing a completely different tune. On Saturday, they posted a graphic listing Deion Sanders’ record through three seasons in Boulder: 16-19 overall, one winning season, a bowl loss, a 2-8 mark against ranked teams, and a peak AP ranking of No. 16. The kicker came at the bottom: “Is it time for Colorado to move on from Coach Prime?”
Let’s be clear, there’s a conversation to be had about the state of the Colorado program. But coming from the same account that once entertained a fictional line between that team and Joe Burrow’s LSU squad, it’s hard to take this latest jab seriously.
Colorado was 1-11 the year before Sanders arrived. The program was dead in the water. In less than three years, they’ve become one of the most visible brands in college football. That hasn’t translated to wins yet, and the shortcomings are fair game. The offensive line has been a problem. The defense has been inconsistent. Game management hasn’t always been sharp. Those are valid critiques.
But what FanDuel posted wasn’t a critique. It was bait. It was a surface-level stat dump with a click-hungry question tacked on the end. No context. No recognition of the circumstances or challenges that come with flipping a roster and navigating a move into the Big 12.
This isn’t just a Colorado story. It’s a Big 12 story, too. The conference is changing, the spotlight is shifting, and national media voices are struggling to keep up. If Deion Sanders goes 7-5 next season, those same accounts will pivot right back to praise and post another out-of-touch graphic comparing Colorado to a top-five team.
You don’t have to defend every move Sanders makes to recognize how bad this take was. Colorado has plenty to prove. But they’re not a punchline, and they’re not LSU 2019 either. Maybe FanDuel should stop pretending they were ever both.
