Deion Sanders’ CU Buffs beeline for the College Football Playoff

BOULDER — Initial observations from CU’s 49-24 win over Utah in Big 12 action at Folsom Field on Saturday.

Straight line to the playoffs. A College Football Playoff bid — a feat that before the season would have been considered outlandish by many pundits, including here at The Denver Post — is right in the palm of the Buffs’ hands. They will be favored in their final two games on the road at Kansas and at home against Oklahoma State. Avoid a slump and they’re in the Big 12 title game on Dec. 7 in Arlington, most likely against BYU. Remember how last week the Utah team that CU just crushed took the Cougars down to the wire in a game the Utes should have won. A Big 12 title and automatic berth in the CFP is there for the taking.

Quarterback difference. The gap between each team’s QB on Saturday was huge. Even when Shedeur Sanders gave the Utes a pair of uncharacteristic mistakes (interception on first play, fumbled snap) that led to two field goals, Utes QB Isaac Wilson couldn’t hit the wide side of a barn in the first half. That included missing a wide open man on a would-be TD down the middle of the field. Zach Wilson’s younger brother slumped as the game wore on, but then threw a bad INT in the fourth to end Utah’s comeback attempt. Sanders, meanwhile, spread the ball around, finishing 31 of 40 for 340 yards and three TDs — again looking like a first-round pick.

Buffs’ line of weapons. Travis Hunter had several Heisman moments, but only a mediocre day receiving by his standards (five catches for 55 yards). Never mind: Even with Jimmy Horn Jr. on the sideline, showed again Saturday that few teams have the secondary depth to properly cover all of the Buffs’ dynamic pass catchers. Will Sheppard had five catches for 71 yards and two TDs, including an impressive first-quarter score to start CU. LaJohntay Wester was 10 for 77, plus a game-breaking punt return TD. And true freshman Drelon Miller (six for 108, one TD) is coming into his own.

Buzz keeps building in Boulder. The sellouts continue at Folsom Field as 54,646 packed the stadium Saturday for the fourth-largest crowd ever for a CU home game. With one home game remaining against Big 12 cellar-dweller OSU on Nov. 29, the atmosphere this fall has been among the biggest, if not the biggest, in the stadium’s 101-year history. Aside from the Buffs’ rout of Utah and Hunter’s multiple Heisman finishes, Saturday’s must-see moment came in the second half when the crowd sang happy birthday to superfan Peggy Coppom, who turns 100 on Tuesday. Coppom wept with joy. She wasn’t the only one.