BOULDER - Following the end of the Gary Barnett era 20 years ago, the Colorado Buffaloes football team posted losing records until Coach Gary MacIntyre led the team to a 10-4 mark in 2016.

Known as “The Rise,” the Buffs beat Utah 27-22 at Folsom Field to win the division and advance to the Pac-12 Championship. It was the first college game I photographed from the sidelines. It felt like the big time, and I looked forward to many more winning seasons to come.

Unfortunately, that didn’t come to pass. MacIntyre and the Buffs would post 5-7 records the next two years. He was let go, and Mel Tucker (whose name I’d already forgotten) was hired. He could do no better, registering an identical mark.

In 2020, Colorado hired Karl Dorrell to try to turn the program around. His Covid-shortened 4-2 record that season and 4-8 record the following year were less than impressive. In 2022, the Buffs hit rock bottom with a 1-11 season under his tutelage.

With nowhere to go but up and aiming to return the football program to respectability, the university hired Deion Sanders in 2023. Unquestionably the best two-way player in modern NFL history, his name brought instant recognition to the Buffaloes. He also brought two great football players with him—his son Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

The Buffs would only go 4-8 that year, but Coach Prime (as he was now called) was credited with turning the team around. The media circus that followed him was a sight to behold. Celebrities such as The Rock and Lil Wayne appeared out of nowhere to attend games. More improvement was expected the next year.

2024 was indeed a special season for Colorado. Quarterback Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Hunter matured and entered the Buff’s record books.

The Buffaloes had finally arrived with a 9-4 record and an Alamo Bowl berth. Coloradans rejoiced.

In March of this year, Deion Sanders was rewarded with a 5-year, $54 million contract extension. Barring any further serious health issues for Sanders, he is our man for the next half decade.

This season started uneventfully enough with a 20-27 loss to Georgia Tech, a 31-7 win against Delaware, and a 20-36 loss to Houston.

Back at Folsom Field on September 20, the Buffs looked better in a 37-20 victory facing Wyoming, followed up by a close 21-24 loss against #24 BYU.

A 21-35 loss on the road against TCU wasn’t particularly disturbing since it was followed up by an exciting home victory against #21-ranked Iowa State. The Buffaloes seemed to be back on track.

The bye week should have given Colorado plenty of time to get their players healthy and prepare for Utah in Salt Lake City on October 25. Instead, the Buffs looked anything but prepared. The Utes prevailed in a 53-7 drubbing.

Alarm bells should have been sounding, but they weren’t. The Buffaloes were merely a field goal underdog on November 1 for their Homecoming game against Arizona.

Perhaps the oddsmakers thought that some home cooking would help. If so, they were wrong. Without getting into the disappointing details, Colorado was throttled again, this time by a score of 52-17.

Every football fan at the beginning of the season envisions their team winning the division and possibly a championship. Somewhere along the line, they realize that won’t happen.

With a 3-6 record, an invitation to the Big 12 Championship game is out of reach. The Buffs would have to win their last three games to be bowl eligible. Facing West Virginia, Arizona State, and Kansas State at this juncture, that seems unlikely.

If they come up short, we will still be there rooting them on, somewhat consoled by the fact that, as they say, there is always next year.