Colorado DB Ben Finneseth Stands Firm On Bowl Hopes As Buffaloes Face Uphill Fight

Sitting at 3-5 after an overtime win against Kansas State, Colorado must win three of its final four games to become bowl-eligible, and senior defensive back Ben Finneseth insists the locker room will not back down.

The Buffaloes kept their postseason hopes mathematically alive with a dramatic 27-24 overtime victory over the Wildcats.

That hard-fought result gave Colorado its first Big 12 victory of the 2026 campaign.

It also stopped a slide that had threatened to derail the program's entire autumn.

Yet the margin for error in Boulder has vanished completely.

Under standard NCAA postseason criteria, Football Bowl Subdivision teams must reach at least six victories in a twelve-game regular season schedule to qualify for a bowl game.

With five losses already on their ledger, the Buffaloes cannot afford more than one stumble down the stretch.

They must finish the final month by winning at least three of their remaining four contests.

While critics outside the building view that path as an improbable mountain to climb, the mood inside the facility tells a different story.

Finneseth made it clear this week that the roster remains fully committed to fighting for a December destination.

"It can seem like a big task, like a daunting task," Finneseth said.

"To be honest with you, we just don't have quit in us," the senior defensive back continued.

"No one's flinched," Finneseth added.

THE NARROW PATH TO SIX WINS

Reaching bowl eligibility requires both execution and endurance in the grueling final stretch of the college football calendar.

Colorado enters November holding a 3-5 overall record alongside a 1-4 mark in Big 12 conference play.

The postseason qualification system rewards teams that achieve a .500 winning percentage or better across the regular season.

For a program navigating a twelve-game slate, that baseline threshold is exactly six victories.

A single additional loss would leave Colorado with six defeats, placing the team directly on the brink of postseason elimination.

Two more losses would officially shut the door on any bowl invitations.

The Buffaloes must now embark on a relentless pursuit of victories starting away from home.

Their immediate challenge comes on Saturday against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

That matchup will take place in Tempe at Mountain America Stadium.

Facing a conference opponent on the road presents another stern test for a team trying to build momentum.

Every drive, turnover, and defensive stop carries immediate postseason implications for the roster.

NOISE SURROUNDS COACH PRIME

The defiant stand from the locker room comes at a time when outside scrutiny has reached a fever pitch.

Head coach Deion Sanders finds himself under constant examination as Colorado navigates an underwhelming season.

Much of that spotlight shifted directly onto Sanders following a bizarre moment in a recent Tuesday press briefing.

While addressing reporters about his offensive backfield, Sanders made an unexpected pop culture reference.

Coach Prime compared his players to the Three Stooges, the classic American slapstick comedy troupe.

He referred to his own contributors as Moe, Larry, and Curly during the exchange.

Sanders then admitted on the microphone that he did not actually remember the names of the players he was discussing.

The remark quickly caught fire across social media platforms and sports talk circuits.

It drew swift and biting backlash from within the university's own alumni community.

Social media personality and Colorado alumnus Moneyline Matt publicly condemned the head coach on X.

"I always figured Deion probably only knew a handful of his players by name, but not knowing your top three running backs on the depth chart is INSANE," the CU alumnus wrote.

"Every single week this guy gets up in front of a microphone and somehow finds a new way to look as stupid as humanly possible," Moneyline Matt added.

The controversy underscored the persistent tension between Sanders' unorthodox public persona and the team's weekly results on the field.

THE PRESSURE OF THE HOT SEAT

The press conference slip-up landed on fertile ground because Sanders' long-term standing in Boulder is already under intense debate.

Analysts and supporters are openly questioning whether Sanders is running out of time to establish sustained success.

His tenure began with high expectations and reached an early pinnacle during his second season at the helm.

In 2024, Sanders guided the Buffaloes to a nine-win campaign and a finish inside the national top-25 rankings.

That high-water mark suggested the program was poised to reemerge as a perennial contender.

However, the trajectory shifted sharply in the seasons that followed.

Since concluding that nine-win breakthrough in 2024, Sanders and the Buffaloes have posted a troubling 5-14 record.

Across his four full years in Boulder, Sanders holds an overall record of 18-25.

His struggles against conference opponents have been even more pronounced.

Colorado has managed just a 9-21 record in league play during his four-year tenure.

Those numbers have steadily fueled hot seat conversations around the country.

While outlets like 12News have argued that firing Sanders does not need to happen, the pressure continues to mount with each defeat.

SPECULATION IN TALLAHASSEE

As questions about Sanders' future in Colorado persist, his name has also surfaced elsewhere in the college football landscape.

Florida State made national headlines on Sunday by firing seventh-year head coach Mike Norvell.

The Seminoles dismissed Norvell following his seventeenth loss in his last twenty-one Atlantic Coast Conference games.

Almost immediately after the dismissal, Sanders emerged on several prospective candidate lists as an intriguing option for his alma mater.

Sanders is an iconic figure in Florida State lore, having starred as a two-time All-American defensive back during his collegiate playing days.

Yet major industry insiders quickly downplayed the viability of a reunion between the Seminoles and Coach Prime.

Florida State is currently navigating administrative restructuring, operating without a permanent athletic director.

The Tallahassee institution has also been exploring private capital and private equity models to generate revenue.

CBS Sports did not include Sanders among its initial reported candidates as Florida State prioritizes administrative stability.

Similarly, 247Sports left Sanders off its 21-person hot board for the Seminoles opening, an early list that featured former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher.

Noles247 insider Kolby Crawford reported that Florida State leadership has reservations about bringing Sanders into their new program rebuild.

"While there is an appetite for someone who is an 'FSU guy,' it has been relayed from the top down that some of the baggage that comes with Deion is not desired as they commence this rebuild," Crawford told CBS Sports.

A COMPLICATED HISTORY WITH THE SEMINOLES

The dynamic between Sanders and Florida State has featured sharp public turns over the past several seasons.

Sanders previously confirmed that he interviewed for the Seminoles' head coaching opening back in 2021 before the school hired Norvell ahead of the 2020 campaign.

At the time, Sanders was building his coaching credentials at the FCS level with Jackson State.

"Let me tell you, I knocked it out of the park," Sanders told Keyshawn Johnson when reflecting on that job interview.

"You've got to understand, I'm getting ready to recruit in the state of Florida and presented them with a wonderful scenario, but God didn't see fit for me to have that," Sanders stated at the time.

"So I'm here, and I'm happy, and I'm elated," Sanders added regarding his post at Jackson State.

"So I'm not even thinking about tomorrow; I'm trying to dominate today," he told Johnson.

Relations between Sanders and his former school grew dramatically more contentious later in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Sanders orchestrated the biggest signing-day shock in modern recruiting history by flipping top-ranked prospect Travis Hunter from Florida State to Jackson State.

The unexpected move infuriated portions of the Seminoles' passionate fan base.

Videos circulated across social media showing angry supporters burning Sanders' iconic No. 2 Florida State jersey.

Widespread accusations emerged claiming Sanders had weaponized name, image, and likeness opportunities to lure Hunter away from Tallahassee.