Coach Sanders is presumably paying for himself many times over.
Eventually they will drop a game, considering CO State went to overtime. I wonder what effect that will have on the narrative and the morale of the players.
I hope so too, but those numbers are absolutely ridiculous for cable, especially in the late night slot. ESPN claims it's their 5th most watched CFB game ever (and I think they're even counting ABC games, but excluding post-season games). Even if the numbers drop (which they will when CU starts losing), I imagine they'll still be hyping them up and cashing in as much as possible.
Hunter being out will be a real test. Depth was always going to be an issue in year one, though the top end talent has certainly gelled well. If they went 0-9 the rest of the way, but somehow kept a positive attitude in the building, then this season would already be a success. I do wonder how brittle that locker room is, though. I've been wrong so far on Deion, and that maybe says more about my inability to put myself in the headspace of elite Gen-Z athletes with different priorities than me, but managing expectations does not seem to be one of "Coach Prime's" priorities. Have I moved the goalposts far enough yet? 🤣