Deion Sanders will once again be the central character in this college football season-and that has little to do with how Colorado actually performs on the field in his second season in Boulder. So much about the way Sanders and the Colorado football team are covered and consumed by the national sports media and casual college football fans parallels what I see in women's basketball, at both the college and pro level. Any story about Sanders and the Buffs these days tends to reach far beyond the bounds of the typical college football consumer, giving the casual sports fan the impression that Colorado's magnitude is bigger than it actually is-or that there's something happening within its walls that isn't everywhere else.
The College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, too, which drastically alters the bowl-season landscape and how many losses teams can afford without being eliminated from playoff contention.
Jim Harbaugh has left for the Chargers, and Nick Saban decided he had done enough winning for this lifetime, retiring shortly after the season concluded.
Divisions within conferences are being undone in this era of realignment, shifting schedule structures and when you'll see certain rivalry games played for at least the upcoming season.
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