Arizona-Kansas State is college football game of the week

Did Shedeur Sanders figuratively throw his offensive line under the bus in his comments following Colorado's loss at Nebraska?

Was it bad form for Deion Sanders to post pictures of himself on social media the next day?

And did “Coach Prime” really instruct the CU band not to play the fight song after his son Shedeur scored a touchdown so that the song he recorded, “Perfect Timing,” could be played over Folsom Field's speakers? The university issued a statement saying this was not true; Sanders called the idea “idiotic.”

The Buffs are fresh off their ninth loss in 11 games, and the Sanders brand is shaping the program's identity. These were the issues debated this week by their frustrated fans and their haters.

The bottom line is that CU (1-1) looks pretty much like last season's four-win team, and fans' patience may be wearing thin. Now comes the Rocky Mountain showdown against Colorado State (1-1), a rivalry game with an ugly history that will be played in Fort Collins on Saturday for the first time since 1996.

CSU led 28-17 with eight minutes left in regulation in last year's game in Boulder and eventually lost 43-35 in overtime. Things got ugly when Rams safety Henry Blackburn, who is still with the team, received death threats for hitting Travis Hunter with a pitch in the closing stages that sent him to the hospital with a liver injury. Blackburn and Hunter went bowling together a few weeks later to show there were no hard feelings.

Last week's game at Nebraska was touted as a referendum on the jobs of second-year coaches Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule and the way they approach it. Advantage Rhule. The 28-10 loss raises the stakes for the Buffs' short trip to Fort Collins. CU is a 7.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

There are three other major rivalry games within the state.

No. 9 Oregon (2-0) visits Oregon State (2-0) and Washington (2-0) visits Washington State (2-0) for their first meetings since the Pac-12 broke up. If it seems early for the Apple Cup and what was formerly known as the Civil War, you're right, and both Oregon State and Washington State would love nothing more than to secure bragging rights this season.

The Ducks have narrow wins over Idaho and Boise State and lost their last two visits to Corvallis. The Huskies have won their first two games under new coach Jedd Fisch, but the emergence of Cougars quarterback John Mateer makes the trip to Pullman difficult.

No. 12 Utah (2-0) has allowed a total of 12 points in two games before playing at Utah State (1-1), which lost 48-0 to No. 11 Southern California last week, and is playing back-to-back games against a top-25 opponent for the first time since 2013.

Best game in college football this week: No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State

Friday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

Yes, Arizona is now in the Big 12, but this meeting and the next one in Tucson will be nonconference games. The home-and-away series was added to the schedule eight years ago, and neither school has been able to find replacements for nonconference games after Arizona was invited to join the Big 12 in August 2023.

This is the first big test for Arizona's new coach Brent Brennan. QB Noah Fifita and star WR Tetairoa McMillan will pose a real challenge for K-State's pass defense, which allowed 342 yards against Tulane last week. However, the duo was particularly poor in Arizona's 22-10 win over NAU.

Heisman Watch

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe led his team to four consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win a close game against South Florida. With a strong performance in Wisconsin, he can become a serious contender.

Milroe, sixth in the 2023 Heisman Trophy balloting, has scored nine touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide. His four rushing TDs are the most of any FBS quarterback and his five through the air are fourth-best.

Key figures

9 – Teams that averaged at least 50 points per game through Week 2, including four from the SEC.

47 – Oklahoma’s consecutive wins against unranked non-conference opponents prior to its home game against Tulane.

106 – Previous meetings between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, with the Panthers leading the Backyard Brawl rivalry 62-41-3.

1968 – Indiana, visiting UCLA, last played at the Rose Bowl.

1992 – The last time Florida (1-1), hosting Texas A&M, lost two of three games to start a season.

Under the radar

The fact that Florida State coach Mike Norvell is playing against Memphis, the school he left in 2020, makes for an interesting duel. The fact that the Seminoles desperately need a win makes the whole thing even more exciting.

The Tigers travel to FSU 6.5 points behind and have won their last four games against opponents from the power conference 2-2.

Seth Henigan, in his fourth year as Memphis' starting quarterback, will not be intimidated at Doak Walker Stadium. The question is whether FSU's struggling DJ Uiagalelei will be comfortable in front of the nervous home fans.

Hot seat

Just three years ago, Baylor won the Big 12 championship and was a top-10 team at 12-2 under Dave Aranda. In the next two years, the Bears slumped in the second half of the season and enter Saturday's home game against Air Force having lost 10 of their last 14 games.

Air Force traditionally causes problems because of its rare triple-option offense. The good news for Aranda is that this doesn't appear to be a classic Falcons running game. Air Force had just two plays that went for more than 8 yards in a loss to San Jose State.

Follow @AZSports