Deion Sanders and No. 19 Colorado facing their first big test against No. 10 Oregon and Bo Nix

Long before Deion Sanders brought Prime Time to Colorado, Oregon was the Pac-12 team that brought the hype.

With the Ducks' array of uniforms, state-of-the-art facilities thanks to Nike cofounder Phil Knight and a couple of big-name quarterbacks over the past decade, Oregon has often attracted the national spotlight.

So it's no wonder No. 10 Oregon isn't caught up in the hype surrounding the No. 19 Buffaloes and Saturday's showdown at Autzen Stadium.

“I just focus on what we've got to do in this building, and what I've got to do in this building,” said receiver Traeshon Holden. “What they do is what they do.”

That's not to say Oregon doesn't have respect for what Sanders has done in Colorado. With 68 new scholarship players, the upstart Buffs are 3-0 after the team won just one game all last season.

The Buffaloes beat TCU and Nebraska before a thrilling come-from behind win over Colorado State last weekend in double overtime.

“It's awesome," Oregon quarterback Bo Nix said. "I don't know if I've ever seen it happen before, a complete turnaround of a program. That's really hard to do in college football.”

The Ducks are also 3-0 and preparing for their first real challenge of the season after victories over Portland State, Texas Tech and last weekend against Hawaii.

Oregon, with fifth-year senior Nix leading the way, are three-touchdown favorites against Colorado, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. While the Buffaloes' offense is explosive, their defense is allowing an average of 460.3 yards and 30.3 points per game.

Oregon's offense is averaging 579.7 yards in offense and 58 points per game, second in the nation.

“We have not played a complete game. We have not played a game with offense, defense and special teams all showing up in the same manner,” Sanders said. "The offense is playing well, the defense is hot garbage. If the defense is playing well, the offense is horrible and special teams aren’t special. We have to put it all together to be able to defeat a team like Oregon.”

MISSING TRAVIS

Colorado's two-way standout Travis Hunter will miss a few weeks after he was sent to the hospital with a lacerated liver from a late hit in the game against Colorado State,

Hunter had nine tackles, two pass breakups and an interception and also had 16 catches for 213 yards on offense.

“I absolutely hate that for Travis. He’s a dynamic kid," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. "He’s got a special personality and obviously is tremendous on the football field. He certainly gave them an edge. I hope he gets healthy soon.”

Sanders said other players will need to step up.

“We just have to get the talent to be talented and to do what they’re capable of doing. But no one in the country can fill Travis Hunter’s shoes. He’s one of a kind," Sanders said. “He’s the best player on offense, the best player on defense. That’s just who he is in the country, not just on his team.”

BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL?

There has been lots of chatter this week among Colorado fans about an old comment made by Lanning after the Buffaloes announced in July that they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12 next season.

“I’m trying to remember what they won to affect this conference. I don’t remember. Do you remember them winning anything?" Lanning said at the time.

Those comments certainly weren't directed at Coach Sanders or the current Buffaloes, who hadn't yet played.

"At the end of the day, I wasn’t talking about Deion’s team, I was talking about the past and future for our team. But if that serves as material for them, great. I don’t think it’s going to have any bearing on the game or the success of the game," Lanning said this week.

Sanders didn't appear to be using the comments as bulletin board material. Quite the opposite.

“I respect the heck out of this man, what he’s accomplished stepping in taking over a program and keeping it not only rocking steady but accelerating it,” Sanders said.

AIRING IT OUT

Expect plenty of passing with the teams featuring two of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Nix and the Buffs' Shedeur Sanders. Sanders ranks second in the FBS with 417 yards passing per game, while Nix is 12th at 297.67.

“We have to do a good job of not allowing him to extend plays,” Lanning said of the young Sanders. “But also make sure that we plaster guys in the back end when he does.”

It gets real for No. 19 Colorado this weekend as Pac-12 play opens with road test at No. 10 Oregon

No. 19 Colorado (3-0) at No. 10 Oregon (3-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox)

Line: Oregon by 21, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Oregon leads 15-9.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Upstart Colorado and flashy coach Deion Sanders will face a true test on the road in front of a sellout crowd at Autzen Stadium. Colorado needed double overtime to defeat Colorado State 43-35 last weekend while Oregon is coming off a 55-10 rout of Hawaii. A win by the Buffs would be an extraordinary accomplishment by a team that has been the talk of college football. The Ducks have national championship aspirations and can start that march with a statement win of their own in this Pac-12 opener.

KEY MATCHUP

Both teams have created explosive plays on offense and limiting those will help determine the winner. The Ducks are averaging 58 points a game, second in the nation. Colorado allows 30.3 points per game, 102nd in the nation, and is a woeful 122nd in overall defense, surrendering more than 460 yards per game. Oregon's defense has allowed an average of just 158.7 passing yards a game, best in the Pac-12, and an average of only 15.7 points per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders finished with 348 yards, four TDs and one interception against Colorado State. Overall, Sanders is ranked fourth nationally with a 78.7% completion rate, and he's averaging 417 passing yards a game, second nationally to Washington's Michael Penix.

Oregon: Quarterback Bo Nix is the best signal-caller Colorado has seen so far this season. He is averaging 297.7 passing yards a game and that's after sitting out most of the second half against both Portland State and Hawaii after Oregon built big leads. He needs just two two completions to become the third active QB to reach 1,000 in his career.

FACTS & FIGURES

Oregon is one of just two teams, with Penn State, not to have a penalty this season. ... Colorado has forced 10 turnovers this season. ... Oregon beat Colorado 49-10 last year in Boulder. ... The Buffs are facing two tough games to start the conference season. After visiting Oregon, they return home to host No. 5 USC. ... Colorado has allowed 16 sacks this season, tied for second-worst in the nation, which cost the Buffaloes 134 yards. ... Buffs receiver Xavier Weaver is averaging 128.7 receiving yards a game, fourth-most in the nation. ... Colorado has sold out its home games for the first time ever.

Pac-12 kicks off full conference slate with 3 Top 25 matchups for the first time

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 19 Colorado (3-0) at No. 10 Oregon (3-0), Saturday. The Pac-12 has three Top 25 matchups in the same week for the first time and just the 10th time in any conference. Topping the marquee will be Deion Sanders and his Buffaloes charging into Eugene to face the Ducks. Colorado has been the biggest surprise of the college football season in its first year under Sanders, knocking off TCU and Nebraska before surviving in double overtime to beat rival Colorado State last week. The Buffaloes face a massive test in their Pac-12 opener, playing on the road against the Ducks without two-way star Travis Hunter, who's expected to be out several weeks after being taken to the hospital during the game against the Rams. Oregon is 29-2 at Autzen Stadium since 2018 and Colorado hasn't beaten a top 10 team on the road since 1995.

MATCHUP OF THE WEEK

No. 22 UCLA (3-0) at No. 11 Utah (3-0), Saturday. The Utes have wins over Florida and Baylor during the undefeated start the season and may get a big boost with the return of quarterback Cameron Rising. Out since suffering a torn ACL in the Rose Bowl, Rising has been more mobile in practice and appears to be closer to playing, even if coach Kyle Whittingham has yet to say if he'll play against the Bruins. UCLA has looked sharp under freshman quarterback Dante Moore, who is third among Power Five quarterbacks with 12.06 yards per pass. Moore and the Bruins will face their most physical test of the season against Utah, which has won 16 straight home games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Pac-12 matched a record set last week with eight teams ranked in the AP Top 25. The conference has four teams in the top 11 — with No. 5 USC and No. 8 Washington — for the first time since 2001. ... Washington's Michael Penix Jr. leads the FBS with 444 yards passing per game after throwing for 473 yards — 375 in the first half — and four TDs against Michigan State last week. ... Arizona will play seven straight games against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 after playing at Stanford on Saturday. ... Stanford is the only FBS team to be perfect on field goals the past two seasons, hitting all 25.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Shaduer Sanders, Colorado. The Buffaloes' quarterback has inserted himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with a sterling start since following his father from Jackson State to Boulder. Sanders is second in the FBS in passing yards per game (417) and fourth in completion percentage (78.7%) after throwing for 348 yards and four TDs last week against Colorado State.

UPSET WATCH

No. 14 Oregon State (3-0) at No. 21 Washington State (3-0). The Beavers are 2 1/2-point road favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, so a win by the Cougars wouldn't be much of an upset. The true upset: Oregon State and Washington State meeting as ranked teams for the first time in 108 all-time meetings. It's also their first meeting with both undefeated since 1989. The Beavers were among the Pac-12's best defensive teams last season and are at it again, holding their last two opponents under 10 points for the first time since 1969. The Cougars are coming off their highest-scoring game since 2018 — 64-21 over Northern Colorado — and racked up 715 total yards, so this will be strength against strength. Oregon State has won eight straight games over two seasons, longest since nine straight in 1966-67.

What's next in major college football realignment? How about a best-of-the-rest league

Now that the Power Five is about to become the Power Four, the schools left out of the recent consolidation of wealth produced by conference realignment are looking at creative ways to stay relevant.

An idea floating around the Mountain West Conference calls for the creation of a multi-tiered conference or alliance of leagues that would use a promotion-and-relegation system akin to what is done in European soccer. Yahoo Sports first reported the existence of the proposal and Front Office Sports obtained the detailed presentation of a plan put together by Boise State associate athletic director Michael Walsh.

Right now, it’s just an idea.

“I’m open to anything that elevates the Mountain West,” said Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, whose league is most often associated with Oregon State and Washington State — the only two Pac-12 members committed to the battered league past this season.

A relegation approach is a complicated if inclusive way to reach what might be the best next move for the two schools and other top programs in the so-called Group of Five conferences: A best-of-the-rest, football-only conference that ignores geography and focuses on maximizing TV dollars and securing access to the College Football Playoff, which will expand from four teams to 12 next year.

The wave of conference realignment that washed away most of the Pac-12, sending 10 members scattering to three other conferences starting next year, has left schools outside the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern conferences facing the reality that if they have not been invited to the VIP room yet, they won't be anytime soon.

As the rest of major college football plots a course for what's next, Oregon State and Washington State — who will play Saturday in Pullman, Washington — want to rebuild the Pac-12 and keep control of the tens of millions of dollars in assets the conference still has.

A partnership with Mountain West schools makes sense, but how does that work if there is more value in the Pac-12's brand and business?

Ideally for Oregon State and Washington State, they would keep the Pac-12 open and invite new members. Essentially, create a best-of-the-rest conference that would peel from the top of the Mountain West (Boise State, San Diego State, Air Force, etc.) and maybe even the American Athletic Conference (Memphis, Tulane).

The problem is that it would cost $34 million for a Mountain West school to join another conference next year. The exit fee for the AAC would likely be at least $18 million. Complicating matters, the Mountain West and AAC have TV deals in place for another couple of years. The Pac-12 has nothing for 2024.

That leads to unusual proposals like a 24-school, three-tiered conference conglomerate in which teams are grouped by performance. Revenue would be distributed based on success, which might sound familiar to folks in the ACC, and schools would move up and down based on yearly football results.

“I think it's intriguing,” said Bob Thompson, a former Fox Sports executive. “It creates storylines and if people have figured anything out about college football this year by Mr. Sanders (Colorado coach Deion Sanders), storylines matter.”

Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said major college athletics seems to be moving away from equal revenue sharing in conferences and toward rewarding schools that drive value for television networks, heavily invest in football and have success on the field.

“There’s some merit to look at some form of hybrid model that supports that," Barnes said. “We see it working and in a similar fashion in Europe, and certainly it’s worthy of our study.”

There is also plenty of skepticism for such a plan. Division I already has a top-tier Bowl Subdivision with myriad ties to postseason games and revenue and a Football Championship Subdivision, which has had a 24-team playoff for a decade.

“We don’t believe in relegation,” American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said. “Relegation from what? We’re all FBS.”

The goal is to get the best teams in a conference playing each other more often, which creates value for potential television partners and, in theory, a playoff-worthy resume for the champion.

The second part is particularly important with the College Football Playoff's imminent expansion. Right now, the format calls for the top six conference champions to be in the field along with six at-large selections.

The CFP management committee meets next week. Changing the format is up for consideration. If there is one fewer FBS conference because the Pac-12/Mountain West become one entity, changing the 6-6 model to a 5-7 is possible.

Changes to the model currently require a unanimous vote from the 10 commissioners. Aresco said he is prepared to fight to keep the six mandatory champion bids.

The 12-team CFP is in place for the next two seasons as a temporary solution that works around existing contracts. The greater threat to CFP access for Group of Five conference schools lies beyond 2025; they have to be worried the power conferences will try to squeeze them out, starting in 2026.

How about four conference champions and eight at-large selections? Or forget automatic access and make it 12 at-large selections, which is what the juggernaut SEC has always preferred.

Playoff access is critical for schools outside the power conferences that already make do with far less revenue.

“That's a key way you stay nationally relevant is to have a shot at the playoff,” Aresco said. “It helps you recruit. It helps in every way.”

Aresco became commissioner of the Big East when it was being whittled down by realignment back in 2012. The conference eventually rebuilt and rebranded as the American.

Back then, Aresco tried to get Boise State, San Diego State and BYU to join a coast-to-coast conference, which seemed outlandish at the time. Now, everybody's doing it.

A big-tent solution with relegation and promotion is an interesting idea, but for the high-performing football programs outside the big four, the future might banding together and leaving some of their less valuable conference-mates behind.

In other words, more consolidation.

If there is another wave of conference realignment in the next few years, the result could be a conference that ends up looking a similar to what Aresco had in mind.