Has Coach Prime stolen Broncos’ football thunder in Colorado?

Kiz: Denver is still a Broncos town. But it’s Deion Sanders’ world now. And Broncos coach Sean Payton is just living in it. From the moment he set foot in Colorado, Coach Prime made everything the Buffs do buzz-worthy in the football universe. And that was before CU upset Texas Christian in the biggest victory for the program since Bill McCartney won a national championship. As Sanders likes to say: We comin’. Should the Broncos be checking for Ralphie in their rearview mirror?

Gabriel: If the Labor Day water cooler talk in the Broncos’ media workroom is any indication, the Buffs are the biggest thing going. All Neon Deion, very little NFL Week 1 in the air. I still think if the Broncos get off to a good start or a bad start, the buzz will get loud in a hurry. But if they’re mediocre and boring offensively – can terrific defense still sell in football? – well, the Buffs won’t be that at least. A brusque, game-week Payton on Monday said he didn’t see any college football this weekend. He missed quite a show.

Kiz: While Sanders and Payton both have the renegade spirit of a football pirate, their approach to changing the culture of a woebegone football team couldn’t be more different. Coach Prime has banged the drum loudly for the Buffs and tooted his own horn incessantly. On the other hand, Payton has not only raised the walls of silence around Broncos headquarters, he has built a moat and filled it with gators. Payton seems bent on putting the “No” in the No Fun League. Maybe that’s a solid plan for getting down to business, but it’s a lousy way to drum up excitement.

Gabriel: Payton knows if he wins, all will be well. He also figures that, unlike his predecessor, he’s got a long leash to get the Broncos molded just the way he wants them. With a five-year contract that makes him among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches, he’s more than likely correct. He hasn’t flipped the Broncos’ roster quite like Sanders, though 21 of Denver’s 56 players (53-man roster plus three on injured reserve that should return) are new this offseason and the number jumps to 33 of 72 (45.8%) if you include the practice squad. He’s just done it without drawing attention to anything other than himself.

Kiz: Long before the crazy-rich Waltons decided on a head coach, I strongly advocated Payton as the right coach at the right time to make right the mess at Bronco HQ. I haven’t changed my mind. But Sanders has the eyes of this football-crazy country focused on Boulder, not Denver. Outside of Broncos Country, our local NFL team is an afterthought. If Coach Prime and the Buffs beat the corn out of the Huskers on Saturday, it’s nothing less than a must-win game for Payton against Duh Hated Raiders on Sunday. Sanders has raised the ante for how much difference one coach can make.