Deion Sanders accuses Obama of 'playing political games' by picking Arizona to beat Colorado

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders says he likes Barack Obama, but he had to call the former president out this week. 

Obama picked the Arizona Wildcats to beat Sanders' Buffaloes in a game Saturday.

During a speech in Tucson, Arizona, Friday, Obama claimed he even saw the Colorado buses when his plane landed and reminded the crowd of the Wildcats' two-game winning streak against the Buffaloes dating back to 2022. 

"I know Colorado got a couple good players, but I also know you guys have beaten them twice in a row," Obama said. "Don't bet against the Wildcats tomorrow."

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Last year, Arizona beat Colorado 34-31 during Sanders’ first season with the program. In 2022, the Wildcats defeated the Buffaloes 43-20, prompting Colorado to fire coach Karl Dorrell after the team’s 0-5 start to the season.

This year, Sanders and his team proved the former president very wrong. 

Colorado blew out Arizona 34-7 to improve to 5-2 on the season. After the game, Sanders called out Obama to the press, suggesting he only picked Arizona because he was in the state campaigning earlier this week. 

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"I heard what he said. Mr. President, I heard what you said," Sanders told reporters after the game. "That's why I really don't get into politics, because politicians, they play the political game. He was here, and he had to play the political game."

Arizona is considered a key swing state in the upcoming election. 

Sanders took particular issue with Obama claiming his team only had "a couple good players." 

"We have two good players? We have more than two good players. But you were here, you had to support," Sanders said. "Mr. President, come on, man. You my man. I love you and appreciate you, but come on, dog."

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders went 23-for-33 passing, throwing for 250 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and adding a rushing touchdown. Star cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter started Saturday after injuring his shoulder against Kansas State last week.

Obama came under fire by another former NFL star who played in the same era as Sanders after other comments Obama made on the campaign trail.

During a recent campaign stop for Harris in Pittsburgh, Obama addressed the vice president's dwindling support among Black voters, especially Black men. 

"Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So, if you don't mind, just for a second, I've got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice, that it is this clean when, on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles [and the] pain and joy that comes from those experiences," Obama said. 

Obama even suggested that these voters aren't supporting Harris because she is a woman. Obama did not at any point acknowledge that the lesser support may be because of her record as vice president and history as a prosecutor. 

"I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that," Obama said. 

Former NFL star running back Herschel Walker, a former Republican Senate nominee in Georgia, criticized Obama for his comments this week. 

"[Barack Obama], you forgot how hard we fought for our right to vote! Telling us how to vote based on color is a step backward. The bad policies of Biden/Harris have hurt us all. We need unity brother, not division!" Walker wrote on X.

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