This has to be intentional.
Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes have a target on their back. Teams circle the date on their calendars, fans wait with bated breath for a Colorado L, everyone wants to beat the Buffs.
That intense haterdom has spread to the cover art of EA Sports’ College Football 26. Last year featured Travis Hunter front and center, but this year’s edition — the deluxe edition, anyway — has a Nebraska fan holding a license plate that reads “BEAT CU”.
It’s a busy cover. Star receivers Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith are the principle cover athletes. There are many others behind them, such as current athletes, big time coaches and former cover athletes, Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush and Denard Robinson, and a few big-time coaches.
There are also a number of generic fans repping different teams, including a Huskers fan they may have pulled from Hillcrest Country Club, a 45-year season ticket holder who donates what he can to support his local football program.
It might have been better to feature a red-pilled boomer from the HuskerBoard forum, or maybe a decrepit Tom Osborn, an angry Ndamukong Suh or a ‘90s offensive lineman with a syringe sticking out of his neck.
In any case, he’s holding “BEAT CU” sign that feels very intentional. Maybe the hate will be less now that Shedeur Sanders isn’t drawing so much attention to the program, but it’s still Deion’s team and he wants eyes on the program even if means a bit of controversy.
CFB 26 officially comes out July 10. It will be interesting to see the Buffs’ rating and if they rank again as a Top 25 team. (The Buffs were, in fact, a Top 25 team last team.)