Buffs just two wins away from bowl eligibility

State of play: After last week's win at Arizona State, the Buffs surpassed expectations from oddsmakers, who had the team winning only three games this season.

Why it matters: Bowl eligibility would notch yet another major milestone for first-year head coach Deion Sanders, who's proven he's capable of getting results after months of preseason hype.

What they're saying: "We wanna win — I don't give a damn about no bowl right now," Sanders said Tuesday during a press conference.

Of note: He might care a little bit. A sixth win would mean Sanders would bag a $150,000 bonus — and another $100,000 after each win beyond that in the regular season, writes Axios' Maxwell Millington.

Between the lines: There's a "strong chance" two-way star player Travis Hunter returns from injury this week, Sanders said Tuesday.

The intrigue: After Friday's game, things will get much, much tougher for the Silver and Gold.

• Playing UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Oct. 28, before hosting Oregon State in Boulder, means CU will play two teams currently ranked in the Top 25.

The bottom line: The Buffs haven't won a bowl game since beating UTEP in 2004, back when current CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders was 2 years old.

• Since then, the Buffs have lost four straight bowl games, most recently a 55-23 beatdown from Texas in the 2020 Alamo Bowl.