Bo Nix and Oregon football seized their opportunity last Saturday against Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes. The spotlight, as it's been since Sanders signed on to become the head coach of Colorado, has been wherever the Buffaloes have gone. And needless to say, Dan Lanning and his Ducks football team were tired of it.

Lanning has been as outspoken as anyone about Sanders' arrival in Colorado, often questioning what they have done to merit the hype, while the Ducks have been one of the most consistent teams in the Pac-12. The now No. 9 Ducks felt disrespected going into Saturday's game, and they were determined that Sanders' Buffaloes weren't going to leave with the spotlight on them. If they were, it was going to be for all the wrong reasons. And that's exactly what they did.

But it's not all about Colorado. Oregon football made a statement, and a big one at that, taking advantage of the spotlight that wasn't meant for them but instead snatched it from their opponent. This victory, even in a mismatch, creates a number of opportunities for Oregon football, including that of their Heisman favorite quarterback, Bo Nix.

Bo Nix is the Heisman Trophy favorite now

Coming into the season, Nix was already considered a Heisman favorite. He had a great first season in Eugene under Lanning, where he threw for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, with another 14 scores on the ground, including one receiving. He helped the Ducks finish with a 10-3 record and a top-15 finish.

But quickly, Nix was beginning to be somewhat overlooked this season. As the season began, the country started to realize that there's a bevy of good quarterbacks throughout the country, but mostly within Nix's own conference in the Pac-12. It didn't help that the level of competition Oregon played for most of their previous three games was against lesser opponents, except for Texas Tech, who the Ducks narrowly beat.

Nix needed the game against Colorado to prove that he can ball out. That game was significant for him to not only show that he could put up all the numbers that kept adding up on his stat sheets, but also that he could lead his team to a decisive victory. He needed to prove to the country that his team was for real, silence any doubters, and, more importantly, the hype machine pushing the opposition. Nix now has to be considered a top-5 favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

Dan Lanning will win Pac-12 Coach of the Year

Lanning's pre-game speech before the Colorado game will be one to be remembered all season. Whether he knew that a camera was in the locker room or not, Lanning's soliloquy was just short of a WWE performer's promo. But what really stands out about it is how he essentially beat Sanders at his own game that day—first through clever speech, then later through excessive play and celebration from his team.

If the Ducks continue to build off that kind of win, becoming leaders of the Pac-12 and reaching the conference championship, and maybe even more, Lanning will undoubtedly win the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award.

Oregon football can make the College Football Playoff

As noted, Lanning and Oregon were out to make a statement against Colorado. They deflated the bubble that had surrounded the program for most of the first part of the season. Games like the one against the Buffaloes were at times ones they had faltered in. They were blasted by Georgia last season in their opener, then lost to rival Washington at home, and later to Oregon State to end the regular season. Lanning had a lot to prove and that he could win a big-time game. Even with a massive difference in rosters, this is still a significant win for the program.

Oregon looks like they have not only a high-powered offense that is averaging 45 points a game (4th in the country), but they also have a top-25 defense that's only allowing 15.3 points a game, per Team Rankings. Numbers like that can definitely get you into the playoff. The competition picks up soon, however, as in two weeks, the Ducks will face (7) Washington, (16) Washington State, and (10) Utah for three consecutive games.

Oregon football can still make the College Football Playoff with one loss

Yes, Oregon can make the College Football Playoff, but their schedule is brutal after the Stanford game. Then again, the Pac-12 is one of the best conferences this season, ironically, in its last season of existence. As of this writing, the Ducks football team, by season's end, will have faced six ranked opponents, all within their conference. And if they (7) Washington, (16) Washington, (10) Utah, (8) USC, and (19) Oregon State all remain the same or better, all of those will be top-20 teams.

With that said, that gives Oregon some leeway to afford a close loss to one of those teams. The bolstering of the Pac-12 shouldn't be dismissed this season just because of previous beliefs about the conference or that it will not continue past this season. However, a better-case scenario for a loss would be a tough, close loss on the road, which would be either Washington, Utah, or Oregon State. A loss at home, especially in college football where home-field advantage is at its best, doesn't benefit the Ducks' chances of being favored by the voting committee.