BOULDER — Deion Sanders had someone in mind for a game ball: 99-year-old super-fan Peggy Coppom.

She was on Coach Prime’s mind after Colorado beat Cincinnati to move to 6-2, clinching the team’s first bowl berth in a full season in eight years.

But Coppom, who recently recovered from a bout with COVID-19, wasn’t in attendance due to the late-night kickoff time at Folsom Field. Still, she answered the phone when Sanders called from the locker room postgame.

“We called her and she answered on the first ring in Peggy fashion,” Sanders said with a laugh.

Coach Prime has made it clear since the season’s start that reaching a bowl game for Coppom was one of his goals. He’s come to know her well since taking over as the Buffaloes coach.

“She means so much to this program,” Sanders said. “We just gotta get her a private plane and make sure she’s comfortable on the way there.”

Now, the focus for Coach Prime’s team is getting to the best bowl game possible — since six wins was never the goal. This Buffs team has expectations beyond that.

“That isn’t the goal,” Sanders said. “I wanted to do that for Peggy, so that was kind of me. That goal wasn’t about us. That was what I wanted for Peggy because she deserves it. We had to have a rally cry for some rhyme or reason, but we want so much more. That’s why we practice the way we practice, and that’s why we go at it the way we go about it. We want so much more. That was just the beginning of what we desire around here.”

Fortunately for the Buffs, after the 34-23 victory over the Bearcats moved them to 4-1 in Big 12 play, everything is still in front of them.

Eight games into the season, it’s essentially a four-team race to the conference title game on Dec. 7 in Dallas. CU is one of those four teams.

BYU and Iowa State remain atop the standings with unbeaten overall records and in Big 12 play. The Buffs are tied with Kansas State, although the Wildcats have the edge due to a win in the head-to-head matchup earlier this month.

Only Iowa State and K-State play each other in the final few weeks. And while CU’s schedule shows potential for a 10-win season, the schedules for those in front of them are also favorable.

It’s likely going to take one or both of BYU and Iowa State to slip up at least once, preferably twice.

Coach Prime’s team has four games to handle on its own, which will come after the upcoming bye week. The Buffs feel good about their chances with an offense that’s found a groove and a defense that delivers when it matters most.

“We’re excited with some of the things that we’re doing,” Sanders said. “We’re still a work in progress. We’re happy about some of the things. We shouldn’t have let that game get that close.

“But we got the dub. That’s what counts.”

This win was for Peggy. The rest are for the Buffs.

“(Making a bowl) is cute. It really is, because we really want that,” Sanders said. “But that’s not all we’re after. That’s one of the hurdles that we’re jumping over, that we’re going over. That’s a tremendous hurdle, that we’re happy, we’re excited, but that’s not the end goal for us. That’s the beginning, but we are thankful and appreciative that the hard work is going noticed.”