Nikki Edwards and DNVR's Jake Schwanitz break down the Buffs' weekend | WATCH: ESPN's Rece Davis, Desmond Howard and Pete Thamel talk Colorado | Three-point stance: Colorado is now a must-see for prospects | Rivals recruiting buzz: CU set to host 5-star QB on visit

Who would have thought clothing accessories would be the thing to shake up Colorado's meeting with in-state rival Colorado State? Jay Norvell could have kept quiet about it, but coaches have had a hard time doing so this year when the topic of Deion Sanders and the Buffs has come up.

Some have had praise for the new head coach in Boulder while others have thrown subtle (and less subtle) jabs at Sanders for his unique approach to rebuilding the Buffs in the course of one offseason.

Compared to Colorado's previous two games this season, the lead-up into Saturday's matchup against the Rams had been rather quiet early in the week. Yes, CSU is one of the Buffs' rivals but not quite on the level of a team like Nebraska, not this season.

CU opened up as a more than three-touchdown favorite after picking up victories in its first two games. The Rams enter the game at 0-1 after losing to Washington State by 26 points two weekends ago.

Even an unmotivated Colorado team was expected to make easy work of its in-state rival. Then Norvell took to the mic during the Jay Norvell Coach's Show this week to drop a comment that has now gone viral.

"I don't care if they hear it in Boulder, I told [ESPN], I took my hat off, I took my glasses off. I said, 'When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and my glasses off.' That's what my mother taught me."

That short phrase and the accompanying video clip to arise from it has been viewed close to 3 million times already, and it has brought attention from all over after gaining traction as a clear shot at Colorado's head coach.

Going back to his days as a player, Sanders has become known for his eyewear. It's part of his brand.

Word eventually, and unsurprisingly, made its way back to Boulder and Sanders leading to comments from the CU head coach at practice this week that he posted in a video on Instagram.

"Why would you wanna talk about us when we don't talk about nobody?" Sanders asked his team during a break in the action. "All we do is go out here, work our butts off and we do our job on Saturday. But, when they give us ammunition, they done messed around and made it worse. It was just gonna be a good game. The done messed around and made it personal.

"It was gonna be a great task, a battle of Colorado, but they done messed around and made it personal."

Since the release of that video, and really since the comments from Norvell began going viral, there have been no shortage of opinions on the topic. National talking heads, reporters, fans and everyone in between have chimed in with an opinion.

The week started off with both Norvell and Sanders complimenting one another and specifically acknowledging the fact that both are African-American head coaches leading their teams. Norvell's comments changed the conversation leading to wave of comments from around the country.

"We started out right," Sanders said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show. "He was complimenting me and I was complimenting him. He was doing his thing, but it just took a quick left. What happened? Who got to him? What happened?

"To take a left after what he said previously, it threw me off. So, I really started to contemplate, 'What happened? Why would you go to that direction?' You know me. You know how I get down. You know if we really wanna talk, I can do this pretty darn good."

Sanders has since proceeded to provide his entire team with sunglasses to wear adding yet another element to the situation that should end up being resolved Saturday come kickoff time.

Friday, ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis met with CU reporters to discuss the matter that will surely be topic of conversation on the weekly show being hosted in Boulder this weekend. His take was a bit different than what has been said by most outside observers on the matter.

Davis feels the comments, although clearly alluding to Sanders, were not meant for the the CU head coach.

"Who do you think he was talking to? His players. He's talking to his players who are not afraid, who are going in there, who are not intimidated by all the attention they get or by the force of his personality, or by the talent of Travis Hunter or Shedeur Sanders. Who are not intimidated by any of that," Davis said. "'We're going to play, and we're going to do our thing.' He's talking to his players.

"Now, absolutely, Colorado should respond the way they did. Use it and all of that stuff. That's part of the game. I didn't think for a second, you guys probably know Jay Norvell better than I do, but that's not really in his wheelhouse. He's talking to his players. He wasn't trying to take a shot, and I'm sorry to defuse all the fun saying that but that's just what I thought."

The Buffs and Rams will hit the field for an 8 p.m. MT kickoff at Folsom Field as the latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown comes to a head with CU looking to close up nonconference play undefeated.