I really like PeLLLLini the man, and he was a good coach with 4 non-conf games and playing crappy teams each year, such as ISU / Colo/KSU/Baylor/Minn/Illinois/Purdue/NW, etc... even OSU was awful one season, Wisconsin was horrible a few years, Penn State & Michigan played below average a few seasons.
But I liked him and the bottom line was that he couldn't take the team beyond a certain ceiling with certain circumstances (ridiculously easy schedule). The pressure to win, the media, and also his NFL style to chew the clock with a lead the entire 4th quarter was super boring and exhausting.......just so they can beat an average team or whoever.... It felt like a 2 1/2 - 3 quarter game followed by a snooze fest. Woo. NFL style.
I don't know if Sanders will lose 4 games each year throughout his 3 year contract, but he is taking over a super s#!tshow of a program for 15 years, with the exception of them having one or two good Pellllini years there. I think they just finished 1-11 (and several years of 3-5 win years).
What makes it exciting for football is to see what it will be like in year 2 and 3. I think Colorado could pull out some wins next year, but I seen his son play QB and he floats a lot of soft passes that will get picked in a P5 conference. He's not bad at all, but I think there will be growing pains here and there.
I guess to answer you question, I think Sanders will have CU becoming a top 25 team soon and will get 10-11 wins without playing 14 games to do so. If I get fooled, then we all getting fooled.