Head Coach: Jay Norvell is entering his 3rd season with the Rams with a 8-16 record. The Rams program wasn’t in good shape but got a massive coup when they grabbed Norvell from Nevada in a rare in-conference coach poaching. He’s become most known for his rivalry from Deion Sanders that stemmed from the crazy Rocky Mountain Showdown game last year.
Program Outlook: There’s a reason that Norvell left another program in the conference for this one. Colorado State has a lot of resources at their disposal. They have a newer stadium with an incredible backdrop and new facilities all around. There’s no reason this program shouldn’t compete for Mountain West championships but missing on a few moves kept them struggling for a long time.
How does the 2024 Roster look?: This is the year this roster has been building toward. The Rams offense changed big time last season when they shifted QBs, completing 70%+ of passes didn’t matter when they weren’t going anywhere, but instead QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi proven to be the opposite. He’s a true gunslinger but needs to cut back on the interceptions, still you love to see a QB who fearlessly chucks it around. Then again, he might have reason to… He’s got one of the best receivers in the country to throw to in Tory Horton, he’s been the real do it all guy for this offense for years but he’s finally getting the respect he deserves this offseason. The portal both gave and took away weapons around him. Colorado State uses multiple backs but the run game merely did the job last year and with the entire offensive line back it could do more this season. The Rams defense got better as the season went along but they still frequently struggled to stop the run. The defensive line is going to need to figure out life without their star now that Mo Kamara is off to the NFL. The defense gets better as you get further back linebacker Chase Wilson will get his nose into just about every play but the Rams need to figure out who they’ll have around him. The Rams secondary is loaded especially on the backend Henry Blackburn and Jack Howell are two of the best in the conference. The Rams did need to hit the portal to fill the corner spots. Overall this is a roster that can make a good step forward this year.
Screenshot from fbschedules.com1
2024 Schedule Thoughts: This schedule is pretty manageable for the Rams. Obviously opening with Texas is not ideal but get past that and they have in most of their other games. Northern Colorado is coming off a winless season in FCS last year so they’re a work in progress. Then comes the game that will have everyone’s eyes the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Rams will have their sights on revenge after coming so close to winning it last year, plus it’s the first time they’ve gotten to host Colorado since 1996. They close out the non-conference slate with UTEP who has a new head coach but a lot of excitement. The conference schedule is extremely favorable. The Rams face tough road games at Air Force and Fresno State but they also get a lot of games against teams expected to finish at the bottom of the conference. A winning record is definitely on the table, if not more.
Vegas Projection: Colorado State’s win total is set at 6.5 with the odds geared slightly toward the under. That’s a lower total than I expected for the Rams.
2024 Best Case: It’s time for the Jay Norvell era to take off. Colorado State opens the season surprisingly giving Texas a tough time. They grab an early lead that lasts into halftime, but the Longhorns eventually win by 10. The Rams beat Northern Colorado and get set for the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Tory Horton makes a name for himself torching the Colorado defense as Colorado State wins big to give Jay Norvell revenge against Coach Prime it’s truly a massive win that gets Colorado State on the map since millions watched them pull it off in primetime. With more attention on the Rams they make sure not to blow it. They beat UTEP the next week and manage to take down Oregon State on the road. The Rams beat San Jose State and win a tight battle over Air Force to win the Ram-Falcon trophy. Colorado State rolls in the next 3 games including a dominating win over Wyoming in the Border War to set up a huge late season showdown with Fresno State. It’s a back and forth battle but a late touchdown allows the Rams to prevail and earn a bid to the Mountain West championship. They close by beating Utah State and that sets up a conference title showdown with Boise State. It’s a back and forth shootout and the Rams win in less dramatic fashion than last season. This run earns Colorado State a bid to the College Football Playoff a massive accomplishment for their program. It comes to an end quickly against Alabama but that doesn’t matter the Rams crashed the playoff before Deion Sanders and Colorado did, their fans have earned lifelong bragging rights and that’s enough for now.
2024 Worst Case: Colorado State opens the season by getting blown out by Texas, and they struggle past Northern Colorado as they look ahead to the Rocky Mountain Showdown. All that look ahead turns out to be for nothing as the Rams aren’t ready for the big stage. It turns out Colorado actually is improved, and the Rams fail to score any points early while Colorado scores TDs on their first 6 drives in a blowout loss. This sends the season into a spiral as the Rams lose to UTEP and Oregon State to fall to 1-4. They only win 2 of the next 5 and lose out to close with a severely disappointing 3-9 season. Wyoming wins 10 games, Air Force reaches the College Football playoff and worse yet so does Colorado. After the Rams felt like they were close to get an edge on the Buffaloes they instead are further behind than ever.
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