Check back tonight or tomorrow morning for a look at the CSU and CU depth charts and some of the key match-ups that will dictate the outcome of the Rocky Mountain Showdown this Sunday. At the bottom of this post, there is some news regarding CSU as we try to familiarize ourselves with the Rams.
All eyes will be on the running backs this weekend. It might be the only position in which you might give the edge to Colorado State assuming Kyle Bell is back to his old self after the knee injury. RB's Rodney Stewart and Darrell Scott could swing the edge back to Colorado with strong performances but I am not sold on Kevin Moyd. Personally, I think it is just a protection move for Scott.
This is the best article Neil Woelk of the Boulder Daily Camera has ever written. It is about the "issue" surrounding the negotiations of future Rocky Mountain Showdowns. The underlying theme is that CSU needs the game much more than CU does...something we have reiterated over and over the last couple of months. Here is my favorite part of the article:
Monday, yet another reason for CU to call the shots in the series became clear, when CU sold out its official ticket allotment of about 36,000 tickets. CSU, meanwhile, remained several thousand short of hitting its number (30,000).
What that means is from now until game time, CU fans can still buy tickets-- but the tickets they buy will be CSU's tickets. The money will go to CSU's coffers.
In other words, Colorado State will be banking what amounts to corporate welfare, thanks to Colorado. The Rams can't sell their own tickets, but they'll whine that the game should always be played in Denver so CU can put money in their account.
That's welfare.
Woelk then also brings up a great point that the Buffs can play a powerhouse at Invesco and make much more due to ABC or ESPN picking up the game. Who wouldn't sign up for USC or Notre Dame in Colorado?
Fact is, CU doesn't need the Colorado State game. Colorado could let the series expire after 2009 and fill the opening on the schedule with any number of teams, beginning with Air Force, and make the same amount of money as they make playing the Rams.In fact, in the years Colorado could play the game at Invesco, the Buffs could make a national splash by pulling in a national name -- say a Southern Cal, UCLA or Michigan.
If any of the offensive or defensive units need any motivation going into the season, Coach Hawk just needs to post these unit rankings from the Kansas City Star. In particular, the wide receivers, linebackers and offensive line will be much better.
-Good article in the Rocky Mountain News on the emphasis Cody Hawkins and Buffs are putting on not turning the ball over. This will need to be the #1 difference between last year and this year if the Buffs want to be bowl eligible.
Shocker of the Day - Playboy Magazine has Kansas State ranked #22??
Colorado State Links -
Alright, so apparently the offensive coordinator for the Rams feels that QB Billy Farris will be comfortable in his first start at Invesco because he has "been in big game enviroments" and "he ought to be used to the noise and opponent." Under this logic, my family has had season tickets to the Denver Broncos since 1968 and since I have been in the environment, gotten used to the noise and have watched a lot of opponents, I am now prepared to go against the San Diego Chargers.
News from CSU in case you didn't see it in our fanshots to the right side of our site yesterday, kicker Jason Smith broke his arm and will be out for the game against Colorado. Smith handled all of the kicking for the Rams.
Also, CSU released their depth chart yesterday and as reported by the Rocky Mountain News. Here is a quick synopsis:
Twenty-five newcomers were on the CSU depth chartreleased Monday.
There were five true freshmen, 16 redshirt freshmen and four junior-college transfers. Of those, one freshman (DeLine), two redshirt freshmen (linebacker Mychal Sisson and cornerback Brandon Owens) and one junior-college transfer (Hartz) were listed as starters.