There were any number of reasons for the Colorado State faithful to be looking forward to their rematch against Colorado in Ft. Collins this weekend …

— The Buffs were coming off of an embarrassing, demoralizing, and humbling 28-10 loss to Nebraska, with the score not indicative of the beating. Colorado was down 14-0 before the game was fully underway, with the Buffs down 28-0 at the half. The offensive line was a sieve, giving up six sacks, and the Buff rushing attack was non-existent, not getting into positive numbers until the final drive of the game. In short, everything which had been a problem in the second half of the 2023 season, when the Buffs finished the season with a six-game losing streak, was back in full focus. The Buff Nation was demoralized, with bickering and second-guessing in full voice on the message boards;

— Meanwhile, in Ft. Fun, the Rams had shaken off a demoralizing loss of their own in the season opener with a workmanlike 38-17 win over Northern Colorado. It wasn’t a signature win, but there were plenty of positives to build upon, especially with an schedule which included CU and a hapless UTEP team left in non-conference play before taking on a weakened Mountain West schedule;

Game Day! … Drew Litton’s take on the RMS … John Snelson’s Rivalry Video … Shedeur Sanders Draft status: “Don’t see a top-five pick; he’s probably a first round guy” … Neill Woelk’s Keys to the CSU game …

Who will join the “Pac-6” to get the conference to (at least) eight teams? … Boise State, CSU, Fresno State and San Diego State to join the “Pac-12” … The Athletic: If Shedeur wants to be the No. 1 Draft Pick, he needs to act like the No. 1 pick …

CU has more wins over CSU in Ft. Collins (23) than CSU has in the history of the series (22) … Travis Hunter targeted only six times in 128 defensive plays … Looking back at last season’s 43-35 double OT thriller …

Ready for a pick-me-up? … Game Three of the 1994 season was the memorable “Miracle in Michigan” … Here’s the full game story, the full game video, a video of the last minute of play, and an interview with Kordell Stewart … Enjoy! …

Buffs haven’t lost to CSU since 2014, and haven’t lost to CSU in Ft. Collins since … 1955 … Will Tory Horton play (and collect another 16 receptions, like last year)? … Will CU’s defense show up (in the first half this time)? … Let’s find out …

Can CU right the ship in arguably the easiest game remaining on the schedule? … Can the Buffs figure out its offensive line play, creating holes for the running game, while also protecting the passer? … Can the Buffs avoid their first loss to the Rams since 2014? … Let’s find out …