The Colorado State Rams are the Air Force Falcons of one week ago.
Having dropped two consecutive games to quality opponents, the Falcons rebounded with a convincing win over Wyoming last Saturday.
Fast forward one week, and the Rams are in a similar setting. Two-straight losses to a pair of perennial contenders in the Mountain West (Utah State and Boise State) have the Rams reeling heading into a sold-out homecoming game against the Falcons in Fort Collins.
Questions abound. If CSU replicates the Air Force-rebound and claims the Ram-Falcon Trophy, how does their season change? And, should the Falcons play the homecoming spoiler, what are their bowl prospects?
If CSU wins . . .
Following this game, CSU may have the opportunity to make a run. The teams that make up the rest of the Rams’ schedule have a combined record of 9-21 to date. In a worst best-case scenario, CSU would need to win three of their last five games to become bowl eligible.
Perhaps more importantly, a victory for the green and gold could give a struggling team some confidence moving forward in conference play, and would establish a positive tone heading into the second half of the season.
and Air Force loses . . .
A bowl game becomes a little more doubtful for the Falcons should they lose Saturday. Air Force will weather the gauntlet in their final three regular season games—after facing Utah State in Colorado Springs, the Falcons will hit the road to take on New Mexico and a 21st-ranked Boise State team that did this to CSU:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dXLvZOnZ7s
Having played one less game than the Rams, however, the Falcons face a less-dire situation if things don’t go their way tomorrow.
If Air Force wins . . .
A win in Fort Collins could very well solidify a second-consecutive bowl appearance for the Falcons. It would be their fourth win of the year, and if my math is right, they would only need two more to become bowl eligible.
How feasible is two more wins for Air Force, you ask?
Even if we were to count the Falcons’ dates with Utah State, Boise State, and New Mexico as losses, the remaining matchups represent the dregs of college football in 2015—Hawaii and Fresno State sit at the bottom of the West Division, and Army’s sole win of the season came against Eastern Michigan.—
and CSU loses . .
CSU is in danger of falling into the chasm of anonymity once again, after reaching double-digit wins last season, and a loss to Air Force nudges the Rams that much closer to the edge. CSU would stand at 2-5 overall, and 0-3 in conference-play.
A loss looks even more bleak considering the stage – it’s homecoming weekend in Fort Collins. Today the university announced a sellout, and ticket prices are steep.
31 tickets remain for Air Force vs. #CSURams on StubHub, starting at $80. Someone is selling end zone seats for $134. #CSURams
— Matt L. Stephens (@MattStephens) October 16, 2015
Apart from homecoming, sell-out crowds are unlikely to flock to watch a sub-par team. And although CSU has sold out four of their last eight home games, this trend is unsustainable if they put together another poor showing.
Calvin Jouard is a Mile High Sports intern and a student at the University of Denver