The Wiz of Odds

Colorado State

The Rams decided to bring out the heavy artillery for their 2010 poster. It's a good idea after what happened in 2009. Colorado State finished 3-9 and didn't win a game in the Mountain West. The Rams enter this season having lost nine in a row, the third-longest losing streak in Division I-A. Steve Fairchild, 10-15 in two seasons as coach, will likely look to the running game while breaking in a new starting quarterback. Colorado State opens against in-state rival Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver, then travels to Nevada and Miami (Ohio). The Rams don't play their home opener until Sept. 25 against Idaho.

As a run-up to the start of the season, the Wiz will display one poster each day until our supply is exhausted.

Then we turn it over to readers, who will vote on the poster of the year. In the meantime, send your team's poster schedule to jayzuma (at) gmail.com.

Last year, the site displayed 69 posters. This is poster No. 48 for 2010. Thanks to Ben!

Colorado State

Steve Fairchild's first season at Fort Collins was a smashing success. The Rams defeated Fresno State, 40-35, in the New Mexico Bowl — their first bowl victory since 2001 — and finished 7-6. Gartrell Johnson, the Mountain West Conference's leading rusher with 1,476 yards, is gone, but four of five starters return on the offensive line. Colorado State will be challenged early with games against Colorado, Nevada, Brigham Young, Utah and Texas Christian. The second half of the schedule looks manageable. A reminder to click any of the poster schedules for an enlarged view. Thanks to Ben!

More Expert Advice From the WWL

Colorado State is "not a very good running team," eh? Tell that to Gartrell Johnson, who ran for 285 of the Rams' 362 rushing yards. And about that Fresno State pick ...

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Colorado State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 23 Colorado State
Location: Fort Collins, Colo.
Nickname: Rams.
Conference: Mountain West.
Coach: Steve Fairchild, first season.
Division I-A history: 464-504-33 in 109 seasons, .480 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2003.
Best record last five years: 7-6 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: The Rams have fallen from the glory days under former coach Sonny Lubick. Colorado State has had three losing seasons in the last four years as Lubick's time in Fort Collins wound down.
Negative number: 0. That's the number of first-team Mountain West all-conference selections for the Rams over the last two seasons.
Possible victory: Sacramento State, Sept. 6. Of the four nonconference games, this Division I-AA foe is probably the only team the Rams can safely assume they can beat. In the MWC, the opener at home against UNLV might be Colorado State's best hope.
Biggest blowout: At California, Sept. 27. Other than facing rival Colorado in Denver, the Rams' toughest test will be against the Bears in Berkeley.
Is there hope?: Fairchild is Lubick's hand-picked successor and is a former Colorado State quarterback who served on Lubick's staff for seven years. After seven seasons in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, he has plans of using a power running game balanced with a daring passing attack.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.