Colorado State Football: Will Rams’ rebuild make progress in 2021?

How will Colorado State football fare in 2021?

After a four-game season, the Rams are eager to get back onto the field for a 12-game campaign. They expect to smooth out some rough patches before the start of the season. Steve Addazio and his staff notice what needs to be fixed on both sides of the ball and are determined to get them sorted out.

Defensively, the Rams are solid, but it will be up to the offense to determine the success this season. They have stellar leadership and superior talent on both sides of the ball. The Rams will look to these leaders as they compete in a Mountain West that has juggernauts competing for a major bowl game. The conference also contains teams in a much more critical rebuilding stage than the Rams this season.

• Game 1: South Dakota State (W) – If the Rams are not careful, they could find them in an upset against a Jackrabbits team that lost only by two points in the FCS National Championship.
• Game 2: Vanderbilt (W) – The Rams will be hosting a Vanderbilt team in a complete rebuilding process and are terrible on both sides of the ball.
• Game 3: at Toledo (L) – The Rockets will be huge competitors in the MAC as they return 21 starters.
• Game 4: at Iowa (L) – The Rams finish out their tough non-conference schedule against an Iowa team determined to win the Big Ten West.
• Game 5: San Jose State (L) – Last season, San Jose had a perfect 6-0 record in the Mountain West. They return all 11 starters on a top-15 scoring defense and nine starters on a highly efficient offense.
• Game 6: at New Mexico (W) – The Lobos are depleted of high-caliber talent on the offensive side of the ball, which will bring a potential big win for the Rams on the road.
• Game 7: at Utah State (W) – New Aggies head coach Blake Anderson is looking to bring a revitalized and focused team in 2021 but the process will take longer than expected due to the tough season last year.
• Game 8: Boise State (L) – The Broncos look to get back to the national spotlight with eight starters coming back on both sides of the ball.
• Game 9: at Wyoming (L) – Last season, the Rams lost to the Cowboys 34-24 at home. This season, they will face the Cowboys on the road with 19 total starters returning.
• Game 10: Air Force (L) – This Falcons defense will be too much for an inexperienced offensive line from developing a consistent offensive performance.
• Game 11: at Hawaii (L) – The Rainbow Warriors are more efficient on both sides of the ball than last season’s productive season.
• Game 12: Nevada (L) – The Rams finish out a tough Mountain West schedule against a Wolf Pack team that might win the conference title in 2021.

Final record: 4-8, 2-6 Mountain West

The schedule does not play in favor of the Rams this season. They will face a tough FCS team in the Jackrabbits, a toss-up game against Vanderbilt, and then two tough road games at Toledo and Iowa.

The Mountain West schedule is difficult as well. On top of playing in a tough Mountain division, the Rams have to play the projected top two teams in the West in Nevada and San Jose State. They will also have to play against a Hawaii team that looks to be better than what they project to be by the media.

There is no doubt that the Rams will be in the race for some close games. They have great talent on both sides of the ball, and their front seven will be brutal to compete against. There are too many questions around the confidence of Centeio, the inexperience of the offensive line, and the efficiency in the secondary.

It will take time for the Rams to develop into a team that will consistently compete for the division title. For now, the Rams will need to stay strong in their rebuilding process. The good news is that most of the offensive starters are juniors or sophomores, so they will build on experience. Their 2021 recruiting class also finished No. 6 in the Mountain West.

There is potential for this program to be back in a bowl game. This season will be a better platform for team development on and off the field than 2020.