The new college football season is nearly upon us.
Here in Colorado, our three Division I teams have postseason dreams. Deion Sanders looks to lead the Colorado Buffaloes to their first bowl game since 2020. Colorado State is looking to earn its first appearance since playing in five straight from 2013-17. And Air Force is looking to make (and potentially win) its fourth consecutive bowl game.
So what are their chances? Here’s a look at what the national media is predicting:
Air Force: Crawford has the Falcons facing West Virginia in the Armed Forces Bowl. “The Big 12 is wide open, and the Mountaineers are capable of causing havoc in the league standings with Garrett Greene at quarterback. And what happens if West Virginia opens the season with an upset win over Penn State? That would thrust this program into the top 25 and put the rest of the country on notice that Neal Brown’s veteran-laden squad is ready to compete with the best,” Crawford writes.
Colorado: CU doesn’t play in a bowl game in this projection.
Colorado State: The Rams play Central Michigan in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., in this scenario.
Air Force: Palm has the Falcons taking on Toledo at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
Colorado: The Buffs don’t reach the postseason in Palm’s projection.
Colorado State: Palm has the Rams shake off their seven-year bowl-less streak, reaching the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Miami (Ohio) at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach:
Air Force: Both Bonagura and Schlabach have the Falcons playing in bowl games. Bonagura has them taking on Bowling Green at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. Meanwhile, Schlabach has them playing Texas State at the Isleta New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.
Colorado: Neither Bonagura nor Schlabach has the Buffs reaching a bowl game.
Colorado State: The Rams are heading to the Aloha State, according to Schlabach, who has CSU taking on New Mexico State in the Hawai’i Bowl at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. Bonagura doesn’t have the Rams in the postseason.
San Jose Mercury News’ Jon Wilner:
Jon Wilner only did bowl projections for former Pac-12 schools.
Colorado: Wilner has the Buffs playing in the Las Vegas Bowl against an SEC opponent. “To be clear: We do not expect Colorado’s season to reach the success typically associated with Las Vegas Bowl participants (i.e., eight or nine wins). But our skeptical outlook for the schools in their new leagues — and for the Cougars and Beavers — means mediocre teams will overachieve with bowl assignments. And if the Buffs are eligible, they will be coveted.”
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Originally Published: August 21, 2024 at 4:28 p.m.
