Similar to college basketball teams deemed to be “on the bubble” for an NCAA Tournament bid, the Colorado State football program has tried to remain patient while waiting to see if the Rams will receive a bowl invitation. That’s not easy.
“Bowl games are a big part of college football,” CSU’s senior linebacker Shaquil Barrett said. “Nobody on our team has played in a bowl. This is my last chance.”
Colorado State (7-6, 5-3 Mountain West) became bowl eligible for the first time in five years Nov. 30 by smashing Air Force 58-13 in the regular-season finale.
That’s when the wait began, but it’s almost over. Postseason matchups will be revealed during Sunday’s bowl selection show (6:30 p.m., ESPN). The Mountain West has contractual agreements with six bowls and seven MW teams became bowl eligible. One conference team likely will be left out of the postseason.
Colorado State athletic director Jack Graham hasn’t just been sitting around gnawing on his nails. Graham spent the past week lobbying CSU’s cause with bowl representatives and also with executives of ESPN, which controls the bowls with tie-ins to the Mountain West.
“We are not sitting on our hands waiting to see what happens,” Graham told the Loveland Reporter-Herald. “We’re hard at work to ensure that we get into the bowl spot that we’ve earned to be in.”
Graham previously said a big selling point would be the Rams’ potent offense, featuring sophomore running back Kapri Bibbs, who ranks among the nation’s best. Bibbs has rushed for 1,572 yards — 30 yards shy of the school record set in 2002 by Cecil Sapp — and his 28 touchdowns scored led the FBS entering this weekend.
Winner of five of its past seven games, CSU already has set a school single-season record for total offense (5,996 yards). The Rams average 35.3 points per game, scoring 50 or more four times.
“At the end of the day, ESPN wants to put on a good game,” Graham said previously. “Colorado State is a fun football team to watch.”
For what it’s worth, projects Colorado State to face North Texas in the Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl. Others believe stronger possibilities for CSU are the Dec. 21 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque (against a Pac-12 team) or the Dec. 21 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise (vs. an opponent from the Mid-American Conference).
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
