Troy Renck: Uncertainty is the catalyst for meaningful opportunities. Failure is the best teacher. CU and CSU were humbled in football last season, leading to a new coach in Fort Collins, new coordinators in Boulder and overhauled rosters with transfers arriving from across the country. Can the Buffs or Rams walk through a portal back to the 1990s? Neither school has gained much traction over the last two decades. Nationally, they are viewed as more likely to finish in last place in their conferences than first. As practices kickoff, it is time to weigh in. Who gets more wins this season: CU or CSU?
Sean Keeler: tells me CU goes 5-7 and CSU is destined for a scrappy 3-9. Then again, have Massey’s A.I. overlords ever tried to cover new Buffs folk hero Danny Scudero? Or DeAndre Moore? Have they ever tried to get around CSU offensive tackles Toriyan Johnson Jr. or Quinton Harris, both of whom check in at 6-foot-8 and 320-ish pounds? The Rams will be beefy. The Buffs will be fast, and Julian Lewis has a gear we haven’t seen up close yet. I think they’ll both be 2-1 heading into conference play. The swing month in Boulder and Fort Collins is October. CU gets Texas Tech, Utah and K-State at home over those 31 days, along with a trip to Oklahoma State. CSU gets Oregon State and San Diego State at home, peppered in with visits to Texas State and Utah State. If the Buffs and Rams can land three victories from those four tests, they’ll make the computers look silly. Even 2-2 would hold serve. At 1-3 or 0-4, you’re asking for trouble later.
Renck: Jim Mora is where Deion Sanders was three years ago. New, fresh and benefiting from the unknown as he imported 70 new players, including a chunk from UConn. If he was the former hoops coach, I would have more confidence. But Mora worked his magic with the Huskies and has a Pac-12 schedule with enough elasticity for growth. The Rams have potential playmakers in receiver Tommy Maher, running back Mel Brown and tight end Juice Vereen. But who is in charge of the offense? Former four-star recruit Hauss Henjy is with his third school, and Huskies transfer K’Saan Farrar isn’t as highly regarded but knows the offense. The offensive line is big, but young. And the defense, frequently gashed by big plays last season, is light on talent. Linebacker Oumar Diomande needs to anchor the unit as a game wrecker.
Keeler: The Rammies are loaded at tight end and solid along both lines. CSU will be able, more often than not, to run the ball when its wants to. Henjy, like JuJu, is scrappy but small. My biggest question mark for the Rams is largely the same as it is with CU: When push comes to shove, can this defense actually stop anybody? Injuries wrecked CSU’s 2025, and Jay Norvell’s job security, starting with Week 1 at Washington, right from the jump, and the awful mojo never went away. Mora will upgrade his understudies, but stacking quality depth often takes time. CSU tends to fall apart once its expected stars fall prey to the injury bug. If Mora can flip that script, then maybe a Year 1 miracle truly is in the cards for FoCo.
Renck: CU landed intriguing talent with receivers Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore and tackling-machine linebackers Gideon Lampron and Liona Lefau. Brennan Marion brings a reputation for establishing a creative ground game. Good luck. CU has been among the worst rushing teams since Sanders arrived. But Julian Lewis could use the help for his health. There are whispers that Utah transfer Isaac Wilson could push the five-star recruit for playing time. CU has no problem providing highlight plays. The question remains: will some steak accompany the sizzle? The concerns with the offensive and defensive lines and a rugged Big 12 schedule make it hard to be bullish on the Buffs. My prediction. CSU wins five games and CU finishes with four.
Keeler: I don’t know if Marion is here for a long time, but he’s sure as heck here for a good time. Stat to note: In his four previous stops as an offensive play-caller, Marion’s first-year teams wound up posting a combined record of 28-21, for an average finish of 7-5. That’s a lot to ask of a ’26 Buffs team with this many moving parts — but I’m not taking it off the table, either. CU wins six. CSU wins five.
