Keys to the game for CSU, Week 1 picks, power rankings & more | DNVR Rams Live

Start on today's episode of dmvr rams live we are setting the scene for a week one trip to Texas we're talking keys to the matchup names you should know we're giving out Mountain West Power Rankings Week one picks and more [Music] [Applause] [Music] good morning y'all welcome into the Toyota Lounge driven by your Front Range Toyota stores Toyota the official vehicle of dmvr bang I'm Justin Michael Andre the man the myth the legend Simone is here we're talking week one football is back it's no more projection it's no more hypothetical it's here it's now we are here how you doing my friend doing great I'm hyped good Thursday slate going to be an amazing Saturday slate and uh yeah even Sunday we got a big game I'm glad to do the show back in season just hyped man I'm just hyped I'm hyped too I'm also hyped this weekend we've got in a watch party going on at the dmvr bar for csu's game at Texas kicking off at 1:30 presented by our friends over at Kors light you can RSVP online at our website enter to win a free Yeti cooler courtesy of our friends over at Kors uh awesome opportunity I'd love to see you there come on through best watch party best sports bar in town we've got a fun show lined up for you we're talking Mountain West Power Rankings first of the Fall with both of us here kind of did a preseason one a while back but that was that was different didn't count we got week one picks we're going to get into the the names to know on the Texas side we're talking about everything you guys need to know for this big time match up with the Rams at the Longhorns if you missed it I did post on Twitter this morning we got an update for the NCA college football video game the Rams now in 80 overall more importantly AG day uniforms are in the game they look sharp uh you guys can stop tweeting at me asking when they're going to be in there they are in there uh of course State pride not yet in and predictably so the reaction has been what about State pride I can promise you they will be in at some point I don't know why they weren't in this in this update patch but you can use AG day they look sharp you can go see those photos online if you are wondering uh we're going to play a video here of Jay Norvell kind of setting the scene for this game at Texas it's a unique opportunity for the program on multiple levels the Longhorns are legit National Title contenders uh but also in the broader sense Dre you know playing in Texas it it means a lot to to the players from Texas there's a lot of them on the roster it means something to the coaches you know from the state of Texas and obviously from a recruiting standpoint getting that opportunity to to play in Texas it's it's a big win for CSU even though it's a obviously a really really tough challenge yeah for sure and I think it's also this is a tier of team this Texas coming off a playoff run returning its quarterback you know sniping guys and getting transfers from Alabama and stuff like that that is a little more special because you're going in to their house when they're really up and it's similar to some of those Bama games we've had in the last 10 years um that adds a little spice to it and it's a good you know while obviously overwhelming underdogs it's a good little barometer of like can you be frisky for a couple quarters like they were in some of those Bama games like a Wyoming was against Texas last year to kind of still have some good vibes going into week two when everything becomes a little more manageable yeah I think you can find a lot of confidence if you play well in Austin I've talked a lot in the past about how going out there and hanging with the number one team in the country twice both times they went to Tuscaloosa really gave that team a spark and you could see it with the five six weeks after it obviously if that were to happen for CSU that would be great because we've talked about the importance of getting off to a hot start this year if you want to really make some noise on a national level obviously you'll still have a chance to compete within your own conference kind of regardless of what happens these first five weeks uh but if you want it to be a special season if you want this to be a year to remember like a 2014 like a 2002 you got to set the tone immediately and this is a great great barometer to see kind of where we're at uh we're going to play this interview with Jay orell from yesterday it's him meeting with me uh Kevin Li and Mike Brohard of CSU Rams just kind of talks about some of the stuff we've talked about sets the scene for this matchup also talks about special teams a little bit one of the big things that's going to be something we have to keep an eye on this weekend Jordan noes the starting kicker has kind of been in a boot for most of fall uh was not in a boot yesterday which was encouraging but I have actually yet to see him kick in Camp sounds like they expect to have him on Saturday but that is a little bit of a wrinkle and we're going to have to keep our eyes on that situation but here's Jane orell meeting with the media yesterday post practice you're kicking situation yeah how are we sitting with that right now oh we're in great Jay Norvell on Week 1 shape um no we're in good shape I mean I mean we'll see till Saturday we've had you know some guys that have been a little bit nicked up and not got a lot of chances to kick but I mean I think we'll have everybody available Saturday so that's an important part of the game you know field position is going to be really important so we got to do a good job on all of our teams you know kicking the football ball covering kicks not having penalties on special teams is huge so but we should have everybody available satday is that what you look for most in an opener is just how clean your team can be and how many things you can do that don't hurt you in a negative way yeah I mean typically in most opening games it's the first game and you know you get some first game Jitters and um you know foolish penalties kicking kicking game penalties we can't afford that in this game you know we've worked really hard to accelerate this preseason be really sharp and when you play at opponent like Texas it gets your attention early and so you know it's it's not a normal opener it's it's it's an important game we got to play clean and uh we can't afford to give away plays or we can't afford to trade plays you know we can't you know get a turn over and then we turn it over or give them a play on special teams and then we get play in special teams we can't afford to play that way we got to be opportunistic we got to take advantage of our opportunities and we got to keep their home run Hitters from getting a lot of that bat so have you felt some of that you know kind of extra juice if F Well from the guys just being a you know not your typical opener maybe yeah I mean I think it's I mean I I think everybody understands the urgency that we're playing the University of Texas and you know it's a big game for us um it's a big opportunity for a program and and um and so um you know everybody's taken that all summer long in their study of this game and PR preparation for this game you know we got a lot of Texas kids here and and uh you know it's a dream for every Texas kid and every Texas coach to to play at Texas and so and and there's a lot of there's a lot of people that never get that opportunity there's a lot of people playing football in Texas and coaching football in the state of Texas that never get to play at Texas so it's a special opportunity and and uh you know I've experienced it several times in my career and and you know it's just it reminds you how important it is for people that haven't had a chance to do it I heard you talking to the guys yesterday about basically going out and forcing them to respect you know your name respect your helmet you've been on probably both sides of this being the big school where the small school comes in and the smaller school going into it you know at times do you think guys can teams can get beat just essentially from having the wrong mindset going in like they getting caught up in all the crowd I mean it you know it's of course we're playing the University of Texas but we're we're playing a team that runs split Zone and rpos and and playaction passes I mean that's what we have to defend um we're not you know Earl Campbell's not going to play and so so we don't have to we don't have to play their history you know Daryl Royal is not on the SEL I'm not worried about coaching against him so I mean it's just it's a game and when you're you know we need to be mature mat as a team in a program and go in and play a team like Texas and go play the game and so that's all we're asking our guys to do you know we really haven't made a big deal about them um or their legacy and all that it's it's a it's an important game it's a good opponent um they're well coached it's a great atmosphere and we need to go have fun play the game you mentioned the Texas guys on the roster you got three of them uh specifically in the wide receiver room that are still kind of new guys with Dylan Armani Donovan I mean how important are those guys going to be not just this week but for you guys the whole season kind of helping Tori out and kind of making sure teams respect more than just him yeah we we we got to have playmakers all over the field so people can't zero in on Tor and you know we we've been really mindful of that um I think Armani's got a opportunity to have a great year uh he's a big talented receiver with speed um you know I I think Donovan Al's a great addition he's a pro I mean as far as handling his business and his maturity it's a huge upgrade for us um I'm I'm really excited about Jamari pson he's had a great Camp um Good's had a great Camp um we got a number of players that are capable of making big plays and so I think Braden has a lot of confidence in Our receiver room um and you know we got to have great compliments whether it's our running backs our tight ends our wide receivers we got to be able to spread the ball around and and be productive not a Texas relay but D made the made the cut yesterday kind that's so awesome and you know I haven't even had a chance to look at the cuts and so I appreciate you telling me that and I knew he was having a really good camp and what a great kid and I'm really happy of him and proud of him you know he he made some good decisions in this process and going to the Saints was one of them that was a great decision that he made big shout out to Jane norell for always being available giving us great availability throughout the season was able to attend practice on Tuesday and Wednesday we had a presser on Monday I'm going to do my best to get you guys as much video from throughout the season I make sure you're following everything on the dmvr sports YouTube we got the interview with running backs coach Jeremy Jeremy Moses as well as Wisconsin transfer defensive Ed and Gabe kerski up there that Norvell video is also on if you would like to rewatch it or or go back and relisten to some of the stuff that he said Dre and I are about to get into this Texas matchup we're going to Not getting too focused on the brand give out some of the players that you should know we're going to give the keys to the game but I I like what Norvell said there about it just being a big opportunity and not getting too focused on the brand I think at times when you are a smaller school going into a really unique setting like this I mean you're not going to play in front of a 100,000 people that often uh this type of team this type of expectations you can kind of Psych yourself out and and you know really get overworked and beat yourself essentially before you ever step on the field yeah you can overthink it and I mean I think the key really is just make it a game play with house money just go out be loose have fun I think we've seen it before like starting the season against Michigan under norville's uh tenure you know and Clay not looking great and things just struggling to kind of get going you just want to kind of be relaxed get in a rhythm you know execute your scheme know what to expect and go from there that's a perfect way to segue into our keys to the game we're going to talk about that I think they got to strike first and strike back throughout this game U real quick though I do want to shout out our friends over at Toyota guys trucks have always been a part of Toyota's DNA for Generations Toyota has built durable Legends destined for greatness and they're perfect for colado whether you're conquering off-road trails or hauling the way to the world there's a Toyota truck that's just right for you uh they've got the 2024 Tacoma the return of the iconic 2024 Land Cruiser Toyota offers 17 models with available all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive like the Epic 4Runner they also offer 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here to set the tone and get you thinking about choices Dre here's the here's the big misconception with kind of living a healthier lifestyle oh okay A lot of times people get discouraged because they think it needs to be an all or nothing ordeal it's I can never eat pizza again I can't have a diet Dr Pepper I can't do any of that shout out to those guys that's not what it's about it's about making small choices it's about living life with moderation and still allowing yourself to you know have those Treats but also occasionally doing the little things you know go for that morning walk when you've got an extra 15 minutes instead of watching some YouTube videos maybe you order a side salad instead of chili cheese fries although that's a tough one I'm I'm not going to lie that's a tough trade-off but that's but that's what it's about you got to you got to do little small sacrifices every now and then so that you can live a life that's healthy and you can be active and all those great things take care another one man live extraordinary that's uh that's UC Health's Challenge and uh we're here we're taking it on if you want to join ucal ready setco challenge click the link in the show notes or go to www.health.org ret Co what a great what a great initiative um especially in Fall man I it's once I get in football mode to start eating badly you know being lazy it's long days longer nights yeah you're not getting good sleep I mean it's all it all catches up J Mike well that's why I'm thankful for UC Health i' I've got him in the back of my mind now there you go good let's preview this match up with Texas let's give the people who they need to know some of our keys to the game and then at the end of the show Players you need to know we'll set the scene for a big week one for the entire Mountain West damn straight the the first player you need to know and I think it's pretty obvious with both teams the quarterback Quin ERS threw for about 3,500 yards 22 touchdowns six interceptions in 2023 Quinn is a guy you have watched a lot over the years from the draft perspective what are your thoughts on quin's going into this season and essentially like why should Ram fans fear Him what are some ways that CSU could maybe set themselves up for Success against a QB like him yeah fairly accomplished quarterback can be quite inconsistent but I mean he slings the long ball better than anyone in college football right now I think certainly with Caleb Williams leaving he'd be your uh leader in the clubhouse if you were just to rank the be the best deep throwers in the game um and he just has that ability to kind of turn a game on its head stand tough in the pocket and make just drop dimes um easy arm strength no he can be inconsistent and accurate in the middle of the field you know um in those middle areas in the short to intermediate his feel for pressure can be a little shaky at times right so that there are ways to get to him he's not like the biggest or most athletic guy but the combination of that receiving cord that scheme that offensive line and the fact that like you know you don't need to hit a home run every at bat you you hit a home run well and they they'll really test you you know with the dink the Dink and dunk stuff it's going to be a lot of quick screens a lot of Slants then all of a sudden they open it up over the top well that's why you have the running back here cuz while it you know oh whatever uers and that o line and that receiving court against any opponent Colorado State included ERS is going to need that running game to lead on like he's not a guy you want dropping Back 40 times a game it's a good point it's going to open you up for disaster but 2025 and he just he Nails those three those three throws you know and that's what he's done in some of those big games for them you know when you look at their matchups against Bama or even like I thought he played really well against Washington Washington yeah he's had some big time throws and Big Time moments yes um you mentioned the receiving course so I'll just do him real quick Isaiah Bond came over from Alabama he's going to essentially assume that Xavier worthy role of Bern over the top they Texas does have a couple of good receivers but he's the guy that scares me the most 48 catches for 668 yards four touchdowns last year yeah he L speed watch you got to watch how he lines up on every single play cuz he's he is a Difference Maker he's a guy who's going to give you that vertical spacing even if your doesn't throw him the ball so that's going to open up other stuff you know it's like Tyreek Hill you just you always have to account for where he's at it's like a great three-point shooter even if they're not shooting it you still change the geometry you just change the spacing completely but Bond flashed that Keys to the game bam for his ability kind of as more of a direct Runner and stuff like that so you got to watch him you got to watch out you know I could see him getting involved in some end round type stuff reverses I mean you have to crossers and quick screens Slants or all that fun stuff under you wonder how will they go about that is that more the linebacking cor uh job is that going to be those veteran safeties you have it's a little bit of both I mean it's going to put a lot of pressure on your nickel obviously in that 425 um I will say one of the things despite not being the biggest guy in the world Dom Morris who will be starting at nickel and then you'll see Aiden Hector out there quite a bit as well he's he's a guy that's not afraid to to get up there near the line of scrimmage to play in the Box to be Scrappy and they're going to have to do that they have to as best as they can take away some of that quick underneath stuff because if Texas can run the ball if Jaden blue can you know run for 6.1 yards to carry the way he did in 2020 three I'll beit i'llbe it as like a change of pace type back that's going to put this defense in a really tough spot especially with you know opening up play action and the speed they have and and all that type of stuff I think if you can have success taking away some of that quick stuff in the RPO game and then you know make them question whether they want to continue to run the football I think that's a big recipe for success for CSU on the defensive side yeah no doubt and you also hope you're not playing with the deficit for long periods of time that's another Factor that's going to allow Texas just a variety of uh play calls that you wouldn't have if you know if it's an even game or you're coming from behind that's a great point and that that's essentially what I meant in in our notes Here I have R Keys game I put you need to punch first and punch back if it's a Washington state situation you're down 210 in the first quarter that puts you in a brutal spot like if if you can put a little bit of doubt in their mind you know maybe you score a couple of touchdowns in that first half hit some explosive plays just get them think you know on their on their heels a little bit I think that completely changes things versus you know like we've seen in these big games the last couple years where it's 28-0 5 minutes into the second quarter and now they're just pinning their ears back and going after your QB yeah no for sure you hope to create explosives and kind of limit explosives I think the goal is to stay frisky and stay in the game for a couple quarters here um I think also you know some some ball control some clock control could go a long way if they're able to establish the run just move the chain some you know don't be don't be putting your defense in a situation where they're on the field for like 70% of the first 15 plays or 20 plays or so you know um you got to have some success at the line of scrimmage you know you got to be able to run the football you got to be able to protect the quarterback and the other side you got to be able to generate some pressure and and stop the run and inherently that's going to help you do some of that ball control stuff in theory that's going to you know help you potentially limit some of the turnover problems that you had a year ago like all of this stuff works together and that well and it's a kitchen sink game right but you can't just take shots every single down in distance well and it's one of those I think where the game is at a couple minutes into the second kind of determines if it really is a kitchen syn game because if you do go down big early like at some point you don't want to show too much in a game that you don't really have a chance of coming back and that said you know if you're in a position like Wyoming was last year and you got a chance to go out and make history then like we're going to do what we got to do to try and steal this one like I I don't think they're going in just being like you know we just we just want to compete they obviously they do want to win but I also do think there's just a is there's some pragmaticism and some some realism that that comes into play as well in a situation like this week one but you got to win the little things right like you can't beat yourself with penalties Jay talked about that like on special teams and penalties and just dumb things I mean winning on special teams I think would be one of the keys of the game yeah if you can increase your margin like you've got a really Dynamic returner you have a punter who's done a good job of of limiting returns and assuming that noes is able to go you got a kicker that's pretty dang good for the Collegiate level yeah and then I mean winning the little things to me is creating some sort of a rhythm being able to keep the defense off the field um being able to you know get a couple first downs so when you take your shot you're at the 50 yard line you can't take your shots from your own 30 you know um it's a good point and uh yeah just being able to stay in the game gain some momentum gain some confidence and and and see what you can bring to the table from there couple more names uh RAM fans should keep an eye on just flipping things over to the def defensive side for Texas Ethan Burke their defensive ends a stud he had 41 total tackles last year nine tackles for loss five and a half sacks yeah I love him I think he's underrated I think so too I think he's a guy that's really going to pop in the draft conversation this year yeah um obviously Texas loses that dynamic duo of of sweat and Byron Murphy in the interior I do wonder you know if that ends up playing a factor maybe the Rams are able to establish some things between the tackles a little bit better without those big MERS out there look man I think this is a huge huge test for that offensive line which I thought was undoubtedly one of the bright spots of last season which I think is the thing that has me feeling best about the trajectory of the Norville era is the improvements I saw at quarterback and offensive line last year this is a huge test man you show you've taken even another step from last year that's massive and that was a big key for CSU in those games against Bama they hung in the trenches you know think back to you know that was kind of the breakout sha Barrett game as an edge rusher but also on top of that like offensively you move the ball on them you ran the ball you're o line hung and a lot of those guys you know Richberg and Sam Bro and even like Sam Carlson and some of those guys on the 2017 game like they they all had at least a cup of coffee in the league if not um sustained career like Richburg had a nice little career there got a second contract got phenomenal career are you kidding me so I I I just think this is a really big game from EST lishing an identity from proving that you are not last year's Rams or the obviously not the the year before either but I'm with you I think if you can do a couple of those small things that goes a major way and and just establishing some confidence and and kind of getting in a rhythm that you can build off of going into UNCC and then obviously the the game of the year we see you coming to Fort Collins in in week three yeah 100% And um I mean you have Anthony Hill here as another sophomore linebacker to watch on this he was the second leading tackler from a year ago on that Texas Squad they do return four of their five leading tacklers 67 total last year eight tackles for L five sacks they've got a lot of guys that when they get up they can pin their ears back and get after you so kind of going back to what Dre and I were talking about before the the more you can hang around the more you can limit opportunities where you're in third and long and they get to really come after you I I just think that's going to be a major factor and something that frankly the Rams were not able to do in either of games against Washington State or Michigan being able to move the ball with some consistency not having some of the self-inflicted wounds we saw hold them back in the the non-conference Slate each of the last couple years that would be a major sign to me that this program is capable of of going on and you know maybe doing some of the special things that could be possible with the favorable schedule for sure and I think this cornerback room in Texas could be could be exploited a little bit jvan Cole San Jose State transfer right know him uh they've got surprised me what that one surprised me that he's like that high on their dep chart yeah yeah I mean I the Gavin Harris is the backup he's a Wake Forest transfer like they've got some guys opp Opposite the true sophomore muhamad who has some good pedigree that can be exploited you know Andrew makuba the safety from Clemson's a nice transfer um but like is he the most dynamic in coverage let's see let's test him out a little bit you know I think it's a big opportunity for the guys playing opposite Tory Horton big big opportunity Armani Winfield Donovan Oli um Dylan gothy all Texas guys too so you know they're going to be amped BFN your quarterback's from Texas couple of your o linemen are from Texas like they're they're going to be jazzed up to play this game um John Harris wants know in the Toyota chat the average excuse me size difference when it comes to the linan I could have read that question 65305 is csu's average starting offensive line um I don't have on me Texas's they didn't release a too deep publicly I don't know if that's gamesmanship or if they just don't do it um but honestly like it shouldn't be overwhelming in a way that it was like when CSU went to Michigan they're definitely going to have I mean when you look at their nose tackles and stuff like that they're clearly going to have a size Advantage their offensive tackles are going to be bigger but when you look at CSU and especially when you see him in person and this is a comment that I got from Mike Sanford it's a comment I got from Ryan green when he was up there in person when you when you see these guys on the field they look like an NFL offensive line from a size standpoint so I I don't think it's going to be super overwhelming I do wonder if Texas's speed is more the the difference I mean the Rams have some pretty good speed at the skill positions too but they just the amount of guys they have on the roster that can run a 4 four at various positions it just it overwhelms you well and I think defensively especially you know we just talked about Texas has some Corners that can be exploitable I'm sure that's what they're saying in Austin as they're much so you know the Rams got to be better in man coverage than they were a year ago if they have the same type of lapses that they had like in Logan for instance even against Wyoming uh there could be a long day like you know they've got guys that can really burn you and if you're peing in the back field you're not playing sound disciplined football it it could be an issue uh I'm with Kevin Young and the Toyota CH says if we get turnovers we have to turn them into touchdowns you certainly have to make the most of all your opportunities when you're in the Red Zone you got to score points if you kick a field goal you got to make it but yeah when when you have those chances you got to make the most of them I mean when you're a 32o underdog the reality is is you have to play a a perfect game if you're going to pull off an upset but to even be in the game you got to play dang near perfect make the most out of those crucial opportunities um we're going to get into the week one picks and Power Rankings um but real quick I do want to shout out Kors life life baby guys life can be frustrating especially in football season I mean nobody knows this more than us over the last 20 years start like that how great was it to sip on K's lights watching the Rainbow Warriors last week huh oh it was great it was I mean the M West entertained it was it was glorious I told you guys about New Mexico Dre was on Devon dampers so I I I need some hype for My Guy dre he knows ball he knows what he's talking about Danier with a great showing obviously disappointing results for Nevada and but the the argument is that they weren't even expected to compete and life is all about the mindset that you choose and our friends at Kors light encourage you to choose a chill mindset you can be a Debbie Downer or you can be somebody that lives life in the moment lives life to the fullest you know appreciates colle football the marriage the perfect marriage choosing chill choosing love it's uh it's the best man make the bo of the times you choose to chill and choose qul get qus light delivered straight to your door with instacart by going to qul light.com dnvr I also want to shout out game time who is making it easier than ever to buy last minute tickets they have a great new feature called Game Time pick it makes getting tickets for your favorite Live Events even easier what game time pick is going to do it's going to filter out all the fluff it's only going to show you the best of the best so you can find the best great seats you don't have to spend time you know coming through the thousands and thousands cuz they've got a lot of variety and they're just making it a little bit easier for you that's what game time does they make life easier for you they've got they were amazing to use I just got seven tickets for my family and the little One's best friend's family incredible tickets already had $100 credit on that that I applied what a steal and it told me you know the best sections for seven plus you scrolled a couple like no we don't want to be in the like $5 tickets section I get to see uh Jackson holiday and the Orioles beautiful game time perfect to use fantastic you heard it man game time makes it easier than ever to save on Sports concerts theater Etc take the guest we out of buying tickets with Game Time download the game time app create an account use that code dmvr for $20 off your first purchase terms do apply again create an account redeem that code dnvr for $20 off download game time today what time is it game time well done well done makes me feel like uh Remember the Titans strong side I never love that strong side left side though yeah they're they're but you can't be shouting out weak side which I get I do get that I do get that but still that's one of those moments that was more for Hollywood than and Bertier being crippled are the two parts of the movie I like the least fair fair fair hell yeah the dogs man with us the dogs are barking I would how like a mad man but I can't that actually will I was going to say that might make wor the dog let's get into the Mountain West pound rankings we'll go 12 through 1 the way that we always do if we had it all summer I thought about adjusting some things based on the friskiness of Nevada and New Mexico that's with a straight face I don't think that they're actually better than the other 10 teams in front of them I don't want to get too caught up I am Mountain West Power Rankings going to stand p with what I believe is to be true until we have more of a sample size but I did tweak some things from what I voted in the preseason ballot because we've had some coaching changes since then some player injury news that type of stuff so it's not just what I voted in the preseason poll um I do have Nevada at 12 still though what do you and I'm curious of what you think about that cuz they they played pretty dang well against SMU the Texas transfers good they did I also feel like classic Vibes and like now you know the pumpkin turns back into the carriage turns back to the pumpkin there just are some offensive limitations you're not going to be able to get over it's a total rebuild feels like a strongish bottom of the conference though if that's the worst you've got to offer I'm with you I mean I I think it was an encouraging showing overall I felt bad for both of those teams cuz you had an opportunity there to really pull off a major win I mean New Mexico especially the way that they blew that one was was tough SMU felt more like the writing was kind of on the wall at the beginning of the fourth quarter they were still down double digits with like four minutes left but uh New Mexico I have at number 11 I think both of these hires were great I think that Bronco menen hall for a program like UNM that's I mean that's far exceeding the the expectations I would have had from a the pool of people I would have expected in that mix and I think Jeff CH you saw a team play with his type of mentality and I I think he will kind of get that thing rolling eventually but both of those squads they just they don't have the horses to run consistently right now quarterback's for real and New Mexico man the quarterback's for real with our 11th pick New Mexico there and that's why I I almost moved them up a couple I was like man maybe I put them at like 10 n or eight just because Devon dampier I think can be that Dynamic that naked boot he had was was nasty I haven't seen a QB sell it that well in a while they'll be frisky I think both of these teams will win a game in conference play that they shouldn't and obviously if you're CSU you just hope that it's not you he was my third best quarterback in the conference right when I did those rankings he's at worst fourth or fifth telling you he's the top third of the league QB uh at number 10 we're going San Diego say I hope they can hang on to him next year that's going to be the big question for their trajectory is can you keep a Devon dampier when a TCU offers him 200k to come over M West retains some great talent offensively especially good off season overall for the league and they added some Talent too yes sir I got San Diego State at 10 I think they're going to put up points I think sha Lewis has scored everywhere that he's been I I going with the true freshman at QB instead of the Florida State transfer Duffy was a little bit surprising to me they went with Danny O'Neal one time see you commit we'll see uh they bring over Lewis Brown from CSU I think they're going to be a mess defensively though and I think they're going to be in a lot of shootouts I think it's going to be a completely different type of San Diego State that you've seen the last 20 years like you know we're so used to those 13 18 type games and I think for San Diego State this year it's going to be a lot of like 38 35s drastic change from what we've seen from them the last few years so it takes a while to make that kind of it's It's hard we sawu going from like a doio ground and pound to the air raid like it takes a while to flip that type of personnel for sure for sure at uh number nine we're going San Jose State who they bring back more Talent than I would have expected given Brent Brennan leaving for Arizona and they did they L they lost a lot of guys especially on the defensive side they got Nick Nash at wide receiver they've got some guys offensively um it sounds like they're going to be closer to like a run and shoot Hawaii style offense is sick kind of what K ne ne Neo intends on doing pulled it out almost had a stroke there halfway through but I pulled it out I love it I I heard some interesting quotes too he kind of talks about how like the air raid and the run and shoot in some ways have a lot of similar principles to the option it's just putting it outside basically you know you're changing them but it really is like when you think about it that way it's assignment based football it's all about trying to trying to offset the difference in maybe size or speed if you're playing bigger schools and I think for a program like San Jose State it makes sense to keep it open you've got a lot of high school talent um I don't know what to expect with them I similar like I think with what they lost defensively that's going to be tough on them they've got a tough schedule as well I wouldn't be shocked if they flirted with bow contention though and could be like a five to seven win team yeah yeah I mean they're always kind of fun and frisky they're easy to kind of root for on a random Saturday like I have a lot more hate for some of these other Mount West teams yeah I'm with you I mean it's kind of like good for San Jose State yeah I not a believer in the quarterback situation though it terrifies me and that's that's the toughest part is they they had a significantly better quarterback than they're normally going to have in chevin Cordo these last couple years and that's a that's major drop off they did bring in some transfers we'll see um at 8 we are going Utah State maybe the biggest wild card in the league because they they've got talk about them compared to Hawaii at seven so you could put Hawaii up okay yeah cuz I I was surprised by this Utah State's had a nice track record I'm intrigued by some of the quarterback transfers they have I'm not a spenc Spencer pet trust guy I just you can't talk me into that oh then what about Barnes the Utah transfer then they're The Island of Misfit Toys they brought in a bunch of quarterbacks nobody else wanted yeah but that scheme the scheme get it out quick and we've seen that we've seen guys go from you know completely different systems and all of a sudden it clicks and that could happen with petus he's got the arm Talent uh jayen Royals is nice they did lose Mah Wells I believe his name is to Old Miss um they return talent to me it's just I I have a hard time seeing that not make an impact between Blake Anderson suing the school and the distraction cuz it's going to be ongoing it's not like it was something that happened and then it just goes away like this will be a Cloud that lingers over the whole season if they have a rough start like let's say they if they came out of the gate and we're like 1 and 2 1 and three and now all of a sudden you have to worry about like well is Ike Larson just going to sit out and transfer somewhere else like you could have what happened with CSU in 2022 um I just think they're like sitting next to an ice cliff and there's a possibility that they just completely fall off and it's also possible they shimmy away from it uh but I don't feel comfortable I mean it's a lot of belief in Hawaii Hawaii has maybe outside of CSU the the best receiving Corp in the conference MH um they've got BR obviously shagger coming back at quarterback was huge he took a official visit to BYU decided to come back in the end which is smart decision by the way BYU is going to be a train wreck that's how it's done but I I believe in Timmy changen they've got seven true upsets in his first two years they won three out of their final four obviously they prevented CSU from making a bowl I still have questions defensively you know I can you be a little bit more consistent there but their schedule's not as brutal either this year uh so I'm I'm in on Hawaii the one thing that will be interesting for them is they have two FCS games on their schedule they already beat Delaware state so they're going to have to win six FBS games out of 10 they got to win six out of their 10 FBS games to be bll eligible because you can't have two FCS games count towards B eligibility a little Wrinkle in there yeah I I remain skeptical I think that's fair yeah no I mean but I'm I'm always excited to tune in when someone's on the island late night on the community's bought in I mean they got the Vibes right again it was a disaster there for a couple years under Graham just from a community support standpoint they've got a lot of of Talent on the offensive side of the ball um could be San Diego State situation you know maybe they don't stop anyone but they've got some Corners that are nice they have added some transfers with some FPS experience um but yeah that's where I'm at on Hawai again another Wild Card a team that I think if you looked up and they were second in the league it wouldn't shock you I also don't think it would be shocking if the bottom fell out finally Air Force I have it number six every part of this makes me uncomfortable because I respect Troy Calhoun as much as any coach in America they also just inherently seem to reset and reload in a way that other programs can't at some point losing this many guys on both sides of the ball really like all conference caliber type players all conference backs they've had a really good defensive line some of these guys are being in the NFL now uh they do bring back Payton zro on the defensive interior he's stud outside of that though they're they're really unproven and the thing about Air Force is they either reload and they're like a n910 win team or they don't and they're like a four- win team and when you look at the history of kahoun that's kind of how it's been wins the last four win season they do it's been a while yeah it was like 2016 it's been a while I trust him probably more than Wyoming who you have at five I also think I could make a case for Utah State above every team that's 765 I think you could also make a Hawaii argument for every team that's I think the 765 the parody and the Mountain West right now is tremendous I mean when you especially the top eight teams I think are all capable of beating each other on any given day and that's what could potentially be unfortunately like the double-edged sword like it could keep the Mountain West out of the playoffs because you don't have a team that's able to win like 10 11 games the way you maybe can in the sun belts or the Americans something like that Liberty something like that um but I think it's it's going to be highly competitive football it's going to be really fun I have Wyoming at five over Air Force uh large because of the amount of talent they return on the defensive side uh they've got four or five returning offensive linemen as well yeah I mean I get it I think there's a lot of changes going on I think that offense has just been such a struggle and I I don't I don't see that getting better all the Wyoming guys claim that faota is the second coming of Josh and big dude and maybe that's the case losing Harrison wayy for these couple F first couple games that's a tough break that makes what would have been a very winnable game against Arizona State maybe more of a coin flip now uh we'll see with Wyoming I I could very much see Craig B leaving and and the program kind of bottoms out I could also see having more of a players coach having a little bit more energy with an experienced team is something that could be a a positive change if M if only for a short period even but that's where I'm at I've got CSU at number four am I too high on the Rams coming in am I too low on the Rams coming in I'd be more on the low side but I think four is about fair I do think they they are in this tier of the top four which I think is a separate tier from the five through 8 and the 9 through 12 I'd agree with that it feels very similar to like how we framed back last year where you kind of had that top two or three and then there's that next group and then the next group and they're all capable of beating each other but week to week I think the top end Talent CSU has is on par with anybody in the league if not Superior you got no doubt about it continuity within your staff um at least on paper which is what we're going off of in the preseason important distinction you know a lot of this is I mean these are preseason predictions and ceiling you know ceiling wise I think they could be Conference champions I really do think they could if they make it you know anything's POS without a doubt number three we're going to UNLV uh losing Maya is Big loss but they bring enough back defensively bringing Ricky White back at receiver solid o line I still think they're going to be solid I do think we see them take a step back though yeah uh but I did put them over CSU largely because the teams are very similar to what they were last year you LV pulled out the win so I gave them the nod yeah they're preseason rankings there there's definitely some respect in here that I I think is Justified I I believe in uh one of the things I like about UNLV is Barry odm has that they they tackle you know they're not going to lose that way and for so long they were just a soft program so I like the identity that he's brought into that lock room big football guy values tackling number two fresna states who Dre is fading this year so I know he already's going to tell me they're too high two years in a row now Mikey Keane you got one of the better quarterbacks back Jaylen Rashad at or Malik Rashad excuse me at running back is is really solid kind of unproven at the skill positions but they did they've added some guys via the transfer portal that could be really good I think the biggest thing is losing Tedford honestly for sure which kind of a big deal it's a huge deal I just I don't know how I don't know how much to factor into it because I think to an extent they have such a veteran presence that like I think for one year they could probably be okay I think you feel it more in that second year than this year we've talked about that I do think the defense was kind of on a upward two-year Trend and is going to have to fall back down yeah and so lot's writing on Mikey Keane and I think there's a I think that ceiling is you'll hit that ceiling a little sooner than with most but that said so many questions with all these other programs I do think Fresno's pretty firm at least in the top four and I can't argue them being ahead of UNLV they certainly are and I mean the track record the last several years you know without sounding like too big a homers I I think it's legit to put him ahead of the Rams knock on wood potential that game in Fresno second and last game of the season could have some pretty big implications you know maybe I'll even be there we'll see what happens with these two teams Boise State uh number one in my preseason power rankings I'll be honest uh madx Madson beating out Malachi Nelson very odd to me just from what we've seen um he's now beating out ton green and Malachi so I mean maybe there's just something I'm not seeing when I watch him on the field but I just physically I mean there's about six seven quarterbacks in the Mountain West I would take over him now Boise I think defensively they're going to be solid they're obviously Ashton jent's a stud and they've got a good old line I mean I think it also tells you the choices to go with a more low seiling quarterback who's going to commit fewer mistakes so they can lean into their identity of running the ball playing defense and so they might not be as sexy as they would be with Nelson starting at quarterback but that floor is really really high and we shall see I uh I'll be rooting against them that's for sure for we get out of here we're going to kind of Rapid Fire through these week Point picks we don't have to go too in depth there's a lot of really big spreads anyways but we do have a fun game tonight we just had a power surge turning the board back on are we live are you yeah yeah yeah yeah it just it reset everything but we are live give me like 30 seconds Week 1 picks [Music] okay audio back you're good all right sorry about that guys we had a power search took out the audio temporarily you got to just look at our pretty faces for a second um Santa State 3 and Half Point favorites tonight against saak state where you going I've seen that move to two I can't believe the saak state love give me sack State on the road think kick csu's ass a couple years ago I'll take saak State as well Todd Davis is Alma mo one of the Prides of the Big Sky straight and that's a Thursday nighter Thursday nighter we got that one tonight so you can watch that after the Buffs North Dakota State game uh Air Force hosting marama 30 and a half Point favorites at the book that I found it at that's a lot of points that said you're you're playing Marram I couldn't tell you where Marram is Air Force better cover that yeah hard to even find this line give me the Falcons we're just going in chronological order uh CSU at number four Texas 32 points it opened at 36 and a half so some movement in csu's favor yeah I like the Rams to cover the 32 yeah veteran QB I think the the covers on I think they need to be frisky for a couple quarters and Texas is looking ahead I'm with you uh Boise State 13-point favorites on the road at a deceptively tricky Georgia Southern matchup i' hate this spread yeah I would not actually put money on it but we take all the the games Kimmy Georgia Southern to cover the 13 oh Georgia Southern real ones no but I think Boise takes care of business they can run the ball which I could see where like even if it was 71o game for most of it you run it down their throat at the end cover late I could also see you just kicking their ass if if jant is what he could be UNLV at Houston winnable game in Big 12 territory Houston Two and a Half Point favorites probably if not the worst team in the Big 12 one of the worst teams yeah I mean in one of these teams going through a lot of transition I don't know what UNLV to expect either and it's at Houston I kind of think Houston's the sucker side but that's where I'm going giving you LV money line straight up they win that one on the road Nevada plus 120 at Troy ninepoint dogs uh I feel like this is classic getting too caught up in what we saw against SMU this should be a little bit bigger of a spread give me Troy to cover the nine you're a big Troy believer huh I think this is a spot where Nevada can shorten the game keep it close but yeah I mean we're right in that range well set line uh Michigan is 20 and A2 Point favorites at home against Fresno State given Fresno State some love comparatively a lot of Michigan spreads in these types of games last couple years have been 30 plus obviously some question marks about what Michigan will be I expect to fired up Michigan to come out hungry angry trying to make a statement give me Michigan to cover the uh the 20 and a half I do think they win by three touchdowns Mikey keen and the boys keep it close enough I think they cover by like just barely smidge I could see that a game yeah uh UCLA 14-point favorites on the road at Hawaii here is my bold one Hawaii money line straight up the Warriors pull the upset against UCLA on the on the island they cover I do not believe in UCLA and this Deshawn Foster year up but I hate it I hate it yeah I mean I definitely think kaai is going to cover obviously cuz I'm taking him straight up but um clearly San Diego State 33 and a half Point favorites against Texas A&M Commerce I hate that spread Hammer the over I don't know man yeah just stay away from this game this is the reality but I guess I'll take San Diego State the book is daring you daring you to take Texas A&M Commerce so yeah I want to take A&M Commerce I'll say they can hang within 33 and a half oh my gosh Delaware State covered last week and the book was daring us to take them too they did they did Robert Morris 31 dogs at Utah State give me Utah State yeah same we've got New Mexico on the road at number 21 Arizona also 31 Point dogs uh-uh nope nope they stay frisky I'm with you New Mexico covers 31 yep 100% they should be able to run the ball enough limit the possessions keep that game around even if you lost big you should still be able to hang with him 31 Wyoming at Arizona State Wyoming at Arizona State Arizona State seven-point favorites no Harrison Wy for the pokes which is tough now that actually might be the worst team in the Big 12 yeah that's a good point give me Wyoming straight up yeah yeah that's the vibe even though I don't believe in Wyoming but that's the vibe it ASU doesn't deserve to be a touchdown favorite against just about anyone I'm with you I mean scabo I like him he's a nice back but like outside of him plus Wyoming with just with what they return defensively in that o line like they're just going to be a pain in the ass for everyone like every game is going to be 20 to 13ish unless we shall see it really is faota or 2.0 yeah we will we'll definitely keep track of these shout out to everybody in the Toyota chat much love to all of you in Ram Nation again we will have a watch party live on Saturday I'd love to see you at the dmvr bar our friends at Kors light giving away a Yeti cooler uh football is here it's back college football all day baby I'm going live tomorrow at 10: a.m. I'll also go live post game Saturday sometime around 5:30ish roughly depending on when that game ends shout out to all of you shout out to kale behind the sticks making all of this work always proud to be y'all much love [Music] peace we all sitting like the mayor e