If we're talking about pure talent, Colorado holds an obvious edge here. The Buffs have major issues on the line of scrimmage on both sides, but their speed at wide receiver and in the secondary is among the best there is in Power-4, and Shedeur Sanders is a future first round draft pick. The Rams have some talent of their own, and I know they'll have a massive chip on their shoulder. For me, this pick comes down to home field advantage. This is the biggest game in Canvas Stadium history and I expect it to be a close one.

The Buffaloes under coach Prime appear to be reeling, following a narrow opening win over North Dakota State followed by last week’s blowout loss to rival Nebraska. Colorado appears to be a team in disarray and a loss to in-state rival Colorado State could be in store. Last year as a three-touchdown underdog, the Rams outplayed the Buffs for nearly all four quarters before an epic collapse led to a 43-35 loss in double OT. Coach Jay Norvell entered this season just 8-16 at Colorado State but his teams have performed well in rivalry games. He is 2-0 against his former team, Nevada, and has had two close but competitive losses against natural rival Wyoming.