March Madness is not exactly a common theme in Fort Collins. Though the Rams made the tournament in 2022, it was their first appearance since 2013. In fact, they have made just five total appearances in the tournament since 1990, their lone win coming in 2013 against Missouri in the round of 64.
Looking into the past is just that: in the past. The time is now and looking ahead to the 2023 incarnation of March Madness, the question for Colorado State is whether or not they can punch their ticket. Sitting at 11-15, is it possible for the Rams to go dancing?
The Mountain West
It doesn’t help things out of the gate that the Mountain West Conference, the Rams’ home, is as competitive as it has been in years. The reigning champions, the Boise State Broncos, are one of the favorites heading into the conference tournament. The winner gets an automatic bid into the March Madness tournament.
More importantly, there are several hopefuls for the tournament itself. Boise State is just one of several teams that have real hopes for a tournament bid. San Diego State (21-5), Boise (20-6), New Mexico (19-7), Utah State (20-7), and Nevada (20-6) all have much better records than CSU (11-15).
The sledding is going to be tough no matter how you cut it. That said, let’s take a look at what remains and how the Rams can possibly punch their ticket to March Madness. If you are thinking of betting on March Madness in Colorado here is what you can expect from the Rams.
The Schedule and the Reality
There are only five games remaining in the conference and regular season slate. It is likely too late for Colorado State to punch their ticket solely based on their regular season performance. The record alone is troublesome, but they have no real wins of substance to hang their hat on.
More than that, the five games are going to be tough sledding. Wyoming is the only team left on the schedule that the Rams are ahead of in the standings. San Diego State and New Mexico have legitimate shots to make the tournament as it stands. Winning two or three of the five remaining games is going to be an uphill battle.
Unfortunately for Colorado State, the reality is this: even if they win their last five, their record will sit at 16-15. That’s simply not enough to get into the dance on merit alone. It might earn them the argument of b