Colorado State vs South Dakota State 9/3/21 College Football Picks, Odds, Predictions

The Colorado State Rams battle the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Friday, September 3 in week 1 college football action from Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. This will be the first game of the year for both teams. South Dakota State posted a solid 8-2 record last year, going 5-1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. As for the Rams, they managed to play a handful of games last fall, finishing at a disappointing 1-3 overall. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place. 

South Dakota State went 8-2 overall last year and 5-1 in the conference. That result led to an MVFC co-championship along with Missouri State (despite what was ultimately a better overall record). The Jackrabbits’ only blemish over their first nine games was a 28-17 loss to North Dakota early in the year. 

The Jackrabbits posted wins over Holy Cross, Southern Illinois and Delaware in the first three games of the FCS Playoffs, then went up against Sam Houston State in the FCS Playoffs National Championship. That one didn’t work out for South Dakota State; they lost 23-21 in a rough game. 

Over on the Rams’ side, they finished at 1-3 overall last season, leaving the team just two spots out of the basement in the Mountain West Conference standings. Colorado State’s only win came courtesy of Wyoming; otherwise it was losses to Fresno State, Boise State and San Diego State. 

This year, the Rams enter the second season of head coach Steve Addazio. He’ll be joined by second-year defensive coordinator Chuck Heater and new offensive coordinator Jon Budmayr. That group will try to get some better production out of the team this year. 

Check back for the current trends in this matchup once they’re released. 

PICK: I’m probably going to stick with Colorado State in this one, provided the team can gel quickly. Granted, the Rams offense was pretty dismal last year, averaging 324 yards and a tepid 22 points per game. The good news is that the offense has eight starters returning, with a couple of notable receiver names like Trey McBride and Dante Wright. If the offensive line (who will have everyone back) can take a quick step forward this year I can see Colorado State hanging around well enough to cover.