Football season is so close, you can almost taste it.

The smoke coming off the grill as you walk through the rows of tailgate parties.

The ice-cold beer that never seems to go down smoother than in the hours leading up to kickoff.

Even the smell coming off a man in the row in front of you — an odor so distinctly pungent it smacks you in the mouth like Henry Blackburn coming downhill on an unsuspecting wide receiver.

It’s an experience to say the least. And in less than 100 days, Ram Nation will finally be back in Canvas Stadium. Back to singing the fight song. Back to proudly representing the Green & Gold. And hopefully, back to competing for a spot in bowl season, something that the Rams have now failed to do for five consecutive years. 

While it may be too early to start making road trip plans for Albuquerque, Los Angeles or Tuscon this winter — we should probably at least get to training camp before the bold predictions begin — now that the kickoff times and TV designations have been announced for the majority of the 2023 schedule, it’s the perfect time to dive into what should be a really intriguing slate for the fans.

So with that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about Colorado State’s 2023 schedule.  

Favorable kickoff times for the home fans 

Four of the six games in Fort Collins will kick off at 5:00 p.m. MT. Obviously, there is never going to be a time that works perfectly for everybody, but this is about as ideal as it gets for the masses.

With a 5 o’clock start time, the fans can tailgate throughout the afternoon, attend the game and still be home by a reasonable hour. It also gives people a little flexibility as far as their day goes. The ability to run errands in the morning or knock out a few tasks is still on the table. Or more realistically, as college football fans, you can watch the morning games. The point is you have options. 

The matchup with San Diego State could be chilly on Nov. 11. Ram fans will be thankful for the evening start times when it’s 90 degrees in September, though. 

Quick turnaround for the Border War 

After hosting Air Force on the last Saturday before Halloween, the Rams will travel to Wyoming for a Friday night edition of the Border War (Nov. 3). 

Getting your biggest rival on a short week is less than ideal, particularly after playing seven consecutive weeks, four of which were away from home. From a competitive standpoint, it’s definitely a tough draw for the Green & Gold. 

From the fan’s standpoint, playing on a Friday night is not the most convenient scenario either. Wyoming supporters are coming from all over the state and don’t always have the smoothest commute process at that time of year. Getting there on time could be a challenge for the Ram fans making the trek north on a weekday, too. 

Having said this, while it’s easy to sit here and complain, the schools have to play ball with TV networks. TV networks don’t care about the in-person experience. Shoot, they don’t care about college football fans. It’s why they’re ripping up the roots of the sport and abandoning all of its traditions. TV networks care about the bottom line. And this allows CBS to fill a Friday night window with a game that is traditionally competitive. The silver lining is that the Border War should have more eyeballs tuned in nationally since there are less games to compete with. Much like the Colorado game, it’s an opportunity to make a statement in front of a national audience. 

Homecoming presents opportunity 

Playing Boise State on Homecoming is admittedly a little bit risky. You never want to lose, or worse, get embarrassed in front of a great crowd. And considering the series history, the former is likely and the latter is on the table. Honestly, though, can it really get worse than 2017? Or 2020? 2011? 

The matchup with Boise State has been a horror scene for CSU. It’s been 12 years of frustration and disappointment. If the losing streak extends to 13, it would be disappointing but certainly not surprising.  

Imagine if CSU wins though. Imagine the scene as the students storm out onto the turf, dancing together in celebration of this team making history. Imagine generations of Ram fans in the stands all taking in the moment together. That’s the type of night that sticks with a fan forever. But it isn’t possible without this type of setting. 

When the Broncos and Rams square off on Oct. 14, it will have been basically nine years since CSU’s thrilling 16-13 Homecoming victory over Utah State. Almost to the day. Maybe that magic can repeat itself for this generation. 

Orange you tired of losing on Ag Day? 

CSU used to feel invincible when they wore throwback colors. Between 2010-17, the Rams won eight straight games in pumpkin and alfalfa. Unfortunately, though, that has not been the case over the last half decade. 

Going back to 2018, CSU has lost four straight games on Ag Day, including a pair of disappointing FCS losses. Much like CSU’s recent shortcomings in rivalry games, this is a trend that needs to change for the Rams under Jay Norvell. The Rams will have their chance to end the streak against Utah Tech on Sept. 30. 

2023 schedule 

Week 1 | Washington State | 5:00 | CBS Sports

Week 3 | @ Colorado | 8:00 | ESPN

Week 4 | @ Middle Tennessee State | 5:00 | ESPN Networks (TBD)

Week 5 | Utah Tech | 5:00 | TBD 

Week 6 | @ Utah State | TBD | TBD 

Week 7 | Boise State | 12 days out | Fox Networks (TBD) 

Week 8 | @ UNLV | TBD | TBD 

Week 9 | Air Force | 5:00 | CBS Sports

Week 10 | Wyoming | 6:00 | CBS Sports 

Week 11| San Diego State | 5:00 | CBS Sports 

Week 12 | Nevada | 1:00 | TBD 

Week 13 | @ Hawaii | TBD | Spectrum Sports