Has SDSU finally met its match?

Colorado State has the longest football losing streak in the nation at 11 games.

The Rams are favored to win by 13 ½ points in their Mountain West Conference opener Saturday.

Must be a mistake, right?

Wrong.

Colorado State is hosting San Diego State, which also is opening its conference season.

With the Rams being on an 11-game losing streak and favored by so many points, it can only tell you one thing: The opposition must be horrible.

And it is.

Take away a win against Sacramento State of Division I-AA (or whatever the NCAA calls it these days), and the Aztecs would be winless this season.

Sure, two of their three losses were to teams currently in the Top 25 (Arizona State and Cincinnati.) The other was to Washington State of the Pac-10. All three games were blowouts.

At least Colorado State has been competitive against arguably a tougher schedule than SDSU has faced.

The Rams only lost by a field goal in overtime to Colorado, which beat then No. 3-ranked Oklahoma last weekend. They also came within six points of a California team now ranked third in the nation.

Any wonder why the Rams are favored so heavily?

At Coach Sonny Lubick’s weekly press conference, he was asked about his Colorado State team having an easier schedule ahead.

“You look to it as a real chance,” he said. “However, if we get foolish, and start thinking ahead too much, then you've got a major problem.”

With the nation’s longest losing streak, don’t expect the Rams to look ahead this week.

Prediction: Colorado State 27, SDSU 17

Aztecs face another tough weekend

Do you want to make some money this weekend?

Take Arizona State and give the 28-point spread to San Diego State for Saturday night’s game in Tempe, Ariz.

Why?

There are 469 reasons, as in the 469 passing yards Washington State rolled up in a 45-17 win over the Aztecs last weekend.

And that was Washington State, a weaker link in the Pac-10. Arizona State figures to be a factor in the tough Pac-10 this year, which figures to be bad news for SDSU.

The Sun Devils have the nation’s No. 23-ranked passer in Rudy Carpenter.

After facing coach Chuck Long and his Aztecs, don’t be surprised if Carpenter ranks among the top 10 nationally.

Prediction: Arizona State 44, SDSU 10

Aztecs in for long season?

What can be made of the San Diego State football team?

Going into Saturday’s season opener against Washington State in Seattle, the Aztecs:

Have lost 16 straight games to Pac-10 opponents
Are coming off a horrible 3-9 season
Face the possibility (probability) of becoming the first team in school history with 10 losses

Yes, season No. 2 of the Chuck Long era on Montezuma Mesa looks like a longshot at best.

SDSU is meeting its match … at least in terms of preseason forecasts … against Washington State. Both teams were picked to finish eighth in their respective conference … which tells you why this game is not even being televised.

Of course, it does not bode well for the Aztecs that they are in the Mountain West Conference; a much weaker conference than where the Cougars reside.

“We are well aware of the fact that we haven’t been too successful against Pac-10 teams in the past and that we haven’t been to a bowl game in a while, but we are trying not to focus on that,” SDSU wide receiver Chaz Schilens said. “Going into the game this weekend, we are focusing on matching up well with a good team.”

The Aztecs have been anything but a good team this millennium and more, failing to have a winning season or reach a bowl game since 1998.

Unless this team with a very suspect offensive line comes around quickly, it could be staring a 10-loss season in the face.

“A win is a win and that is something we strive for every week, but obviously beating a Pac-10 team to start the season would get things off on a good note for us,” Aztecs linebacker Russell Allen said.

Don’t count on it.

Prediction: Washington State 38, SDSU 13