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It seems like it’s getting harder to compete with the University of Colorado Boulder’s image. Last year, CU Boulder became the subject of mass media attention after hiring Deion Sanders as head football coach, which shifted public perception of the university as a whole.

Initially, it didn’t seem like Sanders would change a lot for Colorado State University — other than the talent of our football competitors — until the rest of the nation started to take an extreme interest.

As if Sanders wasn’t enough of a siren for the spotlight, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson added to the Rocky Mountain Showdown buildup by jumping in on an interview with Sanders. After that, Saturday Night Live did a playful bit about Sanders and, once again, drew the public eye to him and CU Boulder.

Putting Sanders aside, to all the newcomers who just arrived on the scene of our rivalry with CU Boulder, it’s difficult to feel like we match up when CSU was nationally ranked 46 spots below CU Boulder by U.S. News.

This year, CU Boulder had a record number of applicants, almost twice the school’s entire population. All these factors, especially to outsiders looking in, make it seem like CU Boulder is a superior school to CSU.

But as a student, life here certainly doesn’t feel like we are ranked 46 universities below CU Boulder. Our school spirit is phenomenal — any Ram who participates in our campus activities can attest that the sense of kinship and pride we have is unwavering.

Our academics and the impact of CSU’s work are outstanding. Recently, our College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and the Warner College of Natural Resources partnered with Butterfly Pavillion to “increase research, conservation and management of invertebrate species” and “provide opportunities for aspiring biologists, ecologists agriculturalists and conservationists working globally,” according to CSU SOURCE.

To top it all off, the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado community at large is very connected to the university, and our students frequently give back. Our school is by no means small or unknown.

Based on these rankings and recent happenings, CSU could easily be perceived as some sort of hidden gem.

This couldn’t be further from the truth, and even though it is frustrating to be underrepresented, last year’s changes to CU Boulder’s public image gave CSU a new look: We are the underdogs.

Sanders has shifted the paradigm. His status brought national attention to the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and the people who are just tuning in are more likely to be rooting for Boulder because they like Sanders.

Our Northern Colorado community knows CSU is as great of a university as CU Boulder. We have our own strengths, perspectives, spirit and pride that we bring to the table. In terms of national attention, we are not the top dog, but we still have a dog in the fight.

CSU fans can rest assured that our time is coming. Fight on, you stalwart Rams. Bring home the win at the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

Reach Leah Stephenson at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.