I get it: It’s the University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, the Wolverines, over 107,000 fans at capacity, the big dogs. That doesn’t matter — Colorado State University can hang with them.

It’s impossible to argue with someone who follows Michigan football and not bring up that fateful Sept. 1, 2007, abomination that saw Michigan fall to Appalachian State University, so I’ll get that out of the way now. By the way, oddsmakers favored Michigan by a spread of 33 for that game.

It’s 2022 now, and times have changed. Yes, the Rams were abysmal in their 2021 campaign, an awful 3-9 team that at their best could have gone 6-6 and at their worst 1-11. However, on Sept. 3, the Wolverines will find out just how far the Rams have come since then.

“If Michigan isn’t ready, there could be 107,000 frowns exiting Michigan Stadium come Sept. 3.”

The quarterback situation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is odd. Not often do teams have two capable quarterbacks like Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy that in the first two weeks of the regular season will still be battling for the starting spot. These guys will be playing their hearts out for the role, there’s no doubt about it, but there’s a possibility mistakes will be made in an effort to make plays and impress the great Jim Harbaugh.

No matter the situation in the Michigan quarterback room, the Rams don’t need to stop the Wolverines from scoring, they just need to stay afloat and keep the game close. While the Michigan offense is talented, I’ll have to agree with what my opponent, Nicholas Stoll, said: The defense needs work.

Luckily, CSU’s offense is based on a potent passing game and is loaded with talented pass catchers who, if slept on, can cause serious problems to a Big Ten squad with defensive issues. It’s a perfect storm for the underrated Rams squad to upset the big dogs in the Big House.

If there was one shining moment for the Rams last season, it was the 10-point loss to the 23rd-ranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes. This was a game in which a run-heavy CSU offense led by an underwhelming quarterback in Todd Centeio went on the road and led the team to a halftime lead. Iowa woke up in the second half and won that game, but the difference in offensive personnel this year for the Rams is clear.

Ram nation has something on their hands this year they’ve been lacking for half a decade. If Michigan isn’t ready, there could be 107,000 frowns exiting Michigan Stadium come Sept. 3.

Reach Braidon Nourse at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @BraidonNourse.