Michael Brian / Loveland Reporter-Herald)
FORT COLLINS — This trip is different.
Alabama is still No. 1 in the country and Colorado State is a decided underdog in Saturday's matchup. That part remains the same. What changes is the familiarity.
When the Rams last visited Bryant-Denny Stadium, they did so with a bit of a understanding of a team they had never faced. Their coach, Jim McElwain, had come from there. The offensive system the Rams used was the one he had coached the Crimson Tide to run.
When CSU practiced that week, what they saw across the line of scrimmage were the same formations and personnel packages they had seen for two years.