LAS VEGAS – Six voters in a preseason media panel believe CSU's football team will open its new $220 million campus stadium with its first division title in the Mountain West.

And other analysts, including Phil Steele, have suggested the winner of the Mountain West championship this season will be the team from a Group of 5 conference guaranteed a slot in a College Football Playoff-controlled bowl game, either the Fiesta or Peach bowls this season.

Despite being the popular dark-horse pick to win the MW, the Rams were still projected to finish second behind Boise State in the Mountain Division in the preseason media poll, with 21 of the 28 voters picking the Broncos. The poll was released Tuesday at the start of the league's annual media days at the Cosmopolitan.

But those six first-place votes, including one from a Boise State beat writer who shared his reasoning with his readers, show that the Rams are getting more respect than they've had in quite some time. Although Colorado State University has played in four straight bowl games, the second-longest streak in school history, the Rams haven't won a conference title since 2002, when Sonny Lubick was the coach.

More:CSU sells out single-game tickets for opening game

"There's no doubt that they are a team on the rise," UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. "I think there was a great foundation built there with Coach Mac (Jim McElwain); he did a really good job. And Coach (Mike) Bobo came in, you know, with a great pedigree and continued to build on it, because the whole thing is about recruiting.

"… Well, they've done a really good job now over, you're talking five to six years, of really bringing an influx of talented kids and being creative in which (kids) they recruit. They've got a new stadium coming in, they've gone to a bunch of bowl games in a row, and they're right on that cusp."

Wyoming, the defending Mountain Division champion, earned the other first-place vote and was picked to finish third, followed by Air Force, New Mexico and Utah State. Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen was picked as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and teammate safety Josh Wingard the Defensive Player of the Year.

Despite the rising respect for the Rams, only two — seniors Michael Gallup and Jake Bennett — were named to the preseason all-conference team. Gallup, a receiver, led the Rams with 76 catches for 1,272 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall. Bennett has been a starter for the past three years at center.

But the Rams also return a three-year starter at quarterback in senior Nick Stevens, who has thrown for 4,751 yards and 41 touchdowns; three running backs who combined for 2,199 yards and 21 touchdowns; and another receiver, junior Bisi Johnson, who set a school single-game record with 265 receiving yards on seven catches, including two for touchdowns, in last year's Idaho Potato Bowl.

More:Highly recruited Louisiana receiver chooses CSU

That's a lot of offensive firepower for third-year coach Mike Bobo and his staff to work with and more than any other team in the conference. Were it not for a defense that allowed 30.4 points and 419.2 yards a game last season, the Rams might even be the favorite to win the MW this fall. Eight starters from that defense return.

CSU has gone 7-6 in each of the past two seasons, ending each with losses in bowl games.

"Well the way they played against us last year (a 63-31 CSU win in San Diego), I would say they're the best team in the league," San Diego State coach Rocky Long said. "They were that day. … They had some very talented players, and I think most of them were underclassmen, too, so I'm glad we don't play them this year."

San Diego State was a unanimous pick to win the West Division for a third straight year, followed by Hawaii, UNLV, Nevada, San Jose State and Fresno State. CSU's three West Division opponents this season are Hawaii, Nevada and San Jose State, with the Rams traveling to Honolulu to play the Rainbow Warriors and facing the Wolf Pack and Spartans at home.

The Mountain West's division champions will meet Dec. 2 in the league's championship game, with the team rated higher by the College Football Playoff Committee or a consensus of top computer rankings serving as the host.

Sanchez, for one, thinks the Rams have a good shot at getting into that game.

"If they end up in that championship game on that side (Mountain Division), nobody would be shocked," the UNLV coach said.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news

More:Windsor's Zach Watts announces his football future

MW preseason media poll

Mountain Division

1. Boise State (21), 161 points

2. CSU (6), 135

3. Wyoming (1), 114

4. Air Force, 82

5. New Mexico, 68

6. Utah State, 28

West Division

1. San Diego State (28), 168 points

2. Hawaii, 135

3. UNLV, 105

4. Nevada, 79

5. San Jose State, 54

6. Fresno State, 47

All-MW team

Offense

QB Josh Allen, Wyoming

WR Michael Gallup, CSU

WR Devonte Boyd, UNLV

RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State

RB Tyrone Owens, New Mexico

OL Jake Bennett, CSU

OL Austin Corbett, Nevada

OL Dejon Allen, Hawaii

OL Aaron Jenkins, New Mexico

OL Mason Hampton, Boise State

TE David Wells, San Diego State

Defense

DL David Moa, Boise State

DL Malik Reed, Nevada

DL Garrett Hughes, New Mexico

DL Mike Hughes Jr., UNLV

LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii

LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming

LB Frank Ginda, San Jose State

DB Andrew Wingard, Wyoming

DB Andre Chachere, San Jose State

DB Tyler Horton, Boise State

DB Trayvon Henderson, Hawaii

Specialists

P Michael Carrizosa, San Jose State

K John Baron II, San Diego State

KR/PR Rashaad Penny, San Diego State