The first time Colorado and Colorado State faced off, Grover Cleveland had just become president. Back then, a loaf of bread cost 10 cents, and Colorado State was better known as the Agricultural College of Colorado.

The year was 1893 the first time the two schools played, when Colorado beat the now-Colorado State 70-6. It was the first meeting in what would come to be a fierce in-state rivalry.

CU linebacker Thaddaeus Washington tackles CSU's Kyle Bell

Since the turn of the 20th Century, Colorado has dominated the series. The Buffs hold a 57-19-2 all-time record against the Rams.

With the growth of Colorado football in the middle 20th Century, the rivalry died down until the Buffs began consistently scheduling Colorado State in 1983.

Between 1983 and 1998, when the two teams often faced each other, Colorado won ten of eleven games, and did it by an average margin 14 points. 1998 was also the year the game was moved to INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver.

CU's Lawrence Vickers blocks the punt of CSU's Jimmie Kaylor in 2005

The next two years were seen as a turning point for the rivalry. In 1999, the Rams pulled off a 42-14 upset over Colorado at INVESCO, and they did it again in 2000, winning 28-24. It helped to add fuel to a rivalry many saw as typically one-sided.

In 2001 CU linebacker Sean Tufts told The Rocky Mountain News: "Losing two to them gets us more focused. We can't lose again."

And Colorado did find its vindication in 2001. The Buffs blew out the Rams, 41-14, in Denver. The Buffs won the rivalry game three of the next four years. For two years, the game was played at Folsom Field in Boulder.

Both games saw nail-biting, last-minute finishes. In 2004, the Buffs stopped a last-minute Rams drive to hold on for a 27-24 win. The 2005 meeting was decided by a field goal by placekicker Mason Crosby. Crosby hit the deciding field goal, on his 21st birthday, to seal the game at 31-28.

Both games saw the student section rushing the field to congratulate its players at the close. For fans, the game is usually a frenzied, action-packed spectacle, which is almost never short on excitement.

For players, the early-season showdown means a test of ability, nerves and emotion. Said Buffs wide receiver Dusty Sprague: "That game just has a little more excitment to it."