The improbable win at Washington State on Saturday night capped the Wyoming Cowboys season at 3-9. A forgettable number for many.
With so much optimism heading into the 2024 season, we could mull what went wrong for many columns.
Here, we will review just a few items.
The season was bookended by facing two of the nation’s top running backs, Cam Skattebo at Arizona State in week one and Ashton Jeanty of Boise State in week 11.
Both are playing for conference championships this weekend and Jeanty is the favorite of many (not me) to win the Heisman Trophy next weekend.
The defense, which was inexplicably dormant for much of the year, came alive against Boise State and held Jeanty way under his season per game average rushing. In fact, aside from a 61-yard gasher to the house, you could even say the Pokes contained him.
And they were stout last week against Washington State as well.
Just four days after the season ended, Wyoming unveiled its early signee class, including 20 high school kids and one junior college transfer.
Two are from Wyoming - quarterback Mason Drube from Gillette and offensive lineman Cooper Lawson from Star Valley.
Balancing out the excitement of the new signees is the dastardly portal, which will have at least two Pokes when it opens on December 9 - kick returner/wide receiver TK King and defensive lineman Jaden Williams.
The adults in the room caution that you don’t know every athlete’s situation and those on the outside peeking in shouldn’t be too harsh on those bailing.
With the NCAA reducing roster sizes and virtually eliminating walk-ons, I would bet that the kids entering the portal are either absolutely miserable or have some idea of a landing spot already.
If the portal numbers are as large this year as they have been in the past, there just will not be enough room at new schools for everyone who wants to jump.
Even though Wyoming is not playing, I will be watching as much college football as I can this weekend, starting with the Mountain West championship game tonight at 6 on Fox.
It’s no secret that I am no fan of Boi-zee, so I will be rooting hard for the Rebels from UNLV.
With only 12 teams invited to the big playoff party, it would be fun to see what would happen to the boys in blue if they lose.
Speaking of losing, how about those tree nuts from Columbus? Nothing could have made last weekend better than to see them go down for the fourth time in a row to Michigan.
Unimaginable though it may be, everyone assumes they will still be in the top 12. And they had the arrogance this week to intimate that that loss didn’t really matter because now they are concentrating on winning the whole thing.
Absurd.
I hope we don’t see another “8 overtime” ordeal like we witnessed at the end of Georgia Tech-Georgia.
It’s idiotic that teams get a timeout for each overtime. So it’s set the defense, offense calls timeout, and then try to score. The whole thing is ridiculous.
Many will say me carrying on about football in December is ridiculous.
I say when you are given the gift of the Buffalo Bills in the snow on the first night of December, it doesn’t get much better than that.
And when our newly engaged dude rumbles for a rushing touchdown, throws a touchdown and catches one, well then, it most certainly still is football season in the 307.
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at: SallyAnnShurmur@gmail.com