In the dramatic world of college football, one narrative has consistently echoed across the nation’s back pages: “Under Coach DeBoer’s helm, a team once marred by a 4-8 record skyrockets to a staggering 11-2 in a single season.” The football fraternity has been left astounded, not just by DeBoer, but by offensive maestro Ryan Grubb, whose playbook mastery has now crowned him the richest coordinator in the game’s history. And then there’s Washington, barging into the preseason top 10 for a commendable 14th time.
Now, let’s not mince words here. For all their glory, had it not been for one insurmountable hiccup that fate threw their way, we might very well have seen this team cap off the regular season with an untouched 12-0.