Acceptance

So this football season was great in a lot of ways. In other ways, it was absolutely heartbreaking. The loss at the Fiesta Bowl was one of the hardest losses to take, especially when you factor in what it took to get there. And while the loss didn't ruin the trip or the experience, it sure puts a damper on things.

But in the last few years, I've done my best not to get too upset about sports. Part of that is living in Dallas, where we haven't won a championship in over a decade, and with four professional teams, that's rough. So I guess I'm finally getting used to losing...in everything.

But, in trying to put the positive spin on things, I'm trying to do a bit of time traveling. I'm going back to September to talk to myself. And if I could do that, I wonder how September Drew would react to this news:

On TCU's season

"TCU will go undefeated in the regular season. Included in the wins are a solid win over a tough Clemson team, a big win against BYU in Provo, and a dominating performance against Utah on a day when ESPN GameDay would come to Fort Worth. That I'd get to charge the field after a huge win, and TCU would win their second Mountain West Conference championship, ending number 3 in the BCS poll. And while they'd lose in a BCS game against a top-3 finalist, TCU would also finish #6 - one spot higher than they did last year."

I think I'd absolutely take that. TCU going undefeated was a nice step, although I obviously would've wanted to win the BCS game. But an undefeated year and a BCS trip? I'd definitely take that.

On the Cowboys' season

"The Cowboys will finish 11-5 and win the NFC East. Along the way, they'll discover a receiving threat in Miles Austin and a pass rusher in Anthony Spencer. Mike Jenkins will step up and become the team's number one cornerback, and the defense will dominate in December to lead the team to 3-2 in that month. The Cowboys will host a playoff game in the first round and beat the Eagles, but they will lose in the divisional round to a Vikings team playing great ball."

I'd take that too. I went into last year with odd expectations for the team. I've never gone into a season with so much blurriness on how the season could end. I could've easily seen the team go 5-11 and 11-5. For the Cowboys to get rid of so many demons (December demons and playoff ones), I would've known that things had gone well. And while I sometimes hate certain members of the team, I always want them to go well. This team is still young, and they can build on success as long as they're not tearing each other apart.

The one concern is Wade Phillips' security. I don't think he's the right man for this job, but I'll continue to hope that he can find a way to get the job done anyway.

So while both seasons ended in disappointment, both teams are young (TCU returns most of their starters, and they're the first non-BCS team to go to a BCS game and return with their starting QB...although Boise can now claim the same thing), and both can improve next year.

Hopefully, this time next year, I can say that both teams did. And things might be a bit happier, football-wise.