Here we are again

Suggested slogans for the Michigan State football program:

• MSU Football: Check Back Next Year
• MSU Football: Home of the Near Miss
• MSU Football: Where Hopes Are Raised Beyond Expectation, and Then Usually Dashed

I suppose I shouldn't complain much. The team went into what was essentially a road game, against an obvious mismatch, and managed to keep it interesting for about 57 minutes. Plus, they they showed few signs of being affected by the aftermath of Glenn Winston Brawlfest 2009. A week ago, I would have said that a competitive loss to Texas Tech would be an overall victory for the program.

Now that I'm here, though, I realize that it isn't. Aside from the running back position, this wasn't supposed to be a rebuilding year. We were supposed to be the top also-ran, and we instead finished the season with a losing record. I wish I (or Dantonio) could say what went wrong. Maybe having Javon Ringer grind up the clock was more vital to the team's success than anyone realized. Maybe Otis Wiley was doing nearly all of the work in the secondary instead of a simple majority. It's been painful for me just watching the season progress, and I can't imagine what it's felt like to the people involved.

I can say that watching this year was better than being in the marching band during the last two seasons of John L. Smith's tenure, though.

While I'm on the subject of college football, I might as well point out a few things that I've learned from the bowl season so far, in spite of the fact that I didn't get the BCS matchups I wanted:

• The top teams from the Big East cannot compete with the top teams from the SEC. They can do all right against the middle-of-the-road teams from the ACC, however.
• Ohio State's perennial troubles with USC do not extend to the rest of the PAC-10.
• ESPN can't be bothered to acknowledge their obvious journalistic bias in the Mike Leach controversy and refrain from comment.
• ESPN can't be bothered to check that "Roderick Jenrette" has an 'n' in his name before putting it onscreen and having the commentators talk about him.
• ESPN can't be bothered to check that "Blair White" is the name of MSU's one graduating wide receiver this year, and not "Blake Miller."

Sports are a frustrating diversion, unless you're into Penn State women's volleyball.