From the “Even A Blind Squirrel Finds An Acorn Now and Again” Department:
A few days ago, I wrote admiringly of how my alma mater’s (Macalester College) football team had, after decades of what can only charitably be described as futility, had achieved a measure of well-deserved success. The Fighting Scots finished the regular season with an 8-1 record, won their conference championship game, and for the first time in school history qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs.
That success was a double-edged sword: The good news was the Scots entering the playoffs at 9-1, the most wins in school history, and having secured their first conference championship of any sort since 1947. The bad news: their first-round opponent was defending national champion and #1-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater. In Whitewater. The Warhawks were 25-0 over the past two seasons, and had played only one close game all season, outscoring their opponents by an average 41-9 score.
I was ecstatic over Mac’s success while at the same time remaining sanguine about their prospects. Yesterday bore my trepidation out, as the Scots lost 55-2. UW-Whitewater scored early and often…which is about what I’d expected. It was a humbling end to a great season, but it gave me another reason to be proud of my alma mater.
It was a great season, and I wish them continued success…but I don’t think I have to worry about Macalester becoming a football factory.
