and even 2019. Losing to UMass at home was the nadir of my BYU fanhood, but sadly, I had been so beaten down the entire season--let alone the prior decade--with such much bitter anguish and disappointment that by the UMass game I was completely numb to losing. I thought getting boat-raced by Utah State would be the low point until they lost to East Carolina. And I thought it couldn't get worse. Until UMass. There was no hope of Big-12 inclusion. If I recall correctly, a lot on Cougarboard, including myself, were wondering if BYU would even have football in five years. It was a dark time.

Within months, President Nelson was was the new president of the Church, we got two-hour church, the economy soared, and BYU, through some up and downs, somehow finds itself 13th in the country , the king of the Pac-12, and on its way to a revitalized Big 12.

Life is a long strange trip.