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There are lots of ways to end a season disappointed. Expectations can play a role, of course, but they don't have to. Sometimes a first-year head coach gets off on the wrong foot, and sometimes a well-established coach loses his footing. Sometimes you start out the No. 1 team in the country, and three losses take you down. Sometimes you start out expecting 3-9 and still fall far short.
Regardless, as we move toward one of the most unexpected and, frankly, thrilling College Football Playoff semifinals imaginable -- three first-time semifinalists, two potential first-time national champions, no team that has won a title in the past 24 years -- let us first commemorate those who fell short.