Football: The Sky has fallen but it will rise again

Over the course of about one hour in real time, the Ducks went from being one of the few remaining national title contenders to being eliminated. It was an abrupt and brutal end to what was still an incredibly successful season.

Was this season as successful as we all wanted it to be? No. The Ducks were one of the few teams with a legitimate shot at a national championship, and they fell short of that goal. But as I said, this was still an incredibly successful season.

How? How can such a nightmarish final result still mean the season was a success? Because, despite an embarrassing loss in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks proved they are in the elite club of teams capable of winning a national title.…