Of all the reasons the University of Toledo is grateful to open a new football season, perhaps the biggest is the chance to close the book on the last one.
A year ago, the Rockets endured one of the strangest falls to earth any of us had ever seen.
Toledo was cruising along, windows down, looking like the class of the Mid-American Conference after a 4-1 start headlined by a thrilling home win over BYU.
Then, as if flipping the channel to Gigli midway through The Godfather, the season careened off the rails.
The Rockets went to Bowling Green as a four-touchdown favorite and a young team lost everything.