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Random Post-Alamo Bowl Thoughts

Has the adrenaline drained yet? Me neither. Still riding the high? Me too. Up til 2:30 a.m. following the game. Awake at 6 a.m. We looked like hell driving home. My kids looked hung over. The 1.2 mile walk to and from the car in the cold and the rain has them hacking and coughing. But it was worth it. Every second of it.

All those freshmen who helped carry the load this season? They are now grizzled veterans.

There would always be unknowns heading into next season, just like there were after the Rose Bowl. Just like there were before the 2014 season. And even though Boykin and Doctson are gone, the fact that the team played this game without them, and won this game without them, should eliminate some of the uncertainty.

You could make a movie out of this game. Out of Bram Kohlhausen and this game. First college start ever. Last college game ever. Tabbed the starter two days before kickoff. Dealing with the recent loss of his father. Down 31-0. Leads a comeback for the ages. Instant legend. As Mrs. '90 (she's actually '92) pointed out, that would be better than Rudy, and you wouldn't have to make some of it up like Hollywood did with Notre Dame's diminutive hero.

Speaking of Mrs. '90, TCU is 23-3 since she ran into Coach P and had an impromptu strategy session with him at AGC in July 2014.

When we were down 31-0, I commented that "This is what happens when the star of your team gets arrested for punching a cop two days before you play a team like Oregon." I stand by that. I don't think we fall behind 31-0 if, say, Boykin reinjured his ankle. This was a major distraction on the eve of a huge game, pure and simple. Think back to when the team was reeling after Casey's Midnight Ride. We lost at home to Iowa State. What would give anyone a reason to think that we wouldn't get run out of San Antonio against a team like Oregon? It took half the game to adjust. To get it behind them. The fact that the team was able to do this is nothing short of phenomenal in my book.

I also commented that, right or wrong, opinion about TB among the Horned Frogs faithful will to some degree be shaped by the outcome of the game. I stand by that as well. The fact remains that TB let a whole lot of people down, but I think it's human nature to be more forgiving when the people you let down are still able to persevere. Lose that game 60-0? Different perspective on the whole episode. I repeat, I don't mean to say that is right or wrong - I really don't know either way - but I do think it's part of our nature. And I also think that Kohlhausen's post-game shout out to TB has set a tone of reconciliation. One final on-field act of leadership.

Is it just me or were concessions and logistics at the Alamodome the pits? We were Upper Deck, Section 338. They ran out of beer by halftime. Don't know if they ever restocked, but Mrs. '90 had to chase down a guy with a portable keg just to get a cool one. A friend who sat behind us missed most of the second quarter and halftime standing in line for food for her kids (given how the second quarter played out, that may have been a good thing, but still). We didn't see her again until just after Oberkrom made it 31-3. No matter where you go, there always seems to be a line for the ladies restroom, but if there is a line for the men's room then your facilities are lacking. Curious to know what others thought because I was thoroughly, entirely, completely unimpressed.

Speaking of Oberkrom, there were many heroes of the game - Brammer, Green, Turpin immediately come to mind - but Oberkrom deserves special recognition. A clutch FG to secure OT, but then a 46-yard must have FG to push the game to a 3rd OT? He made it look like a chip shot. That is one cool cat, my friends. And I am going to miss him. Remember, Oberkrom is an ancient German family name meaning, "automatic."

Lots of well wishers came to FOW after the game, most notably a number of Baylor fans. On the drive home we're of course wearing purple, and at every stop there were people wearing orange and others wearing maroon, and they all had something to offer to us - hey great game, go Frogs, can you believe it, and so on - so for at least a moment the rivalries are set aside. Given how much grief we all give each other, it's worth it to tip the cap to everyone who set it aside for a moment, and resolve to be just as charitable when it's their turn.

During my entirely futile Twitter campaign to make the case that Boykin deserved more Heisman attention than he was getting, FOW's fearless leader Jamie Plunkett referred to me as an "avid Horned Frog fan and Twitter personality." My goal for the coming year is to upgrade to "notable alum."

Now, the offseason. Basketball takes center stage now, and we're going to need Andrew Felts to help get us through it. For football, the sprint to Signing Day and what promises to be a talented class of new players. Spring Practice. "Coach P" reverts to "Gary" for a few months. The long wait through summer. Fortunately, baseball season is around the corner. But as far as our beloved football team goes, August can't get here fast enough.

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