If only…

The taste of tomorrow might be the most bitter of all for Cal Poly football fans.

For three and a half months, the rhythm of weekly games, planning for Saturdays, and getting to the Spanos tailgate early have been the metronomes for lives of the Mustang faithful. Researching opponents, talking trash, and pregame tri-tip have become a part of daily life. And, like all seasons, this too must end.

A week off before the playoff game with Sam Houston State created a buildup to an exciting playoff game. On Fansmanship.com, we had lots of coverage, especially on our podcast. Guests ranged from J.D. Scroggin from the Tribune to Tim Jeske from Katfans.com. I added Sam Houston State twitter feeds to my own. The buildup was almost as fun as the game itself.

Unfortunately for those on the Central Coast, the game was one the Mustangs couldn’t manage to win. The taste of defeat after coming so close was bittersweet. Cal Poly fans were generally appreciative of the successful season, choosing to look on the bright side and not dwell on what could have been.

That was last week.

This morning I woke up to tweets, remnants from the new “follows” of last week. They said things like “Go BearKats” and “Big Game tomorrow.” Pictures of babies in Sam Houston State colors brought back an icy reminder that it could have been Cal Poly. A break here. A turnover there. We could have been in Montana this weekend. Running the triple option in the snow. It’s enough to drive a person insane.

[tweet https://twitter.com/brelj1/status/277097419160834048]

[tweet https://twitter.com/KatFansDotCom/status/277059473674227712]

The game even got some Dan Patrick Show love…

[tweet https://twitter.com/PaulPabst/status/276840685288710145]

Today and tomorrow, I would argue, will be tougher on die-hard Cal Poly fans than any day last week. At least there was something to talk about then.

Instead of a playoff football game in Montana, football fans will be quieted. The big sporting event on-campus is a basketball game at home vs. Menlo College Mighty Oaks. And while the basketball team has made its mark already this season, even Joe Callero would concede, things just don’t ever buzz like when you have a football team in the playoffs…

Next year.