You hear these phrases every college football season.  No matter if your team is a perennial powerhouse, in the rebuilding process, a middle-of-the-pack fighter, or a school smaller than most high schools.  You're still likely to hear the words once week ten or eleven roll around. 

"If only we had beaten..."  "If we hadn't lost to..."  "We should've beaten..." 

You've heard them all before, and you've probably said something along these lines.  Maybe even this season.

The fact is unless your team is Florida, Alabama, Texas, TCU, Cincinnati, or Boise State (are there really that many unbeatens?) everyone can think back on a key game (or games) during the season.  Georgia Tech is an early season loss to Miami away from being undefeated and likely ranked fourth in the country.  A slip up at NC State has Pittsburgh sitting squarely outside the top five looking in at conference mate Cincinnati.  Both these school's fans are saying "If only." 

 The hopes and wishes don't stop with the big boys though.  Living in Lexington, where the UK football team is a solid (if not surprising) 7-4, every football conversation falls back to discussions of Mississippi State and South Carolina.  Every discussion starts the same way.  Everyone is excited with the Georgia and Auburn wins, the games where Kentucky was thought to be the underdog.  The talk soon turns though, as everyone wants to think about what might have been.

What if Mike Hartline didn't go down in the South Carolina game?  What if Coach Brooks hadn't have called a fake on that field goal?  For that matter, what would the season look like if Kentucky could have stopped Anthony Dixon just one time in the MSU game?  "We'd be nine and two!" some will always say.

What if Hartline hadn't have gone down in the South Carolina game?  Would Kentucky have leaned on a steady running game so strongly in the Auburn, Vandy, and Georgia games?  Maybe they would have, but maybe Coach Phillips would have gotten pass-happy at some point and it could have cost Kentucky one or more of those games. 

Also, Mike's unfortunate injury may have consequences on the 2010 season.  Morgan Newton is getting valuable playing time, in important big time conference games.  He has matured as the season has progressed, but had Mike have been taking the snaps all year Morgan could not have grown up as he has.  Thus, UK fans are likely to see a somewhat seasoned Sophomore quarterback under center leading into next year instead of listening to another tired story of quarterback controversies all spring.

In short, no matter if you're a fan of GT, Pitt, UK, or any other school just stop saying "If only" and enjoy the season.  Be proud you're following a one loss team, a team that is rebuilding strongly and headed back to national prominence, or even a team like Kentucky that is meeting or exceeding their expectations.  Unless your team is just a complete and utter failure this year stop asking questions and enjoy one more week or football before we hit bowl season.  It'll be a long winter, spring, and summer before you get it all back again.

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