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Life will go on

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Josh McClain

Like many football fans, my Saturday afternoons in the fall are filled with dreams of strawberry fields and Rose Bowl aspirations.

Also like many fans, this past Saturday I watched in agony as the Penn State Nittany Lions made lunch meat out of the UA football team.

This was no mere defeat; this was a colossal UCLA-style beating of the Wildcats. It was an embarrassment seen live on national television, a game inviting the "overrated" catcalls from the Penn State faithful.

But the Wildcats may have some life in them yet.

After their drumming by the Lions on Saturday, the Wildcats are now ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll.

And for Wildcat fans worrying that UA bowl hopes slipped away like a Penn State receiver, remember the lesson of Florida State last season.

The Seminoles lost 24-7 in their second game to an unranked North Carolina State team, when its star quarterback Chris Weinke threw an astonishing six interceptions.

The national media claimed them vastly overrated, and Seminole fans cried all the way to the national championship in Tempe.

After surprise losses by four of the top teams, the Seminoles were suddenly the No. 2 team in the nation and poised for a meeting in the Fiesta Bowl.

Florida State was able to do all of this by focusing on finishing out the season strong, despite missing 27-year old quarterback Weinke for the last four weeks and the Fiesta Bowl.

For those pundits on national television who claimed the Wildcats dead just as quickly as Chafie Fields darted by the UA secondary, they are missing the big picture.

This was the game where the coaching staff wanted to prove that their team was a national contender. Well, Coach Tomey, you got your answer loud and clear.

But, if the Wildcats can simply show the heart and poise they did during the stretch run last season, they will have no worries.

UA is still by far the dominant team in the conference, and even if things do not fall their way nationally, they could very well go to the Rose Bowl.

And if the expected Big Ten favorite, Penn State, falters to one of its foes, they could be in position for the rematch of all rematches.

Penn State versus Arizona in the Rose Bowl.

It may be farfetched, but Arizona needs some motivation after the whiplash induced by that monster LaVar Arrington.

Keep the faith Wildcat fans, because life will go on.