To call the weekend football games disappointing would be an understatement. To call them disheartening wouldn’t quite be enough. To call them a disaster – now we are getting close.

The Colorado Buffaloes and Deion’s boys faced off against tenth-ranked Oregon in Eugene. The Buffs showed up with their usual swagger – dancing on the opposing team’s logo and talking trash. But in the end, it would be Oregon dancing in the endzone, and letting their performance do the talking for them.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning screamed in his opening speech to the team – “They’re fighting for clicks. We’re fighting for wins!”

The Ducks would go on to beat the Buffaloes, 42-6.

But the clicks comment had some accuracy, as I clicked the remote off around halftime.

On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins needed just three plays and a minute and 23 seconds to take a 7-0 lead over the Denver Broncos. That was actually the highlight of Denver’s day, because the margin would never get closer.

Miami ended up rushing for 350 yards, throwing for 376 yards, while scoring 10 touchdowns against the overmatched Broncos in a 70-20 act of humiliation.

Credit via Miami Herald

I could easily write about the Buffs not quite being ready for Prime Time. Or the winless Broncos (0-3) and their most lopsided defeat in team history. But I won’t.

I’m going to take a shower to get that stink out of my hair, brush my teeth to get that taste out of my mouth, and simply focus on the positive.

Because in actuality – it could have been worse.

• The Buffs game could have been played at Folsom Field, where you would have paid an average ticket price of $386 to have seen them get spanked.

credit via people magazine

• It could have been a Denver Bronco that was dating Taylor Swift and inviting her to watch that embarrassing defeat from a luxury suite.

• The coach and son combination of Deion and Shedeur Sanders have one loss on their record – but the coach and son combo of Dan and Cody Hawkins had 29.

• Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa delivered a no-look shuffle pass to De’Von Achane for a touchdown in the second quarter to make it 21-7. Imagine what the final score would have been if Tua was actually looking all game!

• At least we didn’t have to wake up at 6:30am or stay awake until past midnight to watch that Buffs debacle.

• It could have been worse. You could have had Raheem Mostert on your Fantasy Team but decided to start Chuba Hubbard instead.

Credit via Wikipedia.org

• At least Master P, Lil Wayne, Offset, and others weren’t on the sidelines to watch the blowout in Eugene.

• Courtland Sutton had 8 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. Meaning, he easily could have fumbled two or three more times – but didn’t.

• It could have been worse. Oregon was good, but only ranked tenth. Imagine if they had to play the sixth-ranked team or something.

• If the Broncos decide to fire coach Sean Payton – his reported $18 million a year contract doesn’t count against the cap!

• We are all pissed about losing that bad to the Ducks, but at least our pissed doesn’t have blood in it like Shilo’s.

• It could have been worse – imagine if Jalen Waddle had played.

• Or imagine if you’re a Dolphin running back that just ran for 82 yards, caught 7 passes for another 60 yards, scored 4 touchdowns – and still lost your starting job!

• Deion could have lost to the Ducks, and then lost his endorsement deal with Aflac – and that other duck.

• It could be worse. You could be Vance Joseph’s agent.

• The Broncos lost to a very good Miami team. It’s not like they lost to Miami of Ohio – or the Chicago Bears (+3.5).

• Sure, the Broncos gave up 70 points. But at least it was the starters scoring touchdowns and not some no-name like Mike White or Robbie Chosen torching them.

• At least this one wasn’t Russell Wilson’s fault.

• In Miami’s 70-20 win, Mike McDaniel decided to turn the ball over on downs instead of kicking a record-breaking field goal to get to 73. Believe it or not – It could have been worse.

• It could have been worse. After being sacked seven times, Shadeur lacks protection on the field– but off the field, I’m pretty sure that his Rolls-Royce comes with an extended warranty.

• Speaking of protection – Don’t the Trojans come to town this weekend?

Images via Instagram.com, peoplemagazine.com, Aflac.com, Wikipedia.org, miamiherald.org

Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years.  His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports.  The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights.  At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands.  But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was.  The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship