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At some point early this morning...wanna say around 12AM (but I was pretty tipsy from all that Langer's Sparkling Cider) it became 2016—leaving behind both the triumphs and the tragedies of 2015. We didn't really get a viable commercial hoverboard, we don't wear double neckties and the pizza rehydrator is still being held from public view at Pizza Hut corporate headquarters. Oh, and the Broncos didn't win the conference title either...stupid 2015. Waaaaay back in August, the OBNUG staff made some bold predictions about the year and since we couldn't have foreseen ankle-break-apalooza or Turnoverpocalypse Now: The Aggie-ing...well, they were just a tad off. There's a reason they call them bold predictions, people. Starting from the top:
Russ's prediction
Kamalei Correa and Tanner Vallejo combine for a nation-high 30 sacks. Boom.
The reality
Mr. Correa, who recently decided that he won't be back for his senior campaign, didn't have quite the year he had in 2014, but it was still respectable with 7 total sacks. Tanner Vallejo, who missed 2 games with injury and a bowl game due to insult, only contributed 1 sack to the pair's total...making Russ's prediction just 22 sacks short of fruition. Better luck next year, Russ.
Damien's prediction
14-0 and a NY6 Bowl win
The reality
Ummm, about that. This really wasn't a crazy bold prediction given the epic number of returning starters but apparently it takes a bit more than experience to weather the trials and tribulations of conference play. 9-4 is nothing to hang our heads about, but no one can say the Broncos met all their goals and that's more than a little disappointing, both for the team and for the spoiled-rotten fanbase.
Casey's prediction
We make the 4 team playoff. Not likely, but still possible with a strong September and not-so-close conference play. We will have to win convincingly in all of our games AND need all of those teams to play well outside of playing us. So a lot of it will be out of our hands as well. Good times!
The reality
Now, we're getting bold. Boise State didn't even win our division in conference play, let alone sniff a playoff berth, but looking at the strength of the two title-contenders, I'm not sure that sort of dream season would've ended in Cinderella fashion...unless we're talking about the part where her carriage turned back into a pumpkin and she lost her best shoe.
Drew's prediction
Boise State will have two 1,000 yard rushers in 2015.
The reality
Well, I was half right! Boise State did indeed have a 1,000 yard rusher in Jeremy McNichols (a gamer-iffic 1,337 to be exact). The bad news for my prediction...his closest contemporary didn't even make it to half of JMac's output. Kelsey Young had a career-high 511 yards for the Broncos, with 8 TDs for good measure. Not bad...but all bad when it comes to fulfilling my prediction. Nostradamus, I ain't.