Goodbye, 2013.

I'm cheating on this last Saturday of football: I'm a bit early. But it's snowing on TV and dark, and it feels much later than it is.

I'm writing this as Army has just punched it in against Navy to cut it to 17-7 in the 3rd quarter of the last regular-season game of college football this year. Johnny Manziel was on the CBS halftime show. Verne and Gary are talking wistfully of golf coverage. There are extreme wintry conditions in Philadelphia. But Army and Navy are both still scrapping.

This year was disappointing. Our record was not what we hoped for. But we still have a Heisman finalist, a couple other All-Americans, and a great coach for the near future. Things could be worse: they could be how they were before we got spoiled last year.

So buck up, Ags. The awards show doesn't mean our guys are any less talented than we know they are. Enjoy another Heisman presentation tonight that features Johnny. He's spent and weary on camera and is looking forward to the off-season much more than you and I can imagine. But he's our guy, and we're behind him all the way. Thanks for all you did for us, #2.

We'll see you with more live football stuff on New Year's Eve, and we can't wait. Until then, enjoy the quietude, spend time with those who matter most (maybe us if you really, really like us?), and regain stability. We love you all.