Fear not, Wildcat faithful. The Oregon St. loss was not a sign of more bad things to come. The end is not, in fact, nigh. I know, the last loss Arizona fans had to suffer was devastating. But let us not confuse the two losses. The Holiday Bowl massacre was monumental in its pain. The Wildcats were completely dominated, and the fans had to chew on the loss for eight long months. The OSU loss? Not so monumental in its pain.

I submit to you that the OSU loss is the closest thing to a ‘good’ loss that the Wildcats could have hoped for. Stick with me here. We, the Arizona fans, only have one week of pain. And who do we face next? Washington St., followed by Washington and UCLA. Hardly a frightening series of games. In fact it appears to have a nice ‘ramping up’ trend leading to the contest @ Stanford. This will provide the opportunity to address the issues exposed against the Beavers, against steadily increasing competition, before facing one of the top teams in the nation in Stanford.

What did we really lose in that game? Did anyone seriously believe that the Wildcats would run the table in the Pac-10? While some saw it as being a possibility, albeit a slim one, I’m not sure anyone was counting on it. So why not a loss to OSU? They are a tough team, that will deal out similar losses across the Pac-10.

Take a look at the previous game, against Cal. While the defense was superb in that contest, the offense was horribly undisciplined for the majority of the game. Even coach Stoops stated that they escaped with that win. The Wildcats were getting increasingly sloppy. The Oregon St. loss may have been the galvanizing event the team needed to get their collective act together.

Keep in mind that this was an early loss, relatively speaking. Plenty of top-level opponents remain on the schedule, presenting ample opportunity for the Wildcats to prove themselves all over again. Add to the fact that the ‘Cats are still a nationally ranked team, now operating with a major chip on their shoulder, and the picture becomes a fraction rosier.

Maybe this is exactly what the Wildcats needed. Less national praise, and more of an underdog mindset.

I understand that ‘there is no such thing as a good loss’. Just keep in mind, it could have been much worse.

Think I’m crazy? Leave a comment.