All the talk about a program revival was pointless. All the time spent fantasizing about a bowl game and conference contention was wasted energy.
Ball State's football team finally gave us reason to take it seriously after beating Central Michigan last week. The Cardinals played like a joke Saturday, losing their Homecoming game 45-16 to Western Michigan.
The score was nowhere near that close.
Eric Williams fumbled the opening kickoff. Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder scored on a 20-yard touchdown run three plays later.
Keith Wenning threw an interception the next play. Western Michigan's Lewis Toler returned it 24 yards for a touchdown.
I didn't think things could possibly get worse.
I was wrong.
Ball State's first five possessions ended fumble, interception, interception, punt and fumble. The Cardinals trailed 31-6 after the first 30 minutes. They were never within 22 points in the second half.
Many games take 59 minutes to decide a winner. This nightmare took 59 seconds.
A loss like this forces you to reevaluate things. It's natural and healthy to try to figure out what went wrong. In this case, we don't need to look very hard.
All blame should be placed on Stan Parrish.
Ball State didn't lose because it had less talent than Western Michigan. It lost because it was outprepared, outhustled and, most of all, outcoached.
A college football coach's primary job is to get his team ready for game day. The Cardinals' four first-quarter turnovers prove Parrish failed miserably.
The defining moment — for both this game and season — came with 12 minutes left in the second quarter and Western Michigan leading 28-0. Faced with a fourth-and-one from Ball State's 43, Parrish decided to punt instead of trying to gain one yard.
Ball State had nothing to lose. The worst thing that could've happened was more good field position for the Broncos and another touchdown in what was already a blowout.
You have to go for the first down. You have to play to win. You have to give your team a chance, especially with that much time left in the game.
Parrish chickened out. His play-not-to-lose style is embarrassing. It's an attitude that trickles down to his players.
It's not like the Broncos are a great team.
Carder is a talented quarterback, but he's a first-year starter. Safety Doug Wiggins and cornerback Damond Smith, Western Michigan's top two defensive backs, were suspended after fighting each other on the field last week. The Broncos' win moved them to 2-3, 1-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
Western Michigan is a middle-of-the-road mid-major. Nothing more.
By choosing to punt early in the second quarter, Parrish quit on his team. He sent the message that it's better to try to keep the score close than try to win.
How can any fan be satisfied with that approach?
Those who read this column regularly know I say things the way I see them. I've been hard on the Cardinals this fall. It's rubbed some the wrong way.
No one is more tired of it than me.
I truly hoped Ball State was turning the corner. Writing the same thing each week is boring. I craved fresh material.
Ball State will beat Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Keep it in perspective.
The Eagles are a high school football team representing a university. They've lost 18 straight, including six this season by an average of almost 27 points. They do the impossible: make Ball State look good.
Don't get giddy when the Cardinals improve to 2-1 in the MAC. Hope is gone. Parrish is the problem.
He never should've been hired as head coach. He's never had meaningful success as a head coach. The Cardinals' turning point won't come until he isn't head coach.
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