Welcome back to the Fan Misery Index, arriving late because when the Aggies don’t play I sometimes forget that football happened even if I watched it.

If you are not familiar with the rules of the FMI they can be found here and here.

Not a lot of teams actually played this week, but more than you’d think. In addition to the conference championships a few teams took this weekend to play some make-up games missed due to various natural disasters. In all only six teams actually moved this week, and none of them felt more significant or interesting than Texas/OU II: The Breckyning.

This game had everything. Conference champion stakes on the line? Indeed they were. Same-season rivalry rematch for the second time in a century? Hell yes. The delectable unicorn of Longhorns upset about refereeing in a Big 12 game? Shoot it in between my toes. Blonde pigtails that must in theory never be cut? I mean I guess sure that’s fine too. The Longhorns were the better team on the field that day so they went out and beat themselves since the Sooners couldn’t - a recipe that the FMI loves to serve up over the holidays. Thank you Texas and Oklahoma for providing not one but two marquee games for the inaugural year of the Fan Misery Index.

Let’s take a look at the big board.

MISERY OF NOTE

It’s interesting to note that prior to bowl games, the Aggies and Longhorns have actually ended up on the same tier. Their routes were very different, but in the end I find this result satisfactory and accurate. If you don’t feel that these fans are on the same level based on expectations going into the season I would argue that the problem is with you and not my beautiful, beautiful numbers. People may hurt me, but my numbers never will.

All of the conference winners were already in the First Circle. Still, three of the championship games resulted in dropping the loser down a level: Texas lost to a rival, and Pitt and Northwestern got dunked on by 21 points or more - a statement that is only confusing in that they were in the championship games in the first place.

Congratulations to the NC State Wolfpack, who took advantage of their makeup cupcake game to close out a three game winning streak and vault back into the First Circle right as the season ended. Their fans are probably pretty jazzed to go to a quality bowl against an interesting and unusual opponent.

The regular season is over, but we are not ready to part ways yet. Bowl wins and losses can bring misery just as well as any other games, and of course there is the playoffs still to knock some high fliers back down a peg. Expect a big bowl season wrap-up edition of the FMI after the season has played out. Plus, we will still need to crown a winner(?) and hand out some individual achievement awards. See y’all in a month or so!