I have never really followed college football. Consequently, I didn't know anything about Bill McCartney's story. The story reads like a Hollywood script. The major plot points include:
- After a successful start as a high school football and basketball coach in Detroit, he spent eight years as an assistant under coaching legend Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan.
- Taking over a woeful University of Colorado Boulder program, McCartney was the head football coach from 1982 to 1994 and compiled a record of 93–55–5.
- Under McCartney, the Buffalos won three consecutive Big Eight Conference titles between 1989 and 1991.
- In 1989 and 1990, the Buffalos played Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. They lost in 1989, but won in 1990.
- The 1990 team was crowned as national champions by the Associated Press, splitting the title with the Georgia Tech team that topped the final Coaches' Poll rankings.
- In a game against Missouri in the championship 1990 season, referees mistakenly allowed an extra down on which Colorado scored the winning touchdown as time expired.
- After the 1988 season, the Buffaloes' star quarterback Sal Aunese was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died in the middle of the 1989 season.
- McCartney's own daughter became pregnant by the team's quarterback Sal Aunese who died five months after the baby was born.
- There were arrests and strife between his mostly African-American players and the Boulder police.
- A vocal born again Christian, McCartney founded a Christian men's group called Promise Keepers.
- After the team went 11 and 1 in 1994 and was ranked 3rd nationally, McCartney retired from coaching.
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