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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Coin toss proves ominous omen in WSU loss at Colorado

Handlers guide Colorado mascot Ralphie across the gridiron as the team prepares to face Washington State in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016, in Boulder, Colo. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

BOULDER, Colo. – Superstitious Washington State fans who believe everything is an omen must have had sinking feelings in the pits of their stomachs when the Cougars lined up for the opening kick.

Because while Saturday’s game may have been a contest between two of the country’s better college football teams, it was a matchup of the absolute best teams at winning pregame coin tosses.

The Cougars, who only send out Jamal Morrow for the pregame toss, entered the game with an 8-2 coin flip record. But the Buffaloes were 9-1. CU won the toss and deferred to the second half, which is what Morrow would have chosen if the Cougars had won.

Whether or not the coin flip foreshadowed WSU’s eventual loss is a question for the scholars to decide. But what is certain is that WSU is 8-3 this season in two respects, and the fans are not happy about either.