The 2022 election cycle was supposed to be a red wave but ended up being more like the red wedding. The best political climate any opposition party could hope for didn’t generate a wave but a rocky bumper car ride to the House majority—and that’s it. Republicans didn’t retake the Senate or a slew of critical races, which will undoubtedly lead to a debate about Trump’s future in GOP politics. The former president’s top picks all fell short this cycle. I don’t care about the other wins—we’re going by College Football Playoff rules here: two losses can be costly. Alabama knows that all too well this year.