The West Texas A&M Buffaloes aren't having the football season fans in Canyon were hoping for. Not even close.
Six games into the 2026 campaign, the Buffs are sitting at 1-5, riding a three-game losing streak and facing some uncomfortable questions about where this program is headed.
For a team that finished the 2025 regular season with eight victories and earned a trip to the Heritage Bowl, this fall has been a tough pill to swallow.
But here's the thing about college football: A disappointing season doesn't have to become a wasted season.
With five games remaining, the Buffaloes still have opportunities to build momentum, restore some confidence and give their fans a reason to believe better days are ahead.
The question is whether they can take advantage of them.
The Buffs have been better than their record suggests — at times
Nobody is going to pretend a 1-5 record is anything other than disappointing. The Buffaloes have struggled on both sides of the football, and their early-season losses to Western Colorado and Grand Valley State weren't particularly competitive.
But look a little closer at the last few weeks.
WT picked up an impressive 27-19 road victory over Angelo State on September 19, showing the kind of toughness and determination that fans expected to see more often this season.
Then came the missed opportunities.
Against Midwestern State, the Buffs scored 31 points but surrendered 41. A week later, WT jumped out to a 21-0 lead against Texas A&M-Kingsville, only to watch the Javelinas storm back for a 28-21 victory.
And last Saturday, the Buffaloes battled nationally ranked UT Permian Basin before falling 24-17 at home.
That's three straight losses, but it's also three games in which WT demonstrated it could compete.
Unfortunately, competing and winning are two very different things.
For the Buffs to turn this season around, they must figure out how to finish games instead of watching victories slip away.
The numbers tell the story
The biggest problem facing the Buffaloes isn't difficult to identify.
Through six games, WT is averaging 21.8 points per contest while allowing 36.7. That's nearly a 15-point difference every Saturday.
Opponents are also averaging 491.3 yards of total offense, including 197.5 yards rushing.
Those numbers put tremendous pressure on an offense that hasn't been consistent enough to carry the team.
Quarterback Knox Porter and the WT passing attack have shown flashes of productivity. The Buffs are averaging 255 passing yards per game, but they're generating just 100 yards on the ground.
That's a difficult formula for winning football.
When a team can't consistently run the ball, control the clock or keep opposing offenses on the sidelines, even a productive passing game can struggle to make up the difference.
The Buffaloes don't necessarily need to reinvent their offense. They need to become more balanced, protect the football and take advantage of scoring opportunities.
Defensively, they simply have to get off the field more often.
The Wagon Wheel Game could change the mood in Canyon
If there was ever a time for West Texas A&M to get its season headed in the right direction, Saturday would be it.
The Buffaloes travel to Portales, New Mexico, on October 17 to face longtime rival Eastern New Mexico in the 38th edition of the Wagon Wheel Game.
And this isn't just another game on the schedule.
The Wagon Wheel is one of the Panhandle's most recognizable college football rivalries, with bragging rights that mean plenty to both schools.
WT enters the matchup with a narrow 20-19 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Buffaloes dominated the Greyhounds 43-14 in Canyon.
This year's meeting brings together two programs desperately searching for something positive.
Eastern New Mexico is winless at 0-6, coming off a wild 61-55 loss to Western New Mexico. The Greyhounds have struggled defensively, which could present an opportunity for the WT offense to get rolling.
For the Buffaloes, winning the Wagon Wheel wouldn't erase the first six games. But it would provide a much-needed confidence boost and give fans something to celebrate.
And after three consecutive losses, that would be a welcome change.
Five games remain, and there's still plenty to play for
The math isn't particularly encouraging.
At 1-5, the Buffaloes cannot finish the regular season with a winning record. Even if they win every remaining game, they'll finish 6-5.
But a 6-5 finish would certainly look a lot better than the direction this season has been heading.
After Eastern New Mexico, WT returns to Canyon for Homecoming against Western New Mexico on October 24.
Then comes a road trip to Sul Ross State on Halloween, followed by a November 7 visit to Western Oregon.
The Buffaloes close the regular season November 14 against defending Lone Star Conference champion Central Washington, a matchup that could provide another difficult test.
There are opportunities on that schedule, particularly over the next three weeks.
But those games aren't automatic victories.
The Buffs have already demonstrated that getting ahead on the scoreboard doesn't guarantee anything. They'll have to earn every win, regardless of the opponent.
What does this mean for head coach Josh Lynn?
For head coach Josh Lynn, the remaining five games are about more than wins and losses.
They're also about the direction of the program.
WT entered 2026 with reason for optimism. The Buffaloes finished last season 8-4, won the Heritage Bowl over Arkansas Tech and closed the year with four consecutive victories.
That momentum was supposed to carry into this fall.
Instead, the Buffs have taken a significant step backward.
That doesn't mean everything Lynn and his coaching staff built last season has disappeared. But it does mean the program has some serious questions to answer.
Can the coaching staff make the necessary adjustments? Can the defense become more dependable? Can the offense establish a consistent running game?
Perhaps most importantly, can the Buffaloes maintain their effort and enthusiasm when the season hasn't gone according to plan?
Those answers will tell fans a great deal about where WT football stands heading into 2027.
So, can the Buffaloes actually salvage this season?
Absolutely.
But salvaging the season and saving the season are two different things.
The Buffaloes aren't going to win the Lone Star Conference championship, and a return to postseason football looks highly unlikely.
Those expectations have been replaced by something more basic: finishing strong.
Winning the Wagon Wheel would be a good start.
Following that with a Homecoming victory would be even better.
If WT can put together a winning streak, improve its defensive performance and finish the year with some momentum, the conversation surrounding the program could look considerably different by Thanksgiving.
A 5-6 or 6-5 finish wouldn't make this a great season. But it would demonstrate that the Buffaloes refused to give up when things got difficult.
On the other hand, if the same mistakes continue and the losses keep piling up, fans will have every reason to wonder what went wrong between last year's Heritage Bowl championship and this season's struggles.
That's what makes these final five games so important.
The Buffaloes may not be playing for a championship anymore, but they're still playing for pride, their teammates, their coaches and the fans who continue showing up at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.
The season isn't over. But the time for turning things around is running out.
