College football is a sport like nothing else. I will not lie I love football in general whether it is high school, college, or the NFL, but there is just something truly special about college football. The passion, the pride, the traditions, and the pageantry are second to no other sport. Your team represents you, your state, your alma matter, and your youth. College football is built on loyalty. True fans do not flip flop between schools or conferences. Simply put if you are a Mississippi State fan you do not like Ole Miss or Alabama and if you are an Ole Miss fan you do not like Mississippi State or LSU. If you are fan of one of the above schools you never pull for Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, etc because they go against everything the SEC stands for.
There is no argument that the SEC is hands down the best college football conference. Really there is not even a close second. There is no 1A and 1B when it comes to talking about the best football conference. You have the SEC then you have everyone else. The Southeastern Conference is just another level of football compared to the Big 10, ACC, Pac-10, etc. College football in the South is part of who we are.
When I think about college football versus the NFL I make one major comparison, attendance. Think about this: Which sport has 16 stadiums that average more than 80,000 in attendance? The NFL has one. Which sport has four stadiums that average six figures in attendance? It isn’t the NFL. Not only do the fans attend the games, but they come hours and hours before and stay just as long after. Traditions pull people of all walks of life together and give them a common ground and bonds the hearts of players and fans. Without traditions, we’d just be watching a group of men chase a funny shaped ball. We probably wouldn't be watching at all. Because of traditions, when you watch a college football game, you’re watching history. People are at the game because they care. On a fall Saturday afternoon in the south you don’t even have to ask where people are because you know they are watching football.
Over my time I have been lucky enough to witness some very special football games. Most of the games I was not even a fan of one team or another I was just there as fan of the game and the atmosphere. I have seen flyovers that brought chills to my entire body, kickoff returns that made an entire stadium shake from people jumping up and down, and last second field goals that made 95,000 people go completely silent. I have seen players absolutely dominate a game and players just fall apart from the pressure. Both are amazing sites in their own way.
The greatest part about college football is that it is completely unpredictable. One play will never work like another, one series will never be like another, one game will never be like another, and one season will never be like another. Yes, at times the outcome will be the same, but the games and seasons are each their own story. Every year it seems like I anticipate college football season more and more, and it never ever lets me down. It will always be there the first weekend of September with more excitement than it had the year before. That is why I love college football and always will.
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Me and you both. This season is a special one in the SEC. Outside of Florida and Bama, no one knows how any other team are going to perform. Tenn, UGA, Barn, Ark, OM, SC, State, and even LSU are all question marks. Vandy and KY could do just as well as the ones I just mentioned. Vandy has 17 returning starters. It'll be fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteWow. Wally. Another great post. I, too, love college football especially SEC football. It's the very best as you said. Nothing is like being at a great game in one of the big SEC stadiums on a Saturday in the Fall. Even if you chose to stay home you are now guaranteed to see any SEC team you want with the SEC's new contract with ESPN. It's never been a better time to be a college football fan. Roll Tide from Beth.
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