Where to start with the list of things I love about College Football? I love it way more than the Pros, that’s for sure; and not just because the Cowboys suck.

First, on any given Saturday, it’s at least theoretically possible that the best team in the land might lose to somebody nobody’s heard of.
In college football, one key turnover, one long pass or run, can change the momentum of a game long before the score does. In other words, there are intangibles that always keep you on your toes as a fan. We’ll probably see one or two games like this today.

Second, the passion.
As much fun as the NFL is to watch, there is a machine-like precision at that level that often lacks passion. In college football, the emotion of a crowd can actually change the course of a game. Like the Aggies say, crowds really are the 12th person. (Work with me here on the language…) People really do go a little crazy for their “team.”

Philosopher/ Poet Same Keen once suggested that sport is one of the ways we can work out our innate human hostilities. Instead of fighting real wars (and I would add for today, instead of focusing on the binary of “Team Red” vs “Team Blue”) we play at our aggression through the sport of football.

Contrary to what I am sure many believe, I’m quite confident college football doesn’t increase societal aggression…but rather gives us a release from it….in a fun, and generally playful way.
That’s never bad.

The third thing to love about college football is that so many other people love it.
It’s such a unifying cultural experience. Years ago, Emily Saliers wrote this great chorus about Summer turning to Fall. It comes back to me every year this weekend:

And now that we’re done with that, why don’t you warm the car?
All of the fields are filled with fresh boys playing football
More than the weather chills, the bands practicing their drills
I’ve got to get back to something real with you

High School and college football, even more than the Pros, help remind us that rythym of the Fall is kicking in. And I’m here for it. And all across this nation today, people are pulling their old faded jerseys out, and putting them on. They’re cheering on colleges whose campuses they haven’t visited for years. Sure, it’s like Spreensteen’s “Glory Day.” But it’s also a social connection to their past, present, and future.

Other are tailgating in parking lots you’ve never seen, and never will. And God knows we need more real-world stuff like a good tailgate.

Take away the big schools for a moment. Because in everything I’m saying here, I’m not really talking about them. I’m talking about the “Austin Peay’s” of the world. I’m talking about the “Colgate’s.”

Every Saturday, check the scroll on SportsCenter, and you’ll find the names of tiny little schools nobody’s ever heard of…
….Furman vs. Wofford
…Samford (no, not Stanford) vs. South East Missouri State
…Butler vs. Valpairiso

I just listed six schools I know nothing about. Couldn’t begin to tell you what towns they’re in. And I’m only confident about the state for one of them. But as those scores scroll, thousands of people in these tiny little towns have turned out to stadiums nobody’s heard of, to scream at the top of their lungs at games nobody else will remember. In fact, I am very confident that readers who love those six schools are now deeply offended that I said nobody will have ever heard of them.

But that’s part of the point too…defending your team, trash-talking the other guy. I talk more trash about college football than almost anything else in life…again, defending our “Team” is part of the fun. And ultimately if we zoom out far enough we see this truth:

With college football, it’s really is not whether we win or lose. It’s that we all play the game.

We’re all in this together on those Saturday afternoons, cheering on our teams, big and small, hoping against hope that this year will be “our year.” College football is a unifying experience that is not just about the “Top 25.” It’s about everybody else too.

This is a big year for my two favorite teams.
SMU moves to the ACC.
Texas is now SEC.

I agree with both these moves. Super happy Texas and A&M will be playing again, although we need to work on getting it back to Thanksgiving Day. Both teams will probably get creamed in their new leagues. But all in all, it will be good.

All that said, here’s to you and your team today. Hope you’re ready for the joy of college football, once again.

(This is an update of a post first made in 2007)