The Best Year in College Football History
| 7
|
THE PEOPLE VS. THIS COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON
The prosecution would have you believe that this has been a miserable college football season. In fact, they called it The Worst Year in College Football History
To quote a Geico caveman:
Um, what?
Have you been watching the games this year? Stanford vs. USC? Florida vs. LSU? Appalachian State vs. Michigan? These are all instant classics and we aren't even to November yet! What is going to happen when we get to conference championship games? Bowl games? The BCS title game?
Look around the college football landscape and there is more excitement in more places than ever. Instead of Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn fighting for the SEC title this year, there is excitement in Lexington, Columbia, Baton Rogue, Athens and even Nashville. Whether it is Rutgers, Kansas, South Florida, Kentucky, Arizona State, Hawaii, Missouri, Boise State or Virginia, there are more fans more interested in more places than ever before.
And from the doormats of the college football world to the disgruntled fans in Knoxville, Miami, Lincoln and South Bend - welcome to our world! You guys had your day. Heck, you had your decades. Now, it is our turn. You only have yourselves to blame. You got comfortable. You got stagnant. You failed to change with the times. You lost your recruiting hold on the top talent in the country. Now, you are going to struggle to win seven games a year until you catch back up.
But what about tradition? What about Touchdown Jesus and Chief Osceola? What about Oklahoma vs. Nebraska? The Third Saturday in October? How can we get excited about South Florida vs. West Virginia and Arizona State vs. Oregon?
You know the thing about college football tradition - nobody cares about it as much as the alumni and fans of that particular school. Clemson touches a rock - who cares? Clemson fans and that is it. The rest of us like good football, no matter what school is on the field. Did you see that LSU vs. Kentucky game? It was a brilliant, exciting football game in a great environment in Lexington. Would it have been better somehow if it was Notre Dame instead of Kentucky?
No.
College football tradition exists everywhere, not just at the powerhouse programs. There are great fans all over the country. We have seen wonderful environments in Lexington, Champaign, Morgantown, Lawrence, Eugene, etc. Those fans are hungry. Those teams are fun to watch. If I want to watch college football tradition, I have ESPN Classics. If I want to watch exciting football in rabid stadiums, I have tons of variety this season to see it.
It is not like the traditional powerhouses have all fallen apart. The #1 teams this year have been USC, LSU and Ohio State. Some of the best games this year have been LSU vs. Florida, LSU vs. Auburn, Texas vs. Oklahoma and Georgia vs. Alabama. The great thing is that now, instead of only having two or three big games on the schedule, there are eight or nine. Don't let the sad folks at Notre Dame and Nebraska convince you that the powerhouses have all fallen this year. They have not.
Another problem with the college football purist argument is that today's game is exponentially more entertaining than the games from 10-20 years ago. Try to watch one of those old Michigan vs. Notre Dame match-ups on ESPN Classics sometime. Option left for four yards. Option right for three yards. Fullback dive for three yards.
BOOORRRRINNNNGGG.
Now watch Pat White and Steve Slaton run West Virginia's spread system. Watch Tim Tebow plow over a line-backer one play, then toss it 50 yards down field on the next one. Tell me you long for the days of the wishbone offense. I dare you.
The prosecution has also argued that the BCS system is not built for the parity we are seeing in college football this year. GOOD! MAYBE IT WILL FINALLY DIE! This is the season we have all been yearning for that might put the final nail in the BCS coffin. There is a great chance we will end this year with several single-loss teams that can all make a claim for the national title. We need a bunch of Auburns and Utahs across the country to get rid of the BCS and create a playoff system. Parity might be what it takes to convince the NCAA and A.D.s that it is time for a change. That is a good thing, not a problem.
Finally, the Heisman trophy race has been a disappointing one. Really? Isn't this the same basic race we see every season where the favorites falter and some unexpected stars emerge? Andre Woodson would make a great Heisman winner - he is putting up huge numbers at Kentucky against SEC defenses. Matt Ryan is leading Boston College to an unbeaten season in the ACC. Tim Tebow might be the most unstoppable college football player since Vince Young.
This year, we have a real race. It is not a season-long coronation for Ron Dayne or Ricky Williams. Every week is a chance to step up or step out. Even some of the initial favorites like Steve Slaton, Darren McFadden and Mike Hart are right in the mix. This is an impressive group of players who are going to make this one of the closest Heisman votes ever.
If you cannot enjoy this season, you do not like college football. Or you are just bitter because you beloved Vols are no longer a national power and can no longer win games just by showing up. For the rest of us, this is the best year in college football history.
The defense rests.
