Why Do You Love College Football?

Jeremy and I before the Clemson Game

Last fall, following the Georgia-Auburn game, I wrote a piece called "College Football and God?" explaining why I love college football so much. 

This fall, after 6 weeks of great excitement, in having lengthy discussions with Jeremy, my Dad, and my good friend Derrick, I have come up with a list of more reasons that make college football truly unique and better than other sporting events.

1. Across the board, athletes are too good at the pro level and not quite good enough at the high school level
Sometimes I almost think the athletes are so elite at the professional level that there are less exciting plays. I am not saying the NFL lacks excitement. What I am saying is that players are so good at each position that you don't see a RB jumping over defensive players, you don't see as much busted coverage, etc. Yes, this means the overall level of play is better, but some of the excitement in college football comes from players who are NFL caliber making plays on other decent, but not NFL caliber players. In other words, the range of talent is larger in college than in the NFL, but not so wide as high school, which can be painful to watch at times.

2. LSU fans smell like corn dogs
No, LSU fans smelling like corn dogs is not a reason in itself, but the fact someone created the notion that a fan base smells like an obscure food makes college football wildly entertaining. Do you think Eagles fans think Giants fans smell like clam chowder?

3. The Marching Bands
I am sure NFL teams have traditions before kickoff, but how can you not love the college marching bands and the fight songs associated with each school? What really makes marching bands great are how they are interwoven into the schools' traditions. If you have never seen TBDITL's entrance, script Ohio, or Michael Jackson halftime show, you should seriously check it out!

4. What the heck do those cheers mean?
I grew up in Auburn and never once did I think yelling War Eagle sounded funny. It was just what you yelled to other fans and during kickoff. However, when I went to UGA for undergrad, my friend Stanton noted how weird the chant sounded. Stanton pointed out that most teams have a chant that uses a "Verb+the name of the Team"...Go Dawgs, Go Gators, Go Vols, Go Cocks, etc.  Valid point. War is a noun, but kind of serves as an adjective to describe the Eagle which represents Auburn, yet sounds like a verb when yelled. Catch my drift? And then there's Auburn's Bodda Getta Cheer too. Not to single out Auburn, most of the SEC schools have some cheer that doesn't make sense to others.  

5. Deeper Investment
If you are someone who grew up in Boston and have lived in Boston your whole life, then I could see your passion for the Patriot or Red Sox completely matching that of a college football fan. However, I doubt most professional fans outside a few select cities typically have the same irrational passion as most college fans. Why? Most college fans tie their identity directly to the university they attended, and the football team (or basketball team if you're in Kentucky) directly represents their identity. Consider Auburn University or the University of Alabama. Since most of the students at these universities are from Alabama and Alabama has no professional sports, it is not shocking to see where the University's success on the football field directly ties to someone's identity. It's not that this can't happen at the professional level, but cities are more transient and have less fans who have consumed the team their whole life and for generations. 

So, why do you love college football? Let us know!