RED BLUFF, IA – We’re taking some time off from the World Series; featuring heartland versus left coast… and we’re watching a little pigskin this weekend. And by pigskin I mean College Football… Which is better than the pros… Much better.
Why?
1) The college game is mostly local kids playing for the local school. Even the imports aren’t from really that far away… some Texas kid paying for Oklahoma, for example. Oh sure, there are a few schools like the Domers of South Bend that recruit nationally, and the occasional Yankee kid playing down in the heart of Dixie. But by and large, they’re from the area.
2) I always loved when Keith Jackson would announce where the kid was from..” the big defensive tackle out of Red Bluff, Iowa suuure put a lickin’ on em…” And you could just picture the local yokels from Red Bluff at the local tavern watching the game saying, “Yep, that’s Fred Smith’s kid. Ya know, his brother was actually tougher…just didn’t row as big as the young’un.”
The pros? Mercenaries… Guns for hire. Most could care less about the town they represent. Which brings us to…
3) Compensation. The pros get more money than God. 
College kids? Exploited, underpaid schmoes. Just like the rest of us… Which is another reason to like ‘em. You can empathize a bit with them.
4) The college game is also more fun. College coaches are a pretty diverse crew. They chuck the ball around. Run the veer. Kick on-sides at weird times. Go for two even when it is not charted out for them. Play strange D. They have some fun with it.
The pros? Formulaic. Same ol’, same ol’. Heck, they get pissed when a college guy upsets their apple cart by actually having the cajones to tell his team to actually play the full game, right through to the last play.
5) The college game is also much better for boozers. Pro tail-gaiting is good. College tail-gating is phenomenal. From the “the world’s largest cocktail party” to the hedges in Mississippi, West Virginny couch burnin’ and Arizona margarita, Nebraska red beer and Buckeye boozers, the college game parties harder. The kids start it out early, and the grown ups don’t have to work the next day.
Hey, I’ve been to the Patsies, Giants, Jets, Stillers, Bills, Cowboys and Chargers. So have had more than a few pro game experiences. None of them can hold a candle to the likes of a Texas A&M, Nebraska, Mississippi, Florida or even little ol’ TCU. It’s just at a different level.
And despite all the booze, I’ve never seen a fight at a college game. I’ve never been to a Jets or Patsies game and NOT seen a fight!
Eye candy is a lot better too. College cheerleading squads beat the pro tarts hands down. And the fan base is a heck of a lot more fun to look at then the grumpy old wrinkled crowds that populate the stadiums for pro games in places like Chicago, New York, DC and Philly…
College ball gives places like Alabama a chance to shine.
Sure, big bergs like LA with USC, Miami, Seattle with U Dub and Austin all have great college teams… but the little bergs get to shine also. Happy Valley. Lubbock. Provo. Morgantown. Iowa City. Where the real folk live.
And last but not least, rankings. College fans get to argue all season long about who’s better…based on some idiot sports writers and/or coaches with a vested interest voting. Which is just so stupid that it’s awesome. Argument for arguments sake…what the heck could be more American than that?
And with that, we have some real good ranked games this weekend…
#1 Alabama 42, #11 Mississippi State 10. Roll Tide Roll. Mississippi State has been lucky. This week it runs out. Alabama.
#8 Oklahoma 31 # 5 Notre Dame 13. Dr. Diz is heading two hours north to the Ok City burb of Norman to catch this one. Tough Notre Dame D, but no offense to go with it… and Boomer Sooner have plenty of play-makers. Plus, it’s a home game for Oklahoma.
#2 Florida 28 $10 Georgia 10. Florida D chomps down on the Dawgs.
# 3 Kansas State 31 #14 Texas Tech 20. Tech got lucky, escaping TCU with an OT victory despite being outgained almost 2 to 1. A very physical K State team playing at the top of their game won’t let them off the hook. Guns up…not.
Unranked Cincy 34 #16 Louisville 16. The battle for the Keg o’ Nails, s these two Ohio River rivals go at it. Cincy got upset last week by a MAC team ending their undefeated season. This week they do the same thing to the Redbirds.
TCU heads on up to Stillwater to take on Okie State… Froggies bounce back from last week and win on the road to become bowl eligible 33 to 21.
Rutgers should have no problem with MAC team Kent State. Can they run the table? IF so, it would be a BCS Bowl (probably Orange or Fiesta) for the Jersey boys.
See ya at the game.
