College Football Season Kicks Off!

Saturday’s fireworks snuck up on me a little, despite the early warnings I received from outposts like Utah, Toledo and even Hawaii.  College football season hit with full force this weekend and I couldn’t be happier.

You see, despite the fact that I grew up in Oregon singularly focused on baseball and in an era when the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers were utterly horrible on the field, I’ve become a big time convert to big time college football.

On Saturday I went with my family to the Cal – UC Davis game in Berkeley.  Warm day, blue sky and the college enthused crowd reminded me how much better CFB is in person than on TV.  There’s just something different about catching a game live – the bands in the stands, the student body sections, and the UCD guys who body painted their bellies and spent the afternoon being heckled by Cal fans basking in the glory of whipping up on a Division I-AA opponent.  (Editorial note: Let’s require Division I-A schools to play non-conference games against other Division I-A schools).

The college football experience reminds me once again why sports is so darned popular in this country.  Seems like there aren’t any other activities that can bring tens of thousands of people together, each one rooting rabidly for one of the two combatants, but in an environment where no real hate or anger is spewed.  Just a couple of hours of good old screaming and yelling amongst friends and friendly foes.

So here’s to another great season of college football.  Enjoy it live if you can with friends and / or family.  And as for my BCS title game prediction – a little safe I know, but here ya go:

Alabama 31, Ohio State 20