Football.
Specifically, College Football. Between early September and early January my attentions turn distinctly to watching and enjoying college football. I'm specifically a fan of the University of Michigan, but that's equally paired with a simple love of the game. Sure, I root against Michigan State and Ohio State when they play the Wolverines, but I root FOR those same teams when they are playing other people.
Let's specify first that I don't like professional football. I don't watch the NFL, I don't root for the Detroit Lions, and I only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. I've asked myself on many occasions why that is, and I think I've come down to two specific reasons. Amateurism, and the temporary nature of any good team in College. For amateurism, I just love the fact that these guys aren't getting paid millions of dollars to go out and play a game. If they don't make a particular play, there's no part of me wondering if they pulled back because of the possible loss of money. Let's face it, if a player gets injured in the pros it might cost him millions of dollars on his next contract negotiation. At the college level, these guys are putting everything on the line every time the play for the possibility of joining that millionaire's club. If they don't take that risk and make that play, they might not get drafted. And most of the players at this level know they won't be professional athletes. They're going to be business men, journalists, car salesmen, doctors. They're playing more for the love of the game than for even the possibility of money.
Now the temporary measure is also worth it. How long have the Patriots been good? How about the Cowboys? The Packers, the Bears, the Dolphins, the Giants, the Broncos. And how long have the Browns been bad? The Lions? The Bengals, the Eagles, the Falcons. Yea, the good teams have down years and the bad teams have good years, but for the most part once you're team is good they can stay good for a long time. Just look at how long Tom Brady (ahem... a Michigan Grad!) has played for the Patriots. It coincides with how long they've been good recently. In college, a player can stay and play for 4 years. Maybe 5. Then they're out. They have lost the ability to play at that level and must either go up to the pros or just stop playing. Even as good as Alabama and Oklahoma and Ohio State are, they are constantly looking for the next set of players. Their coaches are trying to assess and manage 16 and 17 year old kids and try to figure out of they're going to mature into good college players. That's no easy task.
I can sit down and enjoy watching just about any well matched college football game. Sure, I love it when it's Michigan, but I also love just about any marquee match up like last nights blow out of Notre Damn by Miami. But it doesn't even need to be great name brand programs. One of the best games I've watched this season was Northwestern vs Purdue last night. Neither team is in contention for a Big Ten division or title. They might get a decent bowl, but they also might not end up bowl eligible. The thing is, they're just about evenly matched and it was a great game to watch. Could the quarterback make that clutch play? Could the running or full back break through the line and get that needed single yard? Could the defense make that critical stop or snatch away an interception? If either of these teams were playing Alabama it would be embarrassing and they'd get crushed, but it's fun to watch them play because they're evenly matched. I've watched such games as Western Kentucky vs Arkansas State and Colorado State vs Wyoming. Hell, I love watching Harvard play Yale!
So we're a few years into the playoff era, and I think it's going just fine. I of course hear people cry about expanding it from 4 to 8 teams, but I'm happy to continue and watch the 4 team level. First, there are 5 major conferences, so each year the best team in one conference will be left out. This year there's the possibility that the SEC will get two teams in and there's even the possibility of the ACC getting two teams in! Each week we get to sit on the edge of our seat and cheer or cry at whomever the College Football Playoff Committee put into the top 4. Invariably there will be people saying that the number 5 team got robbed, or that a particular conference is getting screwed. Last week everybody cried because Notre Damn looked destined to get in, stealing the chance for another conference to gain their spot.... and then the games are played and people lose or win and now Notre Dame is out while Miami is in. Georgia is probably out while Auburn might be in. Ohio State came back and crushed Michigan State so they might be back in the talks even though they have 2 losses.
This past week Michigan played Maryland. It was a blowout. They teams just aren't evenly matched. Every position at Michigan is better than the same position at Maryland. But next week Michigan is heading to Wisconsin and Wisconsin is scary good. They're undefeated and trying to make the case that they deserve to be in the playoff. But if they lose to Michigan, then their chances are realistically slim to none because they don't have any other real marque match up wins to point to. Michigan, even with two losses can point to trouncing Florida and even beating Wisconsin and Ohio State (if they win out) and could make an argument... but Wisconsin would only have wins against lesser teams and a possible win in the Big Ten Championship game. Oh, and if Michigan wins out that might just be Michigan again!!!
God, I just love watching football. I love rooting for a team. I love gambling on it. I love thinking about my team and my conference, and my rivals and the playoff and championships and recruiting and next year and did you know Michigan is playing Notre Dame in 2018 and 2019! And they're playing both Va Tech and Washington in 2020 and 2021!
I can't wait until later today to see where Michigan ended up in the AP poll. I can't wait until Tuesday to see if Michigan made it back into the College Football Playoff standings. I can't wait until Thursday and Friday for games to be played. I can't wait until that glorious Saturday when Michigan will get to 'Jump Around' in Camp Randal while hopefully beating the Badgers. I can't wait until the weekend of Thanksgiving to see Michigan play against Ohio State. I can't wait until the bowls. I can't wait until the playoff. I can't wait until the Championship Game. I can't wait until the recruiting for this year is finished. I can't wait until Draft day. I can't wait until Spring Practice, and fall practice and that glorious day in September of next year when it all starts over again with Michigan playing in South Bend against those damned Notre Dame golden domers!
No comments:
Post a Comment