Texas kicker Bert Auburn sends the ball right through the uprights.
Down 27-30 with one minute and 17 seconds left on the clock, the Oklahoma Sooners, led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel, take the field in hopes of bringing the Golden Hat back to Norman, Okla. as the winners of the 2023 Red River Rivalry. An entire half of the Cotton Bowl dawning their crimson and cream shirts explodes with excitement as Gabriel throws a touchdown to wide receiver Nic Anderson, winning the game 34-30 for the Sooners.
College football vs the NFL has been a debate going on for quite some time. While NFL fans are quick to point out the skill level, playoff structure, or the “lack” of good college games, college football truly is miles ahead of the pro game.
In a game with the magnitude like the Red River Rivalry, the college football experience is truly like no other. Fans sporting burnt orange and crimson and cream are split down the 50 yard line to watch their teams play in their biggest game of the regular season. Big plays like safety Peyton Bowen’s forced fumble, or Oklahoma’s goal line stand send fans into a frenzy.
It’s games like this, a Penn State whiteout or a Saturday night in Death Valley that set the atmosphere of the college game apart. Hundreds of thousands of fans all gathering together in one stadium for some of the biggest matchups in the country provide for a viewing experience that simply can’t be replicated.
One of the main reasons that I, along with many others, prefer college is that the traditions are unparalleled. Whether it be Oklahoma’s Sooner Schooner, a wagon pulled by Boomer and Sooner before every game or Howard’s Rock at Clemson, the magical rock rubbed by every Clemson football player before each game, believed to give them mystical powers, or perhaps the most storied of them all, Texas A&M’s 12th man.
During their 1922 game against the undefeated Centre College, A&M’s roster was decimated with injury. Desperate for players, head coach Dana Bible called on E. King Gill, a former member of the football team, to suit up and play in the game. A&M would go on to win the game 22-14, cementing Gill forever in their history and dubbing him “The 12th Man,” a tradition that has lived on at the school over 100 years later.
Every Saturday, Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee travel to each college campus hosting the marquee matchup of the weekend, where they host ESPN’s College GameDay. GameDay is entertainment at its finest. Watching the hosts and their special guest make their picks for the day and interact with the hundreds of fans in attendance, displaying their “creative” signs is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the atmosphere and buildup surrounding college games. Not to mention, GameDay also highlights programs that don’t get as much time in the limelight as the top tier programs.
Traveling to California Berkely for their Week 6 matchup against the undefeated Miami Hurricanes, Cal fans put on a show for three hours, before what will go down as one of the best games this season, ending with Miami scoring 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter, going on to win 29-28.
There’s something so special about the unpredictability of any given season. Teams like Iowa State, Boise State, Illinois, Army and Indiana are all in the AP Top 25 poll.
But it’s not just these teams. So many unexpected upsets have happened over the course of the season.
Fresh off of a win against Georgia, Alabama walked into Nashville expecting an easy win against unranked Vanderbilt. However, the game ended in a 40-35 Vanderbilt win, with their starting quarterback, Diego Pavia threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns against a top Alabama defense.
Opposed to the NFL rivalries, college rivalries are fueled by genuine animosity for the opponent. Games like Red River, The Iron Bowl, Army-Navy and The Game, are just some of the staple games viewers get to enjoy throughout the course of the season. Being able to watch your team take on a rival of over 100 years is perhaps one of the best forms of entertainment in sports. Seeing the fans explode after a big time touchdown, interception or a big hit is something that is seldomly seen in the NFL.
These big time matchups don’t only add to one’s viewing experience but also shape what the new 12-team playoff will look like. Shifting to a 12 team playoff will only benefit the college game while also maintaining the high stakes each game holds.
Contrary to the NFL, every team with playoff hopes has to perform to their absolute best throughout the season, needing to maintain a near perfect record to secure a spot. Teams’ competing to their fullest every single game is yet another addition to the excitement of watching a college football game.
All in all, the atmosphere, century long traditions and rivalries, College GameDay, higher stakes, upsets and accessibility to every game is what thrusts college football on a pedestal, allowing it to rise above anything the NFL has to offer.
