For some of us, the year is divided into two parts – College Football Season and The Rest of the Year. Thursday night the fun started with Jackson State vs. South Carolina State. Now, I don’t have ties to either team, but one is from Mississippi so that became my pick. On the first series, the SC punter dropped the ball three times before he got the ball kicked. On the second series, Jackson State “took it to the house,” and ninety seconds of football brought a score of 7-0 in favor of Jackson State. Tiger fans never had a reason to get nervous. South Carolina prevented what looked like a shutout by finally scoring when only 0:22 was left on the clock, giving a final score of 37-7. It was a pleasant start to the good part of the year.
Now I can enjoy a good pro game, especially if there is a Manning in the mix. High school is even better. We found our Friday night reserved seats at the Leesville High School stadium for more than a decade after our kids had graduated and gone on to college. However, the very best is the college scene. Perhaps that’s because I learned the game as a teenager listening with my father to the Saturday afternoon Ole Miss games on the radio.
Beginning today, if you want me on Saturdays in the near future between 11 AM and bedtime (which might vary if the last game is really good), you will find me near the TV waiting for the next play. I will watch any college team that is playing, but I have my favorites. I will be delighted if Ole Miss and Baylor games are not simultaneous and especially happy if they are not playing each other. Go, Rebels and Sic ‘em, Bears!