The college football season, just under way, is probably a breath of fresh air to student athletes, coaches and fans all across the country. And it’s not just your everyday run-of-the-mill oxygen; it has the healing powers of the grade-A stuff found in hyperbaric chambers.
The season will hopefully numb the pain that so many top-flight programs across the country have been feeling for quite some time, even if it’s just a temporary fix. The headlines have ranged from the typical improper benefit allegations – which seem all too common in college football these days – to recruiting violations of past and current players and the severe, violent acts committed by players who forgot they were jeopardizing everything they have because of their actions.
No one saw the fall of Ohio State and one of the best coaches in college football, Jim Tressel, coming. Many thought that ship had sailed with the Buckeyes victory over Arkansas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Butch Davis had an intensely talented squad as North Carolina headed into last year that was heaped with expectations. But after all the turmoil of an NCAA investigation, the program fell flat on its face and Davis was out of a job.
Auburn is probably chewing its fingernails in nervous anticipation, constantly wondering how long it will be before they are asked to rescind their national championship trophy that has yet to gather any dust. In July, a New York Times report confirmed that the NCAA is still investigating the recruitment of Heisman winner and new Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
It seems hard to find a program with a wealth of success that doesn’t have investigators hounding every little crevice for evidence of wrongdoing. Yet the recent developments at LSU are just plain stupid. You have a team’s starting quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, allegedly kicking a fallen individual in the head after a bar fight. He has been suspended, but head coach Les Miles talks as if this is no big deal and Jefferson’s suspension is a meditation exercise and can’t wait to have him back.
Of those detrimental stories that dotted the landscape of college football throughout the offseason, none were quite as bizarre as what happened at Toomer’s Corner, the site of Auburn celebrations where fans decorate the landmark oak trees with toilet paper. Harvey Updyke – or Al from Dadeville, whichever you prefer – justified his decision to poison the legendary trees with his love for Alabama and hate of Auburn.
While everyone has their favorite teams, that may be where Updyke got it wrong. He forgot that he and many others love college football, and without rival teams, the sport’s excitement would be greatly diminished.
So to get over all the negativity in the air, actual football is what everyone has to focus on. The offseason is over, the games have begun and the ultimate quest for an NCAA football championship is finally underway.
The NCAA can impose all the sanctions it wants, players can be suspended, coaches can be fired and teams like USC can be banned from post-season play even though the team is ranked in the Top-25. But football will still be played on Saturdays and it’s up to the players and coaches who take the field to make all the problems go away – at least for a little while.
Saturdays will be the Band-Aids for everyone who loves college football, and despite all the problems in college football today, there is a lot to look forward to this season. Here are several of the can’t-miss moments to come.
Saturday, Oct. 1 is going to be crazy. The Cornhuskers of Nebraska will invade Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Badgers, forming the first matchup of these two programs since 1974. It is the Big Ten conference opener for both teams, and it will be under the lights. The contest is a possible preview of the first-ever Big Ten conference championship game and the outcome will play a huge role in both teams' quests for a parade of roses, or maybe even more.
Andrew Luck has NFL teams drooling over the prospect of drafting him No. 1 in next year's draft. Now it's doubtful that a team would actually tank to get Luck, but it's even less likely considering he is a redshirt junior and could abstain from the draft again, if he so chooses. It is quite exciting to think that arguably the best player in college football could play in 2012 as well. Luck is definitely worth watching every chance you get.
Florida State is an intriguing team. Jimbo Fisher did a phenomenal job in his first year after replacing coaching legend Bobby Bowden. The Seminoles began the season ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and have a real shot to do something special and deliver themselves from obscurity for the better part of the decade.
Look for Marcus Lattimore to be headed to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation at the end of the season. Coming off a unanimous selection as national Freshman of the Year, Lattimore has everything it takes to be the most outstanding player in college football. An extremely powerful 232-pound back, Lattimore should continue to punish SEC defenders all season.
Finally, as college football fans, please hope for the best for Toomer's Corner. Madison may seem far-removed from the Auburn campus, but to intentionally kill a living landmark out of hate for another team is beyond extreme. Sticking to the traditional taunts and derogatory chants would hopefully be enough to enjoy ridiculing a rival school. While recovery chances for the trees remains small, if the oaks can turn the corner so might the problems of college football.
While the preceding highlight reel is brief, it is composed of great story lines for this season that should instill joy and excitement back into college football and finally put a rather dismal offseason to rest. And if you aren’t feeling better yet, then you might be as deranged as Al from Dadeville.
