Week Four

It’s already week four of the college football season and starting to get really interesting now! Especially since my favorite college team, the University of Tennessee scored a big win during a tough SEC match up against Oklahoma. College football is one of my favorite things about fall!

College football has always been my go-to sport for watching on the weekends. Ironically, my sons are more traditional; they prefer pro sports, basketball and football. They can rattle off the stats for all the big players in both! However, my favorite team to follow, literally since I was a kid, has been the University of Tennessee Volunteers.

I felt a little awkward about this over the years. I am from Tennessee but did not attend UT. Shouldn’t I be rooting for my alma mater? Then I moved to Alabama. About 90% of the yards in my area of Alabama are adorned with the resident’s favorite team. Mostly “Roll Tide” but quite a few Auburn University fans as well. I’d be willing to bet, most of those folks did not graduate from the institution, they just love the team. I guess that sums me up as well.

Everyone loves an underdog and most of the time, especially for the past several years, UT was the underdog. Over the past few years, they’ve been good, but not quite good enough. This year is shaping up to be different. There is more excitement than I’ve seen in a quarter century about Tennessee football! It is really fun to watch and cheer on. Regardless of how the season turns out, it promises to be high entertainment!

What draws me to college football? I’ve always admired the skill, dedication and guts of those young athletes, some of them literally teenagers. How amazing it must be to perform on a stage with millions of viewers before you are even old enough to drink legally! Not to mention the amazing talent and fortitude those athletes possess.

While I always respected college athletes, it wasn’t until I witnessed their skill up close while serving as a TAC officer at the United States Military Academy that I truly understood athletic talent. While Army may not have the premier football program in the FBS, the cadet – athletes are truly amazing!

We’ve got a lot going on in our family right now and it seems counterintuitive to spend several hours in front of a TV to watch a game. But I think we need these outlets in our life. The problems will still be there when the final score is posted. College football is my escape as it is for a lot of folks. I used to not know how to feel about all the hoopla but I get it now. Great weekend of college football and some equally big matchups coming up next weekend. I can’t wait! Go Vols!

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The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are the authors and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or Department of Defense.

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