How To Choose a College Football Team: Part One

The VFA was sitting around a bar one night, and we were asked—due to the fact we were wearing a PSU hat and the accent's British—why we rooted for Penn State, of all teams.

"Joe Paterno," we replied. The rest is just pithy detail, but safe to say that the person listening to our side of the conversation was moved to tears. And no, we've never met the guy.

But seriously: When you've never gone to a 'I-AA' school, live nowhere near a 'I-AA' school (like most of Nebraska), or live in a country where the term or concept 'I-AA' or collegiate athletics is a completely alien one, choosing the 'right' college football team can be quite the ordeal—unless you follow our set of hints, which'll be coming at you over the next six or seven days.

Part One: Don't follow the crowd

Remember, being a success and a successful supporter isn't everything. You don't always have to support Manchester United in England. Or the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox in baseball. Or the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. Or Detroit in ice hockey.

You don't have to tell the world how much you love Hendrick Motorsports, rather than a particular driver, because people will probably think you're the sort of guy who roots for the sun in Arizona.

The same goes for college football. You don't have to don blue and orange simply because the team who happens to be winning everything is the University of Florida. Sure, the world's got a big piece of man-love for Tim Tebow, but it doesn't mean that you have to.

Remember, Tebow's going to leave and so will the Superman T-Shirts. Your team will still have Urban Meyer and all the weapons for a run at the title for years and years to come, but there will also be those shocking moments when your team loses.

See the clip below:

Don't decide now. Wait a few more days. The VFA has everything you need for your decision. Remember Lesson One though: Don't Jump on Bandwagon Success!