College Football: Parity is Bliss

When Tim Tebow took the snap from center on fourth-and-1, my heart was in my throat.

However, after the Ole Miss defense stuffed the defending Heisman Trophy winner at the line of scrimmage, it dropped down to my stomach with a resounding thud.

My Florida Gators, the No. 4 team in the nation, had lost to unranked Ole Miss—at home.

As shocking as the outcome was, Florida's loss to the Rebels was not the first major upset to take place this past weekend.

In fact, it wouldn't be the last as Alabama went down to Athens and manhandled a good Georgia football team, handing UGA VII the first loss of his mascot career.

However, despite the frustration that accompanied the Gators’ setback, I couldn’t help but smile.

Once again, parity will play a major role in college football.

But what exactly is parity?

Parity is defined as "equality, as in amount, status, or character."

That definition epitomizes the current state of college football.

If I’m not mistaken, the events of this past college football weekend would have fit in nicely with the topsy-turvy 2007 season, and that is just fine with me.

It’s safe to say that the last season was not an anomaly.

Rather, it was a trendsetter. A preview of things to come.

Parity has returned in full force.

Nothing is guaranteed in college football anymore, which will only benefit the fans and the NCAA in general.

Without a doubt, college football has one of the most exciting regular seasons in all of sports, a luxury that the fans enjoy in lieu of a playoff system to determine the national champion.

In addition, what better for the sport to extend that excitement not only to clashes between rivals and conference powers, but also to smaller schools and traditional middle-of-the-road conference foes as well?

The underdog has become lethal in college football, constantly threatening to hamper each title contender’s BCS hopes.

Because of their recent success, most athletic directors will think twice before scheduling the likes of Appalachian State (LSU is so bold) or East Carolina to open up the season.

In contrast, college football’s finest will do their best to schedule unproven “cupcakes” to pad their win-loss records.

However, scheduling relatively unknown schools can be equally dangerous, as the supposed favorite’s team and fan base have no idea what to expect.

This so-called "cupcake" could be the next Appalachian State.

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