Saturdays vs. Sundays: Why College Football Is Better than the NFL

An autumn breeze blowing, barbecue smells lingering in the air, men filling up on alcoholic beverages, and football on Saturday is the recipe for eternal happiness.

There is nothing in the sports world that can make a true football fan more excited than a Saturday in the fall, on the campus of his alma mater, anxiously waiting for the opening kickoff.

Game Day Atmosphere

Being in the parking lot of the Meadowlands is one thing, but standing on the green pasture of Notre Dame elevates one to a completely different level.

How about Landshark Stadium?

Try spending an afternoon on the Quad at Alabama, with southern cuisine finding its way to every last one of your taste buds while the sound of the marching band echoes throughout campus.

Tailgating is wonderful, and every man should engage in this form of socializing, eating, and beer-consuming at least once a year. Taking part in these activities on your former college campus just makes the experience that much greater.

As a young one, I first went to a Cowboys vs. Giants game, and I left thinking I had fallen in love.

After a few years of obsession with the NFL, my next step into football was attending USC vs. Notre Dame. At that point in my life, my passion was football, in any of its forms. College or professional, as long as touchdowns were scored and cheerleaders were involved, I was content.

A game day experience in South Bend, Ind., was all it took for me to realize what passionate football was all about.

Girls were not yet overtaking my life, but, because of this game, I was able to figure out what the word "love" finally meant.

The butterflies, excitement, and anxiousness have all stayed with me to this day.

Tradition

Making the case that tradition exists in the National Football League is an easy task. However, the college game offers traditions that display boisterous pride and fiery passion found nowhere else.

The pride one takes in his school's traditions would be found overly obsessive to many outsiders.

Alma mater songs, stadium entrances, past championships, legacies, monuments, and statues. They all contribute to the meaningfulness of tradition in the college game.

Without it, passion and pride in the schools would have almost nothing to fuel it, resulting in more similarities to the NFL.

Rivalries

Rivalries are a part of every sport, but, with 119 teams, college football has many of the greatest in history.

Texas/Oklahoma, Michigan/Ohio State, Army/Navy, Notre Dame/USC, and Alabama/Auburn are just some examples of the masterpieces created in the world of college football.

Current records mean almost nothing in terms of a rivalry, and double-digit leads in the win category of the series are rather common.

What does the NFL have to offer in this argument? Bears-Packers?

How can you label a rivalry great if the game takes place twice in one season?

The Heisman

Ask someone to name the most recognizable sports award, and their answer will consist of either an ESPY or the Heisman Trophy.

Awarded to the best player on a national championship contender, the Heisman represents more than just the trophy itself.

Winning the award separates the great college football players from the legends.

Off of the top of my head, I can easily name the past 15 Heisman Trophy winners without hesitation.

Ask someone to name the NFL Most Valuable Player from 2002, and they will most likely be left scratching their head.

Bowl Season

Possibly the most joyous and exciting time of the year, the holiday season brings love and warmth into households all over the country.

Throw in meaningful football games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 8, and you have found the true reason for the holiday spirit.

Men everywhere enjoy football not only on Saturdays and occasionally Thursday nights but constantly, for a solid three weeks. There is nothing like having football displayed on your 54-inch flat screen, Monday through Sunday.

The playoff system is the more popular opinion in regard to postseason play in college, but my vote will forever belong to the bowls for all of the above reasons.

For men like myself all across America, I would like to thank whoever had the bright idea for week-long football.

Fans

If I could be as passionate about the other aspects of my life as I am for my college football team, I would be invincible. I'm talking along the lines of "Clark Kent" or "Mother Theresa" invincible.

Passion is the reason the greatest fans in all of sports are found in college football.

Your school represents you: your city, your state, your alma mater, your team.

On the other hand, the NFL represents a miscellaneous collection of young millionaires who happen to be the most talented players from your alma maters.

Not to mention, these same millionaires will be on the fastest train out of the city when their next big free agent offer is put on the table.

Loyalty is a major requirement of a college football fan. Fans take great pride in their schools, and supporting their team is never in question.

Loyalty cannot even be found on the sidelines in the NFL.

Simply put, college football fans love their teams and would go to great extremes to support them.