Twas the Week Before Kickoff and All Through the Land...

Twas a week before kickoff and all through the land

College football fanatics were way out of hand

Eight months had transpired with no gridiron action

The pause weighed heavy for some of this faction

The tease of predictions, commentary, and rankings

Made the length of this hiatus even more everlasting

But then came June, then July, finally August!

Did it seem as if this summer was the longest?

To ease the suffering and to pass the time

We sat at our desks with our teams on our mind

Dreaming and hoping that our boys play their best

For titles and championships are the ultimate quests

But part of the spectacle is the anticipation

The buildup of passion through debate, conversation

The words we read, from all points of view

Praise some, question most, and skewer a few

The Mighty Gators it seems, are tops on the list

But Dawgs, and Tigers, and Elephants insist

That claims of this nature are best left alone

Until the final whistle is blown at the Dome

Out in the west there are Ducks and Bears

Eager to prove that the crown should be theirs

But down in LA the Trojans all claim

That the Pac-10 title is their private domain

Over on the east coast—not Big East you know

Randy and Bobby will reap what they sow

The Hokies will hoke and the Jackets will sting

But who will prevail and earn the ring?

Up in the tundra of our frozen north

Penn State is prepared to eagerly put forth

A run at the title for ol’ Pa Joe

Let’s hope they don’t play Iowa again in the snow

Cowboys and Aggies, Raiders too

Chase ball tossing Longhorns and Sooners who

Long for a return to the Championship game

To prove that the Big 12 Champ isn’t lame

The Mountain West and the WAC—stepsisters it seems

Are banging the drum—they wanna be seen!

Will this be the year that great efforts prevail?

Not if the BCS thinks the argument’s stale

The Big East, the MAC, and the Sun Belt too

Have games to play and something to prove

Conference USA is also along for the ride

All hoping to field a very strong side

So here we are one week to go

Our schedules updated, our tickets aglow

Traditions remembered and charms in place

We are prepared to begin our season long race

So to all my brethren, allies, and foes

I share a few words in this article I close

I bid you and your team good fortune and luck

But if you play my Gators I hope you... play well but not better than us!