Really?!? College Football Greatness

I have to admit that I had trouble getting to sleep last night.   It was almost 3:00 this morning before I was able to finally drift off.   Part of that is my usual sleep issues and being sick over Thanksgiving, but this time, a little bit of it was due to the MOST AMAZING COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME I have ever watched.   And in my home growing up, the seasons were marked by sports on television as much as they were by the weather, so that's saying something.

The crowd rushed the field.   Can you blame them?!?   https://twitter.com/ObnoxiousAUfan/status/407177091629977600/photo/1/large


Did you see it?!   Tell me that if you didn't watch it, you spent last night or early this morning reading every possible article about it you could lay your eyes on.   I've lost count of how many times I've heard the Auburn announcer lose his mind as he calls the end of the game.   I was right there with him, in spirit, the lone viewer in my living room, losing my mind over another--ANOTHER--miracle at Auburn in just two weeks.   I watched that one happen too, during the Auburn vs. Georgia game I thought was pretty AMAZING until last night.   I live in a college town where the residents are pretty certain that God's loyalties lie with the Texas Aggies, but after this Auburn season, well...


Auburn Radio Announcer Goes Crazy Calling the Final Play of the Game
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mrloganrhoades/auburn-radio-announcer-goes-crazy-calling-the-final-play-of


This Auburn story is one of the reasons I LOVE college football.   I quit following and watching the NFL long ago, but my love of the game as it is played out every Saturday during the fall, at colleges across the United States, has never wavered.   The school traditions, the rivalries, the coaches who motivate and mentor young men, the young men learning to work together as a team: it's all part of the greatness of college football.

I understand college football enough to watch it, follow it, and love it, but not enough to write about it.   Have you ever picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated and read it, from cover to cover?   There's some remarkable work in there.  I even enjoy stories about sports I don't follow.   I greatly admire good sports writing and I look forward to  pieces about this game in the days to come.   Here's some of the best first responses I've found about last night's Auburn vs. Alabama game:


This first one, from SB Nation, is a must-read for anyone who just loves words and the way some people manage to put them together, to capture a moment in time so perfectly.

The 2013 Iron Bowl: Auburn should be dead, because we watched it die
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/11/30/5161322/iron-bowl-results-auburn-vs-alabama-reaction



This is a great summary of what this game means, in the grand scheme of college football, and to the individuals involved in the game (with post-game comments from coaches and players):

Auburn slays kings of college football, opening Tigers' destiny
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24306051/auburn-slays-kings-of-college-football-opening-their-own-destiny



As if the game couldn't be any better, there was this on the sidelines, people.   Auburn staff member sat at a SEWING MACHINE and repaired a player's jersey.   Then, he HAND-STITCHED the jersey after it was fitted on the player. 

There is a sewing machine at Auburn-Alabama
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2013/11/30/5161182/there-is-a-sewing-machine-at-auburn-alabama



This may not be writing excellence, but talk about capturing the moment.   All CAPS?   Had to be done.   I'm glad this was published immediately after the play:

AUBURN 34 ALABAMA 28 WHAT
http://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2013/11/30/5161272/iron-bowl-2013-final-score-chris-davis-auburn-alabama


This writer believes it is the greatest sports ending EVER.   He makes a compelling case:

Auburn-Alabama is greatest ending in sports history
http://nypost.com/2013/11/30/an-ending-well-never-forget/


And this article from September?  It couldn't be more relevant:

11 Reasons Nick Saban Should Leave Alabama for Texas
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/11-reasons-nick-saban-should-leave-alabama-for-texas




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