The Year In.....College Football

First off, thanks to Jinx for giving me a guest-post opportunity. Second, let me tell you how sad I am that football season is wearing down. It's a cloud hanging over me as early December comes - the void between the regular season and the bowls. Football's what I love, and it's what I want to share with you today.

Football is the greatest of all sports, and that's saying a lot when you consider just how many sports there actually are in the world. It exists in its greatest form at the college level, where talent and passion balance themselves perfectly. It is a world where young men would sacrifice everything they have - the sweat of effort, their bones, blood and sinew - to gain one inch of turf if it brings them closer to their goal, whether that be the end zone, the NFL or simply glory. It is a world I love to watch; to be a spectator, a learned watcher who follows the game (sometimes through a heavy alcohol haze) and feeds off it's energy. I am happiest in autumn, when toe meets leather, the leaves begin to fall, the bourbon warms the belly and friends and football mingle together as close to perfection as possible. It is truly glorious. I obviously enjoy this world, and can appreciate any game that takes place in it. But only a few of these games will be remembered by the many, re-hashed by the analysts and recorded as "that game when" or "the one where." It is with this in mind I pick my greatest games of 2008. Enjoy.

Top-5:

1. Florida 31, Alabama 20 - I know it's high praise for an 11-point game, but you understand if you watched it. If you didn't, shame on you. Alabama setting the tone with their fundamental approach, holding a lead late, but Tebow willing his team to the victory as the fourth wore on. Glorious.

2. Texas 45, Oklahoma 35 - The Sooners went up early, the 'Horns came back. Leads swapped through the third until OU began pulling away. But the Colt was too much, winning with his head, arm and legs. Too bad the BCS has since rendered this particular RRR pointless.

3. Texas Tech 39, Texas 33 - I guess it's not all the BCS' fault. If Texas could have won this when they should have, OU would be destined for the Fiesta. But, playing man on Crab is prideful and foolish, and we all know what pride comes before.

4. Oregon State 27, USC 21 - Oh, the mighty Men of Troy and their leader, Pete "He-who-loses-the-little-one" Carrol. They always flop somewhere and their odd early 2 bye weeks set them up to be chopped down by the little Rodgers brothers like so many redwoods. All hail the quarkback.

5. Notre Dame 27, Navy 21 - This one almost had it all - onside kicks, deep passes late and a dramatic comeback for the underdog Middies. Though it was not to be, it sure was fun to watch, especially as a wake-up call in the face of the defensive shot of Novocaine that was UGA-AU.

The Back Half:

6. USF 37, Kansas 34 - Gutsy QB's pushing their teams down the stretch. Advantage Grothe.

7. Kansas 40, Missouri 37 - The same, but also the opposite. Advantage, Reesing.

8. Arkansas 31, LSU 30 - Casey Dick's late TD holds up as QB troubles bag the Bengals.

9. Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42 - The triple option takes the temp0 in the second half as the Dawgs' D collapses.

10. Ole Miss 31, Florida 30 - For it's responsibility in unleashing Hell (i.e. pissed-off Tebow).

The Blowouts:
Just for fun, here are the games where the dead horses were drug out around the opening kick and beaten early and often.

Tarheels establish themselves as contenders-
UNC 44, Rutgers 12

Florida wins the East-
Fla 49, UGA 10

Rutgers climbs back-
Rut 63, L'ville 14

Sooners put pirates in their place-
Oklahoma 65, Texas Tech 21

The Obvious Ones-
Oklahoma or Florida anytime the last few weeks, really