10 Reasons Why I Love College Football

1. Extreme Home Field Advantage: Virginia Tech's entrance to "Enter Sandman" might cause opponents to soil themselves -- and not just Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. If you didn't click the link above, do, and then check out the only time I've ever seen a broadcast crew completely owned by the crowd noise. Penn State's fans like to white out their entire stadium to an effect unmatched by even the zaniest of European soccer fans. Boise State's bleacher coordination can induce epilepsy in a perfectly healthy adult. Mascots? Forget about human caricatures like most sports use, several schools parade angry wildlife -- including buffaloes and tigers* -- along their sideline. Feisty fauna is joined by funky flora, though admittedly the Stanford Tree could be a big turnoff for many of you. Anyway, if you suffer a major upset on the road, be prepared for postgame handshakes with 10,000+ drunk kids storming the field.

*SERIOUSLY: LSU has a freakin' TIGER on the sideline. With their cheerleaders sitting on top of it.

2. Crazy Old Guys: Every sport has an eccentric broadcaster like John Madden (pro football), Don Cherry (hockey), or Harry Caray (baseball). College football has TWO -- Lee and Lou. Saturday isn't right without Lee Corso putting on a ridiculous mascot costume. No preview show is complete without Lou Holtz saying something absurd and telling some whippersnapper that he has no idea what he's talking about. Normally Holtz seems the more tenacious of the former coaches, but Corso is such a stud that he'll be on the air today despite suffering a stroke four months ago. He went through therapy just to ensure he would continue his streak of 23 seasons on College Gameday -- the entire run of the show.

And if that's not enough fiber in your multimedia diet, watch a really old school coach like Paterno or Bowden.

3. Shock-of-the-Century-of-the-Week: The No Fun League has busts, but few breakouts. Betting lines are close. If you don't fit the right physical mold you can't be a star. But a 5-foot-7 guy can excel in the NCAA. Jacquizz Rodgers was lightly regarded coming out of high school in football-mad Texas and wound up on lightly-regarded Oregon State. The spunky tailback, overlooked in more ways than one, went on to become Pac-10 offensive player of they year -- as just a freshman. The same happens with entire teams, like Stanford's upset of 41-point-favorite USC and second-division Appalachian State's stunner over legendary powerhouse Michigan.

4. "Wait, they played a game yesterday?": When the University of Central Florida announced that tailgating wouldn't be allowed until 8 a.m. on game days, alumni thirsty for a 7 a.m. beer threatened to stop donating money. When stadiums banned alcohol inside, entrepreneurs started selling barnoculars -- flasks camouflaged as binoculars. When officials asked that people stop calling the Florida-Georgia game "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," nobody listened. Sports should bring people together, and few things do that like college football (both on campus and in bars catering to displaced alumni). Every Saturday is like a homecoming for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Americans, who tailgate before, experience pandemonium during, and finish it off with Saturday night celebrations -- or at least some heavy drinking to dull the memory.

5. All American ... Girls: The NFL and NBA have a couple lines of hot cheerleaders. NCAA football has sections of them, swapping garish stage makeup for some cute face paint. They come with their roommates, their sororities, and their older/younger sister. Bonus points because they care about the game and not being "discovered." Double bonus points because they'll actually talk to you. Any cheerleading squad can have a calendar, but some students at Arizona State noticed that even their regular classmates were smoking hot, and so the Tempe 12 was born.

6. Schadenfreude: The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry gave us this disturbing commercial. The Kansas-Mizzou rivalry gave us the most vicious smack-talk shirt known to man. When USC and UCLA battle for LA supremacy, both teams find it necessary to don their home jersey -- even if it costs them a timeout under NCAA rules. It's like mini versions of the Hatfields and McCoys played out around the nation every year -- and only once per year. Other sports allow teams to rematch over and over but college football rivalry games take on added meaning because you won't see your opponent for another year -- but you'll hear about it plenty.

7. Parables: There isn't a lot of room in big-time athletics for the plucky little guy, but he can contribute in college football. Everybody knows about Rudy (Notre Dame's Daniel Ruettiger), but do you know about Chris Hayes? If not, grab a couple tissues and read this story about the Miami walk-on. You never know who's going to emerge. A college newspaper reporter once tried to walk on at USC -- and did.

8. Taylor Mays, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy: "Hi, I could rich beyond my wildest dreams right now. Instead, I'm going to enjoy something money can't buy." College basketball stars stop over for a year and entertain thoughts of playing overseas instead. College football stars enjoy the best years (at least three of them, often four or five) on the same campus. If a once-in-a-lifetime star emerges, he won''t get traded or lost to the free agency. Sometimes he'll even return to handle unfinished business. But he will never overstay his welcome (see: Favre, Brett).

9. Bowl Games: Yes, I want a playoff. But that wouldn't end the rest of the bowl system -- which allows a whopping 34 teams to finish the year with a big victory. In every other sport, only one team gets to end on a high note. Even if your favorite team doesn't win -- or play -- in a bowl, you're still assured a full slate of exciting action to get you through the holidays, often with regional/conference pride on the line. Bowls are also a handy excuse when you need to slip away from boring relatives.

10. Endless Debate (you know you like it): Baseball has steroids, and not even baseball fans seem to care anymore. College football doesn't have a playoff, and the President of the United States weighs in. No matter how that debate turns out, it's a key part of the nation's sports dialogue -- even in the offseason. And speaking of offseason, spring football is a major ritual all over the country that quenches the thirst of fans when most sports would be experiencing a dry spell. If there are any gaps, you never know when a high school player will waiver on his commitment and the message boards will erupt.

There are a lot more reasons to love college football ... feel free to point out any that I missed.