Why College Football Is Better Than The NFL

When September rolls around and the air gets a little colder and you hear the sound of beer cans opening that can only mean one thing, football is back. The NFL preseason starts in mid-August and even the most enthusiastic of football fans hate preseason. You only get to see the starters play for maybe a quarter, sometimes into the second quarter before the backups and then their backups come in.

On the flip side, college football starts a little bit before the preseason with teams having fall camp. If you’re like me and you’re a college football fan you follow your team’s fall camp religiously. They don’t get the exposure like the NFL does for obvious reasons, (college football isn’t very media friendly sometimes), but you have sites like Rivals.com and Scout.com that keep you in the loop. Regardless if you’re an NFL fan or college fan, this time of the year is like Christmas, only better.

I might be slightly biased on this but I’m on the side of college football is better than NFL football. Before people start to jump down my throat, hear me out.

• ·       The atmosphere at a college game is better both inside and outside of the stadium.
• ·       The passion for college football is second to none. (If you disagree, go to an SEC game)
• ·       Tailgating. Tailgating. And more tailgating.
• ·       You don’t have to get up and go to work the next day.

I get the argument for the NFL being better because, well, it’s the NFL. That speaks for itself; the greatest athletes in the world doing things that only the smallest percentage of American’s can do. Speaking as someone that has been to hundreds of college football games and only one NFL game, I might not be qualified to give an opinion like this but I can tell you that an NFL game to me is too laid back. It was a Monday night game, the Washington Redskins played the Seattle Seahawks, and while the crowd in D.C. was loud, it was only loud in the beginning. Maybe I need to explore more NFL games which I’ll do this fall when I go to some Baltimore Ravens with my wife, I still see the outcome being this: college football > NFL football. If you want more reasons, here you go:

• ·       Rivalries. Where do I begin? I could start up North with arguably the best rivalry in sports, Ohio State and Michigan. You could then travel down South to Alabama and watch the Iron Bowl as Alabama take on Auburn. Head out to the Pacific Northwest and watch as Oregon battles Oregon State in the Civil War. After you witness those games go back East and watch The Game as Harvard and Yale go at it. What makes it even better is that all these games typically take place on the last Saturday of the regular season.
• ·       A college town is usually better than an NFL city.
• ·       The fans make college football what it is. Again, I might be slightly biased on this one but the bias means nothing. College football fans are better than NFL. Plain and simple. If you disagree here's this. Or ­this. And this too.
• ·       Did I mention tailgating?

Like I said before, I’ve been to one NFL game so I can’t speak on behalf of all NFL atmospheres but from what I saw as I walked up to FedEx field I realized I wasn’t at a college game. When you walk from tailgate to tailgate at a college game you’re immediately captivated by what you see. And you see A LOT.

In order of things I love the most in life it’s my wife, college football (specifically Penn State), the NFL, a nice steak, and a cold Arnold Palmer or a beer. I don’t want you to think I dislike the NFL because I really do love the sport. I love it as much as the next guy who wishes he was playing.

Last but certainly not least it’s the tradition of college football that separates it from other sports. Go to any college game across the country and you’ll find some sort of tradition. Here’s just a sample.

• ·       Script Ohio with the Ohio State Marching Band. (click it)
• ·       The “We Are!” (click it) chants that ring throughout Beaver Stadium during a White Out.
• ·       Clemson’s Howard’s Rock. (click it) 
• ·       The Grove at Ole Miss (click it)
• ·       Jump Around at Wisconsin (click it)

Those are some of the best traditions in college football. Something the NFL doesn’t have.

Most importantly, college football is just more fun. I beg you to find something that is better than an eight o’clock game in college football after tailgating the entire day on a Fall Saturday. I’ll be waiting.

NFL Preview: AFC West

AFC West:

Another division where it could be up for grabs at the end of the year. Entering what could be his final NFL season, quarterback Peyton Manning looks to lead the Denver Broncos to another Super Bowl but looks to have a different outcome. (They lost to the Seattle Seahawks two years ago.) Manning loses his tight end Julius Thomas who signed with Jacksonville in the off-season but still has his top target and one of the best receivers in the league in Demaryius Thomas. He can also turn around and hand the ball off to CJ Anderson or Montee Ball. On defense, the pass rushing duo of DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller look to build off strong seasons last year having 10 sacks and 14 sacks respectively.

Charles could be the MVP of your fantasy leagues and the NFL

Andy Reid begins his second season in Kansas City and this could be the season they catapult the Broncos for the AFC West crown. Last season, quarterback Alex Smith threw 18 touchdown passes but zero of them went to his receivers, that including Dwayne Bowe who is now on the Cleveland Browns. A familiar face comes into the fold for the Reid and the Chiefs as Jeremy Maclin comes over from Philadelphia. The defense that has All Pro’s Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, Houston is coming off a 22-sack season, needs to step up in order for them to reach their goals. Oh yeah, they also have Jamaal Charles. If he stays healthy the Chiefs should be a contender.

In San Diego, the Chargers have one of the more under-appreciated quarterbacks in the NFL in Phillip Rivers. It’s kind of crazy to say he’s under-appreciated when he puts up the numbers he does but the Chargers can’t seem to get over the playoff hump. In the draft they captured potentially the Rookie of the Year in Melvin Gordon. The Wisconsin back gained over 2,500 yards in his senior year. The targets are still there for Rivers; Antonio Gates will be out the first four games serving a suspension for PED use. Keenan Allen and Malcolm Floyd present match up problems with their size. The defense remains ‘solid’ and if they can get offenses off the field to allow their offense to get back on, the Chargers could also be a contender. Big IF though.

Then there are the Oakland Raiders led by new head coach Jack Del Rio. All the talk isn’t about the team this season because well, there isn’t much to talk about. The talk is about where the team will be in the future. Will they stay in Oakland? Or will they move to Los Angeles? There is still a season to be played however and the Raiders will most likely struggle again this year but will look to second year starter Derek Carr for some possible hope. He has two new targets to throw to in Michael Crabtree who comes over the Bay from San Francisco and first round pick Amari Cooper. Running back Trent Richardson looks to jump-start his still early career in Oakland. On defense they aren’t bad, but they aren’t good. Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson once again will roam the secondary for his 18^th NFL season. A front seven that has Justin Tuck, Khalil Mack, and second round pick Mario Edwards Jr. from Florida State look to provide some substance and look to end a playoff drought that has lasted 12-years.

Prediction: It will come down to Alex Smith and Derek Carr.... no I'm kidding, it will come down to Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning with the 4-time MVP Manning coming out on top.