College Football: A Great Tradition

College football is a passion for many, not just in our part of the country, but all across the land.

It’s a tradition often formed from early childhood, passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. For me, a love affair with college football began in the 1970s when I attended a game at Sanford Stadium on the University of Georgia campus. While the young age and the passing of time have caused me to forget the opponent that day (research tells me it was LSU) that initial trek into a previously unknown world changed my life — literally.

I made a trek to another game this past weekend, the Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Southern contest in Atlanta, and once again it was so clear why I have such a passion for this game. Just being inside a college stadium is something special. I don’t go as often as I once did — age and professional requirements have made it more difficult today — but that only makes the occasional trip even more special.

With so many games on television now compared to my youth, one really doesn’t have to leave the chair in front of the television to enjoy the sport. In doing so, numerous games are available, the temperature is never too extreme and traffic is never a problem.

Yet, this past Saturday as I was a passenger on a trip to downtown Atlanta, it was nice to be among fellow die-hards again. A quality turnout of Georgia Southern fans were there to cheer for the Eagles, my adopted team.

It was an interesting matchup on paper as Georgia Tech is coached by former Georgia Southern mentor Paul Johnson, who enjoyed a high level of success when he was in Statesboro, including two Division I-AA national championships.

Georgia Southern, meanwhile, has now officially become part of “big boy” football playing at the highest level. The Eagles had already pushed N.C. State, like Tech a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, to the wire. Southern never trailed in that game until the final minutes.

Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, however, was the textbook definition of a tale of two halves. Georgia Tech looked unstoppable in the first half building a 35-10 lead. There was even talk of leaving the game after the third quarter unless some sort of miraculous turnaround took place.

And did it ever take place. Suddenly, it was as if the teams traded uniforms. Georgia Southern was now unstoppable on offense and the Eagle defense had found new life after appearing to sleepwalk through the first two quarters.

Only an incredible play (and a questionable call by the officials on a fumble by Georgia Southern late in the fourth quarter) kept Georgia Tech from suffering its worst defeat in years (and quite possibly having its coach run out of town.)

It was an emotional game, which pained me as a Georgia Southern supporter. Still, what an afternoon of college football it was. By the time I made it back home, there were still plenty of games on television and I took in several.

The trips aren’t as frequent anymore, but being back inside a college football stadium Saturday was a slice of heaven for this die-hard junkie. The rain held off and the game turned out to be one of the best I’ve seen (in person or otherwise) in some time.

There’s just something about college gridiron action that I will never grow tired of. It all goes back to that day in Athens in the 1970s.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal in Winder. He welcomes feedback from the readers of The Monticello News at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.