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Tuesday, January 7, 2014
College Football BCS loss leads to pride, not sadness
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 11:24 AM
Maybe it's because Auburn won a national championship just a few years ago, but I'm not sad about my alma mater's 34-31 loss last night to Florida State.
The last time Auburn played in the BCS title game, in 2010, I thought, "This might be the only time I see Auburn play for the national championship." In that game, Auburn defeated Oregon, and I was thrilled. This time around I simply thought, "We aren't even supposed to be in the game after going 3-9 last year. It'll just be fun to watch."
Don't get me wrong, last night I jumped up and pumped my fist when Auburn took the lead with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter. I felt a moment of heartbreak when FSU quarterback Jameis Winston drove his team down the field to score a touchdown in the final moments.
The next thought that popped in my head - "It's only football." My life today hasn't changed because of that win in 2010 or the loss last night. I'm still an Auburn alum. I still love "my" team. I still have pride for the school and its football team.
Is it just me?
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
College Football Screw the turkey, Auburn's hosting Alabama!
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 11:57 AM
I think there's a holiday tomorrow, but I really don't have time to worry about it. It's rivalry week in college football and all of my thoughts are with the Auburn Tigers. As an alum, I root for the Tigers every weekend of college football, along with whoever's playing Alabama. This week, those teams are one in the same.
To say the Auburn-Alabama game, commonly referred to as the Iron Bowl because of the steel-town history of Birmingham, Ala., is a huge understatement. This year, people are calling it the "mother of all Iron Bowls," as No. 1 Alabama travels to No. 4 Auburn.
Holy crap, is it Saturday yet?!?
Friday, November 15, 2013
NFL / College Football / Open For Debate Open to debate: Should grown men wear jerseys?
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Open to debate: Should grown men and women wear football jerseys?
One school of thought says, "Hell yes! Support your team!" The other school of thought is, "Hell no! You're a grown-ass man wearing someone else's name on your shirt while you're at the grocery store. Have some self respect!"
Regardless of your stance, I think we can all agree on a few simple rules:
Thursday, November 7, 2013
College Football Big weekend for college football's elite
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at 4:00 PM
Why do I love college football? Because every week and every win means something. If your favorite team is at the top, it's got to win every week to keep its spot or hope to move up in the rankings. If your team is at the bottom, you're watching for other teams to lose in order to help your position.
This is a big week for just about everybody.
If you're a Florida State or Ohio State fan, you're praying for an Alabama and/or Oregon loss this weekend. There's a good chance for an upset and you'll need one if the Seminoles or Buckeyes are going to have a chance to get into the BCS Championship game. Not everything is riding on this week's games, but there are tough battles going on that could determine who's playing for the fancy crystal football.
Things get interesting starting tonight.
- Daniel X. O'Neil (flickr Creative Commons)
Friday, October 18, 2013
College Football / Open For Debate Open to debate: The college football season so far
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 2:43 PM
It's probably because football is my favorite sport, but I can't believe we're halfway through the college football season and nearly to the halfway point in the NFL. Where does the time go? Anyway, here are some thoughts on the college season so far:
- First off, let me just say that the pink helmets Oregon will be playing in this weekend have taken Breast Cancer Awareness Month a bit too far. Not too far for the cause, but too far for the Ducks. How many different uniform options does this team have right now? (At last check, it was around 384.) It's a good thing that Oregon is winning; otherwise, the entire idea of mirrored helmets and neon uniforms might be a total distraction. Open to debate: What's your thought on the recent rash of uniform varieties - combat, pride, etc. - good for the sport or trashing tradition?
- I'm tired of Alabama. (Disclaimer: I went to college at Auburn and will yell "War Eagle!" till the day I die.) Hasn't everyone but Bama fans had enough of them? How many weeks of beating up on cupcake opponents can we watch? The same goes for Oregon and Ohio State - if only they had won a title or two in the past few years. I guess teams with tougher schedules don't come out unscathed. Still, I'd rather see the winner of Saturday's Clemson-Florida State game be voted as the No. 1 team in the country, especially if one of them serves up an old-fashioned beatdown. Open to debate: If both teams were to win out, would a one-loss Texas A&M team, who will face five top-25 teams this season, be more deserving of the SEC Championship game than an undefeated Alabama team who only faces two? (Remember the A&M loss to Bama came early in the season.)
- Speaking of which, I hold firm in my opinion that no team should get any ranking before mid-October - that way we truly know how teams are playing. Teams that aren't predicted to do well don't have to climb all the way to the top if they stay undefeated, and teams that are tanking shouldn't be in the rankings in the first place. No matter how poorly a team plays, those at the top rarely change rankings without a loss. Open to debate: Should Georgia (AP No. 15) and its two losses (and eeked-out overtime win to Tennessee) be ranked above three undefeated teams and four schools with one loss? If the polls were released this week for the first time, do you think they'd even be in the top 25, especially knowing how many injuries they're plagued with?
- At least one team in the top 5 is going to lose this weekend (Clemson or Florida State). After that, there aren't many challenges ahead for those leading the pack. Who else wishes the playoffs started this season instead of next? Open to debate: Will the SEC/Alabama win again, or will someone finally dethrone those pesky elephants?
