For any diehard college football fan, waking up on a crisp fall Saturday produces a feeling comparable only to a kid running down the stairs early on Christmas morning. All those games, perfectly wrapped up and delivered by ESPN, ABC and CBS, are just waiting to be watched by their grateful recipients. While everyone's favorite is their alma mater's game, all the others can be enjoyed as well. Some even surpass expectations and become the most cherished.
Just as every kid has a favorite Christmas that they will always remember, some college football Saturdays just stand above the rest, and last weekend's drama filled slate of games is a perfect example. Even before the first kickoff occurred, this particular Saturday was shaping up to be the best of the year to date. It had it all: bitter rivals playing for pride and a cherished trophy, conference foes with league title aspirations going head-to-head and less heralded teams looking to knock off a perennial conference powerhouse.
But often the built up hype during the week is just that-hype. Blowouts and sloppily played games often ruin any hope of what could have been, leaving disappointed fans longing for next week.
It is safe to say that was not the outcome this time. But what made this Saturday special was not the overall quality of play in the games, which was for the most part excellent, but the stunning fashion in which many concluded. Jonathan Casillas bursting through the Gopher line and crushing hearts in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Michigan's Chad Henne's strike to Mario Manningham in the final seconds to steal a win from an undefeated Penn State squad. UCLA's Maurice Drew plowing in from one yard out in overtime versus Washington State to keep the Bruins improbable run alive.
But these were just appetizers to the main course, the 77th edition of the storied USC-Notre Dame rivalry. In a game witnessed by Touchdown Jesus and 80,795 of his closest friends, Matt Leinart used his newfound ballroom dancing skills to spin around a green-clad Fighting Irish defensive front in the waning seconds for the deciding score. Going for the win instead of playing it safe with a 27-game win streak and 25 week run atop the AP poll on the line, is just not something you see everyday.
While you can't expect this type of return every week for an investment of a day on the couch, in the college game it is never out of the realm of possibility. And that's what makes fall Saturdays so special.
Ryan is a sophomore planning to major in Journalism. He can be reached at
