The University of Idaho Argonaut

It’s college football time again.

The Vandals start the season against the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday. The game will be the first time Idaho has ever played the top ranked team. We’ll break down the matchup in the Friday edition of the Argonaut, but first we’re going to preview the 2007 season. We’ve looked at each of the six major conferences — the BCS conferences — to tell you all you need to know about the college football scene in one place. We’ve also taken a quick look around the WAC to find out more about Idaho’s conference opponents. This is just a quick look, the Friday before each game we’re going to dedicate an entire page to breaking down the match up between our Vandals and their foes.

This is my favorite time of the year, college football season. College football is by far the best the sports world has to offer. Every game means something; there aren’t playoffs. Every weekend, teams play for something. No New York Giants going 2-6 the last eight weeks of the season and still making the playoffs. USC lost to UCLA the last week of the season last year. Goodbye national title hopes.

Anything and everything can happen in college football and every weekend it normally does. There are upsets, mind-jarring plays, come from behind wins, trick plays, onside kicks and two point conversions with the game on the line. There’s nothing better than watching the little guys give a big, ranked school all they can handle. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don’t, but they always come to play.

Players play for the love of the game. Sure, a handful of players will make it into the NFL but the majority of the players know that winning their rivalry game in front of their student body is as good as it gets for them. Players aren’t playing for bonuses, contracts or salaries.

It’s easy to pick a favorite football team: the school you go to — that’s your favorite football team. You don’t have to use Mapquest to try to figure out if Denver or Seattle is closer to your home in Boise to decide which team to root for. You go to the bookstore and pay the ridiculous mark up for sweatshirts and t-shirts that match the school on your student ID card.

You don’t have to pay an insane amount for tickets. With your student ID card, you’re in for free. If you’re in the doors early enough, you can sit in the front row. For free. How much does it cost to sit in the front row of a pro game? A lot more than free.

Teams have to charge a lot to pay players you’ll never meet. If the QB looks familiar to you, he’s probably in your math class. The wide receiver who just caught the ball? You lived in the same dorms as freshmen. And on Monday, they are going to put on their backpacks and go through the same daily routine as you.

Here at Idaho, the Vandals aren’t just the players on the team. We are all Vandals. When they win, we cheer and have an excuse to drink. When they lose, we wait for the next week and still have an excuse to drink.

We may see a few wins this season, maybe not as many as we’d like to see. Maybe we’ll see more than we expect. Either way, college football is about more than just wins and losses. For us, as students, it’s part of the college experience. It’s a big part of the experience. If you’ve never been to a game, you’re missing out.