Five Things to be Thankful for in College Football

By Brett Samuels

This Saturday was one of the wildest weekends of the college football season to date, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it only seems fitting that we take a look at the things that make college football so great.

(AP Photo)

Especially this season, where there is no consensus on which the two best teams are head and shoulders above the rest. There is no lock for who will win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the year. However there are several reasons to be grateful for what college football has to offer, and here are five of them.

1.    BCS Chaos- Notre Dame is sitting pretty as the only remaining undefeated team in the country. With the top two teams in the BCS standings, Kansas State and Oregon, falling this weekend, the Irish should take over the No. 1 spot. What the polls will look like beyond that is a total mystery, as seven teams with one loss now sit in the top 11. One thing is a guarantee: the SEC will be well represented near the top of the polls.

2.    Heisman Race Wide Open- With Kansas State’s loss to Baylor, the Wildcats championship dreams took a hit, and so too did the Heisman campaign of star quarterback Colin Klein. ESPN.com’s David Ubben called both the championship and Heisman hopes “kaput.” Its fair to say that it was a great run for coach Bill Snyder and his Wildcats, but they are unlikely to benefit from any break down the road to go to the title game, and aren’t even a lock to win the Big 12 over Oklahoma any more.

3.    Teams that Bounce Back- As mentioned earlier, seven teams sit with one loss and an outside shot at playing for a national championship in January. Now is a good time to give those teams respect for returning to form after unexpected losses. Most notably, Florida State suffered a heartbreaking loss to NC State, but has kept strong and can re-enter the title discussion with a win against Florida this week. Alabama, who was upset at home by Texas A&M, is once again a favorite to get back to the championship. The list goes on, but without teams rediscovering their mojo after tough defeats, they wouldn’t be in the positions they are now.

4.    Parity in Major Conferences- At the start of the season it seemed like the usual suspects would dominate each conference once again. Oregon and USC would lead the Pac-12, Alabama and LSU would fight for the SEC for a second year in a row, Wisconsin and Michigan State would have a rematch for the Big Ten title, and Oklahoma would own the Big 12 as usual. But not this year. While powerhouses Alabama and Georgia will fight it out for the SEC title, the Big Ten title will feature either Nebraska or Michigan playing Wisconsin, who will only be in the title game because of NCAA sanctions on Ohio State. Meanwhile, the Big 12 is Kansas State’s to lose, and in the Pac-12, a Stanford-UCLA title game is very possible.

5.    Season Ending Showdowns- There’s no reason to think this is the end of high ranked teams tumbling. Notre Dame still has to face a USC team  on the road. Frankly, the Trojans have little left to play for but an upset of the No. 1 Irish. Oregon isn’t out of the title race completely, but they still must face in state rival No. 16 Oregon State on the road. Alabama and Georgia both have dreams of heading to Florida for the BCS championship, but will play each other for the SEC crown, thus eliminating one by default. The same will happen with Florida and Florida State, two one-loss teams who face off in this week.

So while celebrating Thanksgiving, remember there is plenty to be thankful for. Whether it’s relating to friends, family, or even the sport of college football.