A tale of two leagues
College and NFL football’s return revives everlasting debate Nicholas Rasmusson
College football is an American tradition, especially at Clemson University. The Tigers have won two national championships in the past five seasons. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Many college football teams have traditions specific to their school. Penn State has their annual “White Out” game, Wisconsin plays “Jump Around” by House of Pain after the third quarter, Florida State does the Tomahawk Chop and Notre Dame has their “Play Like a Champion Today” sign. s fall rolls around, college Additionally, Iowa has a tradition football and the NFL called the Kinnick Wave. After return to televisions the first quarter at every home nationwide. Occurring on game, fans and players of both weekdays, and more notably teams turn toward the Stead Saturdays and Sundays, both Family Children’s Hospital and leagues are operating at full force. wave at the children inside With this, the debate over which the hospital, a heartwarming is better is revived. Arguments tradition. can be made for both sides, but Both leagues have many there are a few characteristics that traditions, and while the NFL set apart the leagues from one has one of the most recognizable another: tradition, competition ones, college football has and the impact of games. numerous amounts on both a Tradition national and team level. College The NFL has had many football takes the tradition point. traditions throughout its history, Competition but none more notable than their Competition in college football Thanksgiving Day game slate. is unique. Teams will typically On Thanksgiving Day, the NFL play a short non-conference schedules three games: an early schedule early in the season afternoon game, a late afternoon followed by a much longer game and a night game. There conference schedule, with maybe is nothing better than sitting one or two non-conference games around the dinner table with your sprinkled in throughout. This family on Thanksgiving while puts marquee games that can set watching football. teams apart at the beginning of Throughout college football’s the season. Depending on the rich history, many traditions strength of a team’s conference, run deep. One tradition that is the remainder of their schedule recognized by many sports fans could be a cakewalk, which is the Army-Navy Game. The depletes their resume. While it two service academies square is not typically a problem for up for millions of fans in the members of Power 5 conferences stadium and around the nation. and independents, it can be very While most of the players on tough for members of the Group the field will never suit up on a of Five conferences. professional level, it is the fact In the NFL, the existence that while these academies may of conferences are mainly for be enemies on the field, they the playoffs, so competition is are allies on the battlefield that sprinkled in throughout the entices viewers. entirety of the season. Contrary
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to college football, it is very possible for any team to beat another team on any given day, as they are all professional athletes. It is rare that a team gets beat by 50 points in the NFL, but in college football, it is normal that some team gets thumped by 50 points each week. While competition in college football is great during the postseason, the NFL earns the competition point. Impact of Games In the NFL, a strictly recordbased league, it is expected if a team loses a few games. Only one team has completed a perfect season: the Miami Dolphins in 1972. Since NFL teams can afford to lose games, it allows them to sit their starters if they have clinched a playoff spot. College football is completely different because it is based upon momentum and rankings. The rankings are determined by a committee, and that determines who makes the College Football Playoff. Two losses is devastating for a team’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, as no team has ever made the playoff with more than one loss. This ensures that teams play their best players in every game. It shows that every game matters, and playoff chances can come and go for any given team on any given day. Because of this, college football scores this point. While both college football and the NFL are entertaining and have their benefits, college football takes the cake in the battle between the two. The NFL spreads marquee games throughout their schedule slightly better than college football, but college football’s tradition and impact blow the NFL out of the water. Given the choice, I am taking college football every day of the week - especially on Saturdays.
October 2021
