I remember NCAA football previous to all the conference realignment and playoffs. I like the playoff system but it will be better when it's expanded. But back when the Big 8 actually had only 8 teams, the Pac10 and Big10 10 teams each, I had a favorite team in each conference and among independents.
Being from NJ, Penn St. was (and still is) my #1 favorite? Why not Rutgers you might wonder?Because they weren't fun to watch. I worked with a Rutgers alumni and he used to give me his tickets. The first game I attended there was vs W. Virginia and it was stunning to see how much larger and faster they were. My favorite NJ team was the Princeton Tigers. Glorious old Palmer Stadium, with all it's history, covered with Ivy (literally), was awesome. My father worked in Princeton often and used to take me because he knew a guy who would give him tickets.
Then in 1971 my older brother took me. We had end zone seats and while walking around the stadium previous to kickoff, we came across Howard David, a local radio sportscaster who later was the radio voice for the Miami Dolphins. In August he had broadcasted my Babe Ruth league World Series games in Alburquerque for WHWH in Hamilton, NJ. He was doing Tiger football at the time and after discussing those WS games, he asked us where we were sitting. "The end zone" my brother said. "No you're on the 50 yard line" Howard said, and handed us some tickets. I felt like a 14 year old celebrity!
Anyway, Penn St. was my favorite followed closely by Michigan in the Big 10 (mainly because I hated Woody Hayes and Ohio St......before they were THE Ohio St) and USC in the Pac10. The rest in no particular order were, Texas in the Big 8, FSU in the ACC, Florida in the SEC and SMU in the old Southwest Conference. The latter 2 mainly because of Youngblood and Dickerson.
Realignment makes it tough as Penn St and Michigan are in the same conference. But after that ugly loss yesterday to Ohio St., I am rooting for Michigan to beat both of them and win the National Title.
Since then I've rooted for Clemson when Danny Ford guided them to a Championship, Georgia when Alabama was dominating, Alabama since Georgia has dominated. Arizona St. when Jake the Snake was there and because I almost attended. Stanford when Luck was there, etc.. The multiple conferences allowed for multiple allagiances. Now what are we going to have? The SEC and Big 10 (with 20 teams each)? Boy, I miss the old days. I don't miss the uncertain champions and questions like what if the Rose Bowl Champ played the Sugar Bowl Champ or when Nixon stepped in and declared another team national champion!
