The Wait Is finally Over - College Football Is Back!
After 70 days of hot dry Summer, there is a special feeling in the air in the Southland. The long hot days are about to give way to the most exciting time of the year ... the college football season. July and August are not only the hottest months of the year, but for the college fanatic, they are the longest two months of the year as well.
If your like me, you have devoured every little morsel of information about the game and about your team all summer long. With each new article that comes out, the anticipation builds.... right on up to kickoff.
We have watched, read, and discussed every little tidbit of news about our team till our head is about to explode. The analyst have analyzed, the prognosticators have prognosticated, the fans have discussed, the bloggers have taken polls, and the TV media have shown their videos.
Now we don't want any more.
We want some football.
We want to see and hear the sounds of the game.
And no where on earth are those sights and sounds more imtimidating than in beautiful Jordan-Hare Stadium. ESPN writer Chris Lowe had this to say last year after the Arkansas game,
"There are a lot of places that rock around the SEC, and there are a lot of places around this conference that hold noise and make you feel like your ear drums are about to explode. But it's that way from the opening kickoff at Auburn and only picks up steam from there. I've been to just about all the stadiums in the league the last few years, and I say with confidence that Jordan-Hare Stadium is as consistently loud and electric throughout the game as any stadium I've ever been to, and I think now it's gotten even more intense. When that crowd sensed blood in the fourth quarter last Saturday against Arkansas, even Toomer's Corner was rocking several blocks away. They call it the Loveliest Little Village on the Plains, but there ain't nothing lovely about it if you're the other team."
Yes there's just nothing like game day at Auburn.
The tailgating, the excitement in the air, the Tiger Walk, The Eagle's flight, the roar of the crowd as the Auburn band takes the field with the Drum Major spearing his baton in to the Pat Dye turf; to signal the band marching out to play "War Eagle" while the Auburn Family sings along in unison.
Then the team's picture appears on the jumbo-tron screen. And the decibel levels get dangerously high on the Richter scale as the team makes their grand entrance under the adoring cheers of 80,000 Auburn faithful.
Yes, this is the moment we all have been waiting for - for eight long months. The long dark days of the off season will finally be over in less than 72 hours.
This Saturday at 11 a.m. the 2011 football season begins when the Tigers tee it up against Utah State. So there will be no polls from this blogger today. I have just one question for you Auburn fan ...
"Are you ready for some football?"