Being blessed -- some might say cursed -- as a Radio/Television/Film major, I have hard time NOT relating things to pop culture or finding their pop culture equivalents so I can easily explain them to outsiders. College football is no different. Sometimes, people need to find another avenue to relate to a certain game. They need it broken down a different way. Here are five games I'm watching this week and their pop culture doppelgangers.
Auburn vs Mississippi State (Saturday, 11am, ESPN)
Pop Culture Equivalent: French Poetic Realism Cinema
Some of my most depressing moments watching college football involved Mississippi State. The 3-2 game. The upsets under Tubs. The list is pointed and numerous. It makes me realize that College Football is not fun sometimes. It's fatalistic and not fantasy. The starkly realistic view that I get oddly reminds me of Poetic Realism in French Cinema and the more I remembered from Dr. Wynn's International Film class, the more MSU fit that mold. Poetic Realism films have a fatalistic view of the world. The characters live on the fringe of society. After years of heartbreak, they get another chance to love but ultimately they are disappointed.
Sounds like State to me. On the fringes of the SEC. Years of heartbreak under Sly Croom, then they think, they hope, with Dan Mullen that they will finally be happy. Yet, you and I know that Mullen will ultimately break their hearts again. Their college football world sucks and their weird Stockholm syndrome they have going on with Mullen is a tad disturbing.
With that nod to Poetic Realism, I present my short film on Mississippi State: Un Film De Miss State. Maybe it can help explain the sad world that is Maroon football. Excuse my terrible french, if you would.
We've only just begun our journey. You're PCE's for Duke/Stanford, Vandy/N'Western, Savannah State/FSU, and more are below the jump.
Duke at Stanford (Saturday, 9:30pm, PAC-12 Network)
Vanderbilt at Northwestern (Saturday, 7:30pm, B1G Network)
Pop Culture Equivalent: Revenge of the Nerds
Obvious joke is obvious. Although, seriously, these teams have to know the tounge-and-cheek F-U to the teams that have scheduled cupcakes while they hold their own version of Super Scholar's Bowl. This game will give writers ample time to opine about the "student-athletes" at these schools. Mike Greenberg and Skip Bayless can hold a side bet for Vandy/Northwestern and your pediatrician and your oncologist can have a side bet on Duke/Stanford. Everyone wins!
Though, bringing up Revenge of the Nerds gives me a chance to remind everyone that Stanford has now become the anti-Ogre. You remember Ogre, right? He was an Alpha who later learned that he was really a nerd. He found his calling. He found his home and was now accepted. He was a luggish brute out of his element. Take that. Reverse it. That's Stanford. They were that super west coast nerd school. Now? They're winning football games and you can't really consider them part of that world anymore.
Also, I guess Rice and Syracuse were busy this week.
Savannah State at Florida State (Saturday, 5:00pm, espn3)
Pop Culture Equivalent: Garfield: The Movie
Just doing it for the money. No other reason. The only reason Bill Murray voiced Garfield? Money. So don't hate the player just hate the game. Don't hate on Savannah State for wanting to get some green and let their players play big boy football. It's just how it is. Sit. Enjoy your popcorn (or goldfish crackers). I know most people would rather watch Andrew Garfield than Garfield Garfield.
Texas A&M vs Florida (Saturday, 2:30pm, ESPN)
Pop Culture Equivalent: New Girl
Oh Texas A&M. There's one way I can accurately describe you (from an outside perspective). You're just so adorkable. (TM to Fox Marketing). You're the SEC Version of Jess in New Girl. You're quirky, you have odd habits, you make us laugh and sure, eventually, we may fall in love with you. Some of us are more excited about your hot best friend, CeCe (aka Missouri). Maybe you can eventually find a great pairing and match up with Nick (LSU). You know Nick, right? We all love Nick. However, Nick doesn't really have a match in conference. He's just hanging out. He needs someone he can truly click with. It's okay Jess/TAMU, we know there's also some weird roommates here in the SEC. There's the douchey guy with a heart of gold, Schmidt (Georgia). Hey, he's taking out CeCe this weekend. Hope that's ok. I'm kind of puttering out with this analogy. I don't have an SEC equivelant of Winston. I'll probably think of one later. Welcome to the family A&M. We understand you. We really do.
New Mexico at Texas (Saturday, 7:00pm Longhorn Network)
Pop Culture Equivalent: Boss (Starz)
We might not realize this, but Texas may be slowly dying. Just like Kelsey Grammer as Tom Crane in Boss. However, neither are telling anyone. Their current marriages (Texas to the Big XII/ Tom Crane + Wife in Boss) are just formalities and are just for show. No one is really talking about them. No one is really noticing anything off even though there are signs that they just aren't the same and something may be wrong. Even someone on the inside (Ben Zajac in Boss/ Manny Diaz at Texas) are too busy cultivating their own future aspirations to notice that this is not the same person that everyone once knew, feared, and respected.
Also, this game will be on Longhorn Network and Boss is on Starz. Good luck finding either on of those on your cable system.