I (SEC)OND That!

At the outset of this day the plan was to stay home, get caught up on sleep, maybe a few household errands around the house, and maybe a ballgame nearby in Grand Prairie as the Airhogs are in a pennant fight. This is the final series of the season and the Hogs need help.

It was also the first weekend I would fully enjoy watching a bevy of college football on the big screen telly. Something I didn’t get to do for football seasons 1973 through 2011. One has not lived until you get to sink your teeth into the Big Ten, Longhorn, ESPNU, ESPN2, and ESPN Classic concurrently on a given Saturday. Fans of college football are not necessarily the same fans you might find for pro football.

Be that as it may I know that the SEC has had a nice run of success with the BCS Title since taking the honors away from Texas in 2005. Many people in the know believe that your two BCS Bowl finalists shall be Alabama and Oklahoma. That remains to be seen.

I was all set to watch this game at home…when the phone rang…

‘Got any plans, Rainman?’

‘Er….uh….no!’

‘I need a designated driver. We’re going to Alabama-Michigan.’

‘Umm…okay!’

Roll Tide!

Just like that a Labor Day weekend would begin with a record-setting night amongst 90,413 rabid fans. Many of whom started the tailgate early in the day. We arrived at 6:35 with 45 minutes to go.

The mood was electric and loud. Almost as loud of a crowd as I experienced in College Station, Tx 10/27/07 when the Jayhawks held off the Aggies 19-11. That was one loud maroon-out game.

The Spirit Zone on the West End Zone was one vociferous place in a sea of Crimson and White and pom-poms all around. Initially it looked like Denard Robinson might be able to move the ball on Alabama. Three drops and two interceptions later there was a 21-0 deficit in favor of the Tide.

My friend Vince Ferrara once told me that when you play in the SEC it’s kind of like dealing with an angry ex. The hitting never stops and you are weary and punch drunk by games end. I understood by what the eyes witnessed.

Alabama would roll behind the sharp play of AJ McCarron to a 41-14 romp on the Wolverines. Two suspensions to Michigan starters would have had little reversal of the nights results. To watch Alabama on defense it was like a swarm of bees  about to sting away.

If Nick Saban is to attain the trophy again in January we were provided a nice glimpse this night, SEC style. At no time did I ever think to say ‘War Eagle’…especially as the roar of ‘S-E-C! S-E-C!’ became a rallying cry after each score.

My thanks to Kevin Kirk and friends for Saturday night’s trek to my old neighborhood.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will