As Ron Zook was being interviewed by Bonnie Bernstein at the end of his team’s upset over the #1 ranked OSU Buckeyes, the Illini coach was on the verge of tears. The look on Zook’s face could easily sum up what an amazing and utterly surprisingly season this has been for college football. Teams have official instituted collapsible goalposts in their stadiums because of the increasing rate at which they were being torn down.
We as sports fans are unlikely to ever witness the awe-inspiring performances put on thus far, ever again. Kansas football is undefeated, people! If they beat #6 Mizzou next week and run the table for the season, including a victory in the Big 12 championship game over #4 Oklahoma, how will the BCS deny them a shot at the national title game?? And who, in their right mind, even knew that UConn had a football program? These questions have plagued the minds of so-called “experts” for the duration of this ‘07-’08 campaign.
Alec and I were discussing yesterday the insanity that has encompassed this year. This, of course, was spurred on by Kentucky basketball’s loss to Gardner Webb. I mean, the #22 team in the nation, and one of the most storied franchises in the history of the game, losing to an unheard of Atlantic Sun Conference opponent. Come on! We can only hope that this beginning to the College BBall season will live up to the monumental plateau that it’s football counterpart has put forth.
Ohio State’s loss on Saturday (really the way Zook handled the whole thing) made me realize how special sports can be, and the type of impact they can have on a small town like Eugene, Oregon (home of the Ducks) or Champagne, Illinois (where the Illini campus resides). Saturday football this year has taught me this at least; that truly anything can happen, and if you wait long enough, it most likely will. All we can hope for now is a Butler vs. Southern Illinois national title game come April.
