By Anthony Voelpel and Bob Bonett

Excitement of college makes it football king of United States- Anthony Voelpel

For most people, especially New Yorkers, there is no football world beyond the NFL. Like homelessness, this is a big problem for the empire state (well, maybe not as bad).  This is where college football enthusiasts (like myself) come into play.  The facts I’m about to present to you about why college is a better overall game than the NFL are not opinion based but are actual facts, therefore no rebuttals will be necessary.  So pay attention, it’s for your own benefit.

Atmosphere
There aren’t many things in life that compare to the feeling you get on the day of a huge game.  All the parties, tailgates, tents, beer, and college girls you can possibly ask for.  Then it’s time to combine the parking lots with the student body and cramp 111,000 people into a stadium that’s supposed to only  hold 107,000 on a gorgeous fall Saturday night.  I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get any better than that.  I’ve been to games where college gameday broadcasts and it’s like a rock concert.  Go to an NFL game where there’s over 100,000 maniacal fans all wearing white shirts.  Oh, that’s right you can’t.  Would you rather go to a game where there’s old men with painted chests wearing beer dispensing plastic helmets or a game where you’re surrounded by 15 of the hottest sororities in which you lift them up and shoulder press them for every point your team scores.  I rest my case.

Play Calling
Oh man, where do I start.  The option, the ‘bone, the freakin’ statue of liberty plays for crying out loud!  Tell me this, have you ever seen a hook and ladder, halfback pass, and then a statue of liberty play, respectively, in a championship game in the NFL.  I think not.  Not only are college plays more daring, but they give 18 year old stud athletes a chance to show their talent in the open field.  Also, how exciting is it when a team blocks punts and field goals.  That’s as rare in the NFL as the steak cooked from Peter Lugers.  And if it’s fourth down, it’s not an automatic punt in college like it is in the pro’s. 

Rivalries and Upsets
The Red River Rivalry (Texas vs Oklahoma), the Game (Michigan vs. Ohio State), the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party (Florida vs. Georgia).  The list goes on and on.  What’s the best rivalry in the NFL?  Giants vs Dallas?  I’m not sure if there is a heated rivalry.  When Alabama plays Auburn, there is pure hatred on the field and you know every single player is going give everything they have to win that game.  And what’s an upset in the NFL, if the Cardinals beat the Patriots?  Big deal.  You’ll never see an upset of as much magnitude (in any sport) than we saw this year when Appalachian State went into the Big House and beat Michigan in front of 110,000.  The amateurs seem to want it more than the pros.

More Teams and Games
Unless you have the NFL Sunday Ticket, you’re not watching more than four NFL games a week.  Turn on one of seven basic cable channels on a Saturday and watch an amazing non-conference showdown in the Swamp.  There’s about 20 games a week that are viewable for anyone with a television and more than half of them are going to either go down to the wire or have some sort of Heisman worthy performance.  There’s also 119 teams you can choose from to root for not to mention the sub-division (D1–AA) teams. Yes, I know New York doesn’t have a true college team but the last time I checked, Rutgers is a pretty worthy candidate.  Hey, they’re in Jersey, just like the Jets and Giants. 

Overtime and Post- Season
I know you’ve heard this a 100 times but I’m going to tell you again.  The college overtime is the way to go.  Both teams get an opportunity to score and it could go for six or seven OT’s.  All you have to see is the coin toss (more times than none) to determine the winner of an NFL overtime game. And how bout the post season, over 20 bowl games during the holiday season for your entertainment.  Four BCS games and then an enormous National Championship game.  Although there is some controversy surrounding the BCS, how could you get tired of watching hours of championship college football?

 The tradition, passion, and heart that goes into the college game isn’t found in many sports today.  And while the NFL is still great, it will never compare with the NCAA.  See you on Saturday. 

Flaws in FBS postseason lift NFL to superiority – Bob Bonett
Yes, Bill Belichick tainted the sport. Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson; neither of them helped its case either. And of course, two New York teams that can’t seem to buy a playoff run is pretty disheartening.

However, there is still no way that college football tops the NFL when it comes to a full season of talent value.The popularity of college football has of course grown exponentially over the past few years. Everybody loves to watch two of the nation’s top-10 teams do battle Saturday afternoon. In person, the passion of fans can make for a great atmosphere and experience. And, specifically of late, starpower has become as exciting as ever with players like Darren McFadden and John David Booty.

However, the NFL’s got all of that, and one more element that the college ranks lacks severely.

A PLAYOFF SYSTEM!

Every year, you can count on a few things: Joe Torre will mismanage his bullpen, Notre Dame will underperform (sorry for the low blow, Irish fans), the Phillies will find a way to crumble down the stretch, the NBA regular season will hold no merit, and the nation will not crown a legitimate FBS champion.
The BCS is the most flawed system of choosing anything, save the Electoral College, in the world. Using a bunch of computer geeks who sometimes think it is funny to rank Boise State ahead of Florida to determine who plays for the national title is asinine.

Without fail, there is always a team left out of the picture, forced to play in the Lackmann Food Bowl or Abercrombie and Fitch Underwear Bowl against the Mountain West’s champion in an untelevised game. And when that third place team, without fail, wins big, an entire college season goes by without even determining a winner.

Lacking playoffs is not the only handicap for the college ranks, though. For people who attend schools like Buffalo, Duke or, prior to this year, Hofstra, the season is painfully long with 42-0 loss after 42-0 loss on the schedule.

Sure, attending USC and Oklahoma provides for ample entertainment each year. The same teams playing in meaningful games each season gets too boring, though.

Face it, there is absolutely no parity in college football.

Go ahead, argue for Boise State and Nevada; the 10 guys and girls I assemble to play football Tuesday nights could go 12-0 against hapless FCS opponents and teams that are always featured in ESPN’s Bottom 10 poll. Moreover, when they do beat a top team (See: BSU over Oklahoma last year), the pollsters make it impossible for them to ever legitimately compete for a national title.Meanwhile, for all that is wrong with the college ranks, the NFL delivers in any category.

Take, for example, a typical Sunday for a New York fan. You can wake up at 11 a.m., order a pizza, watch the Jets (lose) at 1 p.m. on CBS, flip to FOX and watch the Giants (lose) at 4 p.m., and stay glued to the television to watch two of the league’s best square off in primetime on NBC.

Moreover, after a long day at school, Monday Night Football always offers a great storyline, specifically when some of the league’s best, most entertaining personalities, such as Ocho Cinco and Terrible Owens, are highlighted in the game.
I absolutely enjoy watching college football. I hate Notre Dame;  and I love seeing them lose. Louisville’s Thursday night shootouts against Middle Tennessee and Kentucky are highly entertaining. And, of course, with Hofstra returning to some semblance of prominence so far this year, the Pride has been downright exciting to watch.

However, while watching these games is fun, just as unentertaining is seeing ABC’s featured game on Saturday pitting West Virginia and Syracuse. By the end of the first quarter, the Mountaineers lead 35-3, and the game has already been decided in embarrassing fashion.
Yes, I know upsets happen in college football and that an underdog can win. Of course Appalachian State taking down Michigan was exciting and filled with drama.
Every week in the NFL, though, any team can win, (unless they are playing film major Bill Belichick and the Patriots) enabling every game to be an entertaining one.
And beyond that, when your team is struggling in the NFL, you still go out every week to support them. If the Jets are 1-9, I’m still going to watch them, along with the rest of the Gang Green nation, convinced that finishing 7-9 isn’t out of the question.
So college boys, come back to me when you finally determine a legitimate champion, and when there is some sort of circulation among the best teams. Until then, I’ll keep looking forward to Sunday for the best version of football.

Upsets such as Boise State’s win over Oklahoma last year can make the college ranks an attractive option for football fans. With no playoff system, though, does the NFL reign supreme?