Fall Ball
The fall is great for lots of reasons. Cooler weather brings promises of sweaters, hoodies, and pumpkin spice lattes. There’s plenty of holiday joy to look forward to. The leaves are turning beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow and the days are getting shorter. One of my absolute favorite things about the fall is the return of football.
From September to January, there’s at least one or two football games on every single weekend. NCAA football is loved by many, tolerated by some, and hated by few. For those of you like me, you just can’t get enough of watching the sport. It’s an electric feeling seeing your favorite team run up the score on your arch rivals or upset a team in a hostile environment on the road.
My husband and I are natural UGA fans since we not only got our undergrad degrees from the school, but also met, went on our first date, and even got married on campus. Even though we’ve graduated and moved out of Athens, we still go back frequently for games and events. Sometimes we switch up our scenery and take a roadtrip to grab our groceries since everything we need is located in a more central location than it is at home. We really enjoy the city and hope to move back to the surrounding area one day.
It’s been so fun watching the Dawgs win big the last two seasons. The championship in 2021 definitely meant more and hit different from the one in 2022 because we had finally overcome the speed bump known as the Alabama Crimson Tide football program. That was the year we were literally waiting on the edge of our seats during the games because we knew how easy it would be to just randomly start losing games. That was a legendary team, especially the manner in which they beat opponents.
This year in particular is exciting since there’s a new offensive coordinator and quarterback to rally behind. The era of Todd Monken and Stetson Bennett is over, but I have faith oher people will step up to make sure the team stays elite. I think we’ll still end up winning the Natty again, as long as nothing abnormal happens in the meantime.
We’re always going to watch the UGA game no matter who they’re playing, but there are definitely weeks that have other teams with better matchups that we’re more excited to watch. For the most part, we enjoy watching the sport especially at high levels. We like turning on other SEC teams to see how they’re looking and to just watch a game where we have no affiliation for either team. Usually, those are the most interesting games if UGA is playing a no-name team.
While Alabama definitely got the best of UGA while we were in school, I have no qualms about watching their games. Same for Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and any other team that’s actually relevant in the sport. It’s fun loosely keeping up with other teams to see how they progress over time. It also helps accurately predict wins and losses for Georgia.
There’s honestly a lot of trolling for kicks and giggles that happens in NCAA football. Uncle Lou on YouTube is one of the greatest programs if you’re an all around football fan because he covers almost every single team. His content doesn’t stop when it’s the off season either. He keeps up with recruiting, rankings, and gives his honest opinion on the performance of each team in a hilarious, yet informing way.
The joy of football isn’t just found Between the Hedges. It’s found at watch parties with loud, obnoxious fans. It’s created when you finally understand the intricacies of the rules. It’s cultivated when you start learning the players and positions they play on the field. It’s a lifelong love and a feeling that’s truly unique.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
