School Sport

Fans say there’s nothing like itthe days spent in the stands as the weather turns from unbearably hot to bitingly brisk; the mascots at war on the sidelines; the electric crackling between the opposing teams as each one steps up to battle for the role of “champion.” Yes, it’s college football season again, and we couldn’t be happier.The first two weeks of the 2010 NCAA season have already seen some good teams go down. Last weekend, the Virginia Tech Hokies, under the coaching of Frank Beamer, were defeated on their home turf by the James Madison Dukes. The rivalry which emerges between college teams is a large source of the drama of the games, and Dukes coach Mickey Matthews and his team know that well. Before the game, Matthews promised his team that they’d be in high demand by VT in just a few hours. After a punishing 21-16 victory, though, the team looks to be a rising star no matter whom you ask.The Hokies weren’t the only ACC team to go down last weekend. The Miami Hurricanes fell to Ohio State, the Florida State Seminoles put up an embarrassing show in a 47-17 loss to Oklahoma, and Georgia Tech was narrowly edged out by Kansas. For fans of these teams, the pain is sharp, but hopefully tempered by reality. More than four months of the season still remainplenty of time for each of these great teams to rally and deliver a rousing season. After all, that’s the glory of college football, where blood, passion, and sweat can sometimes mean more than the record books, and can catapult a player into the big leaguesand the hearts of millions.