Egg Bowl

Every time I talk to my brother (VT Alum) about State football, he tells me it's obvious the program is improving. He tells me when the offensive line is as bad as State's line was three years ago, that it takes 4 or 5 plus years to see improvement in the win column.

When I talk to another buddy (Auburn Alum) he tells me the same. Although he throws in that you can see the toughness and the fact the players are in the right the spots, they just don't always make the plays. That's "good coachin' and no talent."

And another guy (Alabama fan/GT Alum) tells me to be patient. He actually called and congratulated me after the Alabama win.

Here's my opinion. None of these guys watch as much State football as me, but they are all right (and wrong) in some aspects; aspects that have been dissected over and over and over during the past three seasons.

The thing is, none of that matters today. It all matters tomorrow and it all mattered yesterday, but today it is all about beating Mississippi.

In the words of Coach Orgeron: "A lot better," Orgeron said. "Going down there last year, understanding the magnitude of the game. Not only during the game, after the game. Going recruiting and going around just to get gas or maybe get some pork chops at the store. ... Maybe it will make this a little bit better when we do win."

Lucky for me, I don't have to deal with obnoxious Mississippi fans on a daily basis. I live in North Carolina, when I go to the store to buy pork chops, I don't have to worry about hearing some old man tell me my school stinks. It would be nice though to run into that random Auburn guy who stopped me in the parking lot the Monday after the Alabama game to pat me on the back and tell me how excited he was that we "whipped dem Tiders!!"

Ahh...winning.

It cures all.

It's Been a Month

Since we've won...since I've posted...since the defense has shown up to play a football game....

Anyone have a copy of that 1996 editorial in the Reflector that was printed before the Alabama game? It was something along the lines of, "just one time, rise up, play like champions, please....."

It was classic and made me laugh on Friday.

On Saturday night, it made me think the guy should be writing editorials like that every week.

I still have the bolt from the South endzone goal posts. I was even on TV briefly that night, sitting behind some yahoo friends that decided it would be fun to get liqoured up and write ESPN across their chests. That's how bad we were, my buddies were essentially cheering for a television network.

But then something crazy happened. We won. Some old-timer handed me a bottle of champagne as I was walking back to my dorm at like 2 a.m., said he'd been bringing that same bottle to every Alabama game since '81 - for 15 years he'd waited to pop the cork. Those old bastards were still throwing down as I left to crash for the night.

I remember some dude who had to be in his fifties, just standing on the 50 yard line crying. The dude was crying. It was great.

Had a buddy make off with a player's helmet in the chaos that ensued as well. Great freakin' times.

While a win tomorrow would not be that fun, it could be that important.

So, in the spirit of the crazy student who had the vision to dream of a Bama upset on ESPN, in primetime, on November 16, 1996, I say, please, please, please, let it happen again.