SATURDAZE...

No matter where you live, in some part of this country and parts of the world you have time set aside to watch college football. The Saturday ritual has as many options as a college run and shoot offense. Sports Bars, garages while working on cars, home theaters, barber shops and many other venues serve as the unofficial gathering places for this fall Americana ritual.

Some are up bright and early tailgating and others up even earlier getting "things" out of the way including honey do's and don'ts; taking kids to sporting events and honoring forgotten promises that coincide with the big game. Flags are flying in every neighborhood separating neighbors and loved ones by colors, nicknames and mascot only to return to the weekly love fest first thing Sunday morning unless the same ritual applies to the NFL match ups.

College football can captivate even the most disinterested fan simply because the connection is not limited to sports. Your connection can be the result of your alma mater or your friend or family members school. You could live in the city or state and pride is the connection or you simply can't escape it because everywhere you turn there's a reminder even on the license plates in front of you. I am guilty as well and probably closer to excessive side of things. I will always watch and/or record the Michigan Wolverines and keep track of the competition in the Big Ten as well. But with so many great teams, coaches and players to fill up the Sunday Roster my interest requires a real wide bandwidth.

I and so many others I know can get lost in Saturday college football because even during a commercial break of the main game there is a pretty good second game to fill in the gap. And then you're gearing up for the marquee matchup and ultimately the night cap, prime time special. Some where in there you forget to take out the trash, mow the lawn and run to the store which means several yellow flags scattered around the house for unsportsmanlike conduct "failing to do your part around the house" are applied. The great thing about this penalty is no one speaks to you and you can finally watch the games without interruption. Now with remote securely in hand the rest of Saturday turns into a maze of one game on top of another with another in cue.  And it doesn't stop until some time in January when the long overdue playoffs finally becoming part of the football landscape.

Saturdaze make the reality of summer fading and fall approaching easier to accept. In the midwest the winters have been brutal of late and quite frankly the best coping mechanism is a day of football complete with snacks, wings, drinks and a fully functioning DVR. I mean certain plays have to be viewed repeatedly as they elevate certain players to NFL draft status and I just need to know that. I also need to know that this blog update is over because halftime just concluded and I'm obligated to finish watching this game until the next one starts. That's the way I see sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.