Tonight is the matchup The Blot has been waiting for his entire life. Not only are my two favorite teams playing each other for the first time since I’ve been alive, but they’re playing for all the marbles, i.e. the BCS National Championship, at the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. It’s hard to put into words what this match-up means if you’re not a sports fan.
Growing up in Alabama you were forced at birth to choose a side, Alabama or Auburn. I, of course, picked Alabama, but since my parents are both from Texas and attended the University of Texas, I too had to be a Longhorn fan. And that’s where my split allegiances began. Since then I’ve actually attended both schools and like to think of myself as being a part of a pretty small group of people with degrees from both Universities (I went to Texas for undergrad and Alabama for law school).
So where does that leave me? Some might assume it’s a no lose situation since either way one of my two schools is winning the national championship, but not so fast my friend! I’m a Longhorn fan first and a Bama fan second. I’ve had Longhorn season tickets for the past four years and there is nothing I want more than for Colt McCoy and the Horns to destroy the Crimson Tide. Sounds harsh huh? Well that’s just how you have to be when your family and friends are split down the middle and trying to pull you in different directions. Plus, if Texas wins tonight, I win my college football pick ‘em league!
It’s been a tense month in The Blot’s family, as I mentioned above both my parents went to Texas, but my Stepmom is an Alabama alum. Even my Stepdad is trying to get into the action as a newly converted Alabama fan. I’ve been hearing for years from my high school friends how dominant the SEC is compared to the Big 12, and I’m sick of it. Tonight’s the night Texas proves to the world it is one of, if not the, elite program in college football.
While I had the opportunity to attend tonight’s game, at the last minute I decided to cancel my trip. I’m none too happy about it, but sadly I’ve come to the realization that sometimes you just have to make the hard, unpopular choice in life. And boy was this an unpopular decision, I think I’ve been told by every friend I’ve discussed it with that I made the wrong choice. Oh well, what can I say. I consider myself very lucky to have been able to attend Texas' two previous trips to the Rose Bowl and both were unbelievably memorable games. Regardless, I’ll be sitting on my couch all night, peeled to the screen in the biggest bowl game of the decade (I can say that with confidence since only a handful of bowl games have been played this decade).
Stats you may need to know before tonight’s BCS Championship game: The University of Texas is 2-0 in games played at the Rose Bowl; Texas is 3-0 in BCS bowl games; The University of Alabama is 0-3 in BCS bowl games; and Bama is 0-7-1 all time in games against the Longhorns.
The BCS Championship game between the #1 ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the #2 ranked University of Texas Longhorns airs tonight, Thursday, January 07, 2010 on ABC at 8/7c.