As a student at a Big Ten school, football has become my soul purpose in life. From crackin’ the first beer in the shower at 6am on game day to FB-stalking the quarterback (shhh!), my world revolves around a bunch of dudes in spandex tackling each other on some Astroturf.

Needless to say, the past 6 weeks sans college football has been somewhat difficult. I wander aimlessly around my apartment on Saturdays, unsure what to do with all that time. I fill the void by hunting down the players on campus, but now that they’re not training as much as usual, they’re not so easy to find. And trust me, I’ve tried.

Thank god, then, that Bowl Season is upon us! I finally have a reason to drink before 11am on a Saturday! have some exciting burly-man-on-burly-man action to fill my Saturdays! Yes, ladies, it’s officially time for the best of the best in college football to duke it out in the BCS bowl games.

Confused on how the BCS works? Everyone is. But until the government sorts this shiz out, I’ve got you covered. This guide will give you a look at all of the upcoming BCS games, the teams, and who you (or more importantly, me) think deserves to win. So grab those wings, crack open a beer and get ready for some serious football showdowns. Read More »

Between the health care debate, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the persistence of the recession, Congress has a lot on its plate right now. Which is why it totally makes sense that a House subcommittee spent time this Wednesday approving important legislation aimed at making college football teams switch to a playoff system.

Whaa?

The Associated Press reports that the new law “would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff.” Maybe I’m not the most qualified person to be writing about this, since I’ve read that sentence ten times and I still have no idea what it means. Even though I’m from Pittsburgh, a city that proudly calls itself “a drinking town with a football problem,” I have been to exactly one professional and one college football game in my life. I didn’t know until a few minutes ago that the “BCS” was a thing, or that Congress had any say in how college football works.

But I know one thing: Georgia Representative John Barrow, who cast a dissenting vote only after saying, “With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on,” is totally right. Even the head of whatever the BCS is, Bill Hancock, thinks that Congress “has more important issues than spending taxpayer money to dictate how college football is played.” Read More »

Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

I live in New York, where suddenly it has gotten really. effing. cold.  (I wore my winter coat and a scowl over the weekend.)  So naturally I’ve been dreaming of what life would have been like had I gone to school in a more temperate climate where you can tailgate in tank tops and flip flops.  Such is the way things go in the Sunshine State, where the University of Florida and Florida State University have, quite literally, one of the hottest rivalries around.

1. Mascot Match-up

Florida – Call them Gator Nation, Gator Country, even Alberta and Albert (who won Sports Illustrated On Campus’ Best Mascot award); the Florida Gators are more than just a local species.
Florida State – The Florida State Seminoles, named for the Native Americans who first inhabited the area, are perhaps most famous for their war chant, which is among the most immediately recognizable songs in all of sports culture.

Three credits to: Hands-down, it’s Florida State. It’s the college chant at it’s absolute finest (and so simple, even babies can sing it)! Read More »

Welcome back to The Rival Rundown! If you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

This week we hit up the West Coast as we examine the two hottest schools in Los Angeles- the University of Southern California and the University of California- Los Angeles. Amidst the beautiful SoCal climate and a city rife with movie sets and superstars, private USC and public UCLA compete to find out which is most elite in the City of Angels.

1. Superior Sport

USC – The Trojans are known as “the football school” and have been awarded the NCAA national title in football eleven times, including back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.  They are perennially ranked in the Top 10 football programs in the BCS by ESPN, USA Today, and other publications. And Trojans have taken home the Heisman Trophy seven times.
UCLA - Meanwhile, the Bruins are known as powerhouses in basketball–also earning eleven NCAA titles. Seven of these championships were won consecutively, from 1967-1973.  UCLA is also the all-time leader in total NCAA national titles across all sports.

Meanwhile, the Lexus Gauntlet is an annual all-sports competition between the two schools sponsored by Lexus. Points are awarded for every victory (particularly in head-to-head match ups)  in NCAA-sanctioned competitions, with the school with the most points declared as the winner. (There is also a separate Lexus Gauntlet awarded to the winner of the Stanford-Berkeley rivalry.)  In the eight years of Lexus Gauntlet tradition, USC has walked away with five titles.

Three credits to: TIE.  The two schools pulled a draw in NCAA titles in their respective predominant sport.  On the one hand, the Lexus Gauntlet record gives the Trojans the edge, but UCLA also has the most NCAA titles of any school. Too close to call!! Read More »

Want to get your boyfriend/dad/brother the most amazing gift ever, but don’t know what to get? Or maybe you just L-O-V-E football more than the men in your life and really, really wanna go to the National Championship game, but you didn’t have the moolah to get to Florida.

Well, fret not, my ladies. COED, CollegeCandy’s brother site, and STA travel are giving you the chance to get there!

One winner will receive two plane tickets for becoming a fan of the STA Travel Facebook page and posting their answer to “Who should have been in the national championship game?” on the wall. That’s it. Easy as pie. (Mmmm, pie.) The winner will be announced on Friday, December 12 and will have until Dec. 22 to book their flights.

*Valid for 2 round trip domestic tickets on United to Miami from any U.S. Departure city United flies. Ticket prices not to exceed $500 each. Winner responsible for additional taxes & fees. Must book by Dec. 22nd thru STA Travel. Travel complete by January 31st, 2009. No cash value.