In the land of the Seminole.

(College Gameday in Tallahassee, 2003)

Throughout my life I thought I loved football. 

In my town, high school football was the biggest only thing to do on a Friday night. In my house, football was the only thing on TV on Saturdays and Sundays from September through December. 

So like most other things I grew up with, I loved football.

Or so I thought.

But I had never experienced the intense weeklong electricity of a town hosting ESPN's College Gameday. I had never attended a game between two Top 5 nationally ranked teams. I had never been in a stadium packed to a record 84,000 people that roared for every single play. I had never been around fans as classy as Oklahoma's. 

 And because I wasn't raised as a Seminole, I didn't feel like I truly was a Seminole. 

Until yesterday.

I made a point to drive/run by the stadium as often as possible throughout the week, because c'mon, how often does College Gameday set up in your town??
  

Trash talking as ladylike as possible. 

For all the Oregon Trail fans out there.

So many people, so many signs. My favorite?
"Our panhandle is bigger than yOUrs!"

Does this need an explanation?

 Lou Holtz signs that made me laugh out loud: 

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

Precious father/son combos:

Matching PFGs. 

His sign said "Today is my 8th birthday!!".
 If that wasn't adorable as it is, at one point the majority of the crowd actually sang him happy birthday.

Throughout the past couple of weeks I joked to my family and friends that I was more excited for the FSU/Oklahoma game then I was for the last three Christmases combined.

But I wasn't joking. 

I was really really excited. 

And the day did not disappoint.

Doak Campbell Stadium:

5:59 pm.

6:10 pm.

6:30 pm.

7:00 pm. 

"Let's take a picture now so we don't forget later!!!"

7:30 pm. 

8:00 pm. 

Kickoff.

I put the camera away at that point to avoid all and any distractions. 

11:30 pm.

The student section still cheering as the 'Noles leave the field. 

Florida State lost to Oklahoma 23-13. 

I don't know how the rest of our season will play out, but I do know that our defense was jaw-dropping incredible and our 18-year-old-true-freshman-back-up quarterback did one heckuva job. 

I am so thankful to be able to store that game away in the memory banks. I really don't think I'll ever forget the well deserved hype, the deafening volume of Doak Campbell, and the explosion of the student section when we tied the game to 13-13. 

So now you can believe me when I say that "I really really love college football" and "I really really love Tallahassee" and "I really truly feel like a Seminole."

Because after this past week, how could I not?

Post title reference: Seminole Wind by John Anderson.