It’s January 2 as I write this, and I’m beat. I can’t handle any more college football, despite the fact that the most important games are starting just now. The droning chant “we don’t need/want this many bowl games,” is almost as obnoxious as the actual number of bowl games, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. College football is my favorite sport, and I can’t handle so many games, and neither can the sport.

Why?

I’ll tell you why…

Now, before we get started, just a quick note as to what it means to be “snubbed”: not all bowl snubs mean that the teams who did play and win in a given bowl game weren’t deserving. Sometimes there are just other teams that also deserved a shot, that’s all. And because the BCS system didn’t give them a shot, we consider them snubbed.

So let’s get the ball rolling and see who comes in at #9, shall we?

Every year college football’s stupid BCS system screws over at least ten teams when bowl invitations are handed out, and 2011 is no exception. But can you actually quantify exactly how much any given team got screwed?

Well, yes…sort of. You see, all bowl games have a set amount of money they pay to the programs that play in the game. The lowliest of the low—like the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, or the GoDaddy.com Bowl—pay teams less than a million bucks for playing. Meanwhile, the cream of the crop—the BCS bowls—pay teams a whopping $18 million for playing. Thus, you can measure just how screwed your team got at bowl selection time by looking at the difference between the money they’ll actually get versus the money they probably should have gotten based on their ranking.

Today we present you a list of 12 college football teams that got screwed over by the bowl system, using the financial losses a program incurs as a guideline. If you’re a fan of the game, you should check this out, because it’s pretty eye opening.

[Before we get started, a hat tip to the “sports nerds” at teamrankings.com for their number crunching.]

12. Missouri Tigers

On the one hand, I have a real hard time saying an unranked team that went 7-5 got “screwed over” with their bowl invitation. You know what they would have gotten in the olden days? Jack squat. But this is 2011, and there are 35. Did you catch that? THIRTY-FIVE BOWL GAMES. With this kind of system, an unranked 7-5 team can get screwed.

And Mizzou did, even if only slightly. Even with their mediocre record they are a top 30 team, which ought to have gotten them a bowl game worth at least a $2 million payout. Instead they get one (the Independence Bowl) worth only $1.1 million. Don’t bust out your calculators—that’s $900,000 the Tigers are missing out on this year.

A quick comparison: Notre Dame also finished out of the top 25, but was probably 26 or 27. But they get a bowl game worth $2.125 million…because they’re Notre Dame.

11. Penn State Nittany Lions

Despite all the drama over at PSU, they finished the season 9-3 at no. 22 in the BCS rankings. If they handed out bowl invitations so that the games that pay the most go to teams in accordance with the rankings, then Penn State should have been entitled to a spot in the Alamo Bowl, which is worth $2.25 million. Instead, that game will be contended by teams ranked 35 and 12 in the nation—no, really, #12 versus #35!—while Penn State gets the TicketCity Bowl worth $1.2 million. So they miss out on $1.05 million. Though, if any program deserved to take a financial hit this year, it’s probably PSU. In fact, I’m sure their bowl assignment was probably punishment.

10. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns had an off year, going 7-5, but they managed to finish at #24 in the BCS. Going by rankings along, that ought to have gotten them Champs Sports Bowl with a payout of $2.125 million. But that went to lower-ranked Notre Dame and Florida State, while Texas got the Holiday Bowl for a measly $1 million and a hit of $1.125 million. As with Missouri, you can’t feel too bad for a team that finished 7-5. Still, fair is fair.

9. Houston Cougars

Sure, Houston plays in a weak conference. They still went 12-1 and finished #20, #17, and #19 in the AP, USA Today, and BCS Polls respectively. So it seems that the consensus was that they really earned a decent bowl invitation. Their BCS ranking suggests the Gator Bowl, with it’s payout of $2.5 million. But no, that went to down-and-out Florida and Ohio State. The Cougars instead get to join Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl, losing out on $1.3 million. (And it’s the non-powerhouse programs like Houston that could really use that extra money to remain competitive.)

8. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Southern Miss finished 11-2 and handed Houston its only loss. Despite losses to weak teams, they still finished at #24, which was deserving of a bowl game worth $2.25 million (the Alamo Bowl). Instead, they get a bowl that pays only $750,000, which is almost insulting. On top of that, it’s the Hawaii Bowl—which is awesome for the players but bad news for the Southern Miss Athletic Director, since he’ll have to pay a hell of a lot more to get his team there than if they were playing in Texas like they deserve.

7. TCU Horned Frogs

TCU finished at #18, which in a perfect world would have gotten them the Chick-fil-A Bowl worth a cool $3.35 million. Instead they’ll be facing #36 in the Poinsettia Bowl for $750,000. But I’m sure they really didn’t need that extra $2.6 million, right? I mean, an historic program like TCU is just rolling in dough.

6. Oklahoma Sooners

I know, feeling sorry for the Sooners is like feel in sorry for the Steelers. Boo freaking hoo. Still, they finished with a record of 9-3 and ranked #14 in the (admittedly over-generous) BCS poll. So even if they didn’t really deserve a $4.25 million trip to the Capitol One Bowl, they definitely deserved more than a $1.2 million trip to the Insight Bowl. Luckily they’ve been getting that ridiculous BCS Bowl cash for years and years, so a little $3.05 million hit this year won’t set them back too far.

5. Baylor Bears

You’d like to see the #12 team and it’s Heisman Trophy quarterback, Robert Griffin, playing in a big bowl game against a good team, wouldn’t you? Well, tough luck. Baylor gets #35 Washington in the Alamo Bowl. They also miss out on $4.5 million they could have had if they gave out bowl invitations based on rankings.

4. Kansas State Wildcats

Alright, now we’ve arrived at the teams that got royally screwed.

There are 10 spots available in the 5 BCS bowls. So those should go to the top 10 teams in the BCS rankings, right? Well, you already know that isn’t the case. Because the Rose Bowl insists on preserving their tradition of always having a game between the Pac 12 and Big 10, and because there is a stupid rule that no one conference can have more than two teams go to BCS bowls, every year great teams get shafted and miss out on tens of millions of dollars. This year, 4 of the top 10 BCS teams aren’t going to a BCS bowl game.

First up we have K-State, which finished at #8. They do get to go to the most prestigious non-BCS bowl (the Cotton Bowl), which pays $6.75 million. But the BCS bowls pay $18 million, so they can still argue that they were screwed to the tune of $11.25 million.

That would pay for a few scholarships, wouldn’t it?

3. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina finished the year ranked #9 in the BCS standings. They can probably tolerate seeing #11 VA Tech playing #13 Michigan in the Sugar Bowl. After all, rankings are never going to be an exact science. But it’s got to drive them absolutely insane to see #15 Clemson play #23 West Virginia in the Orange Bowl while they’ll be earning $4.25 million in the Capitol One Bowl.

The Gamecocks lose $13.75 million (based on their ranking), while West Virginia gets $15.875 million more than they really deserved? It’s madness.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

The 6th ranked Razorbacks coached by Bobby Petrino will be meeting the K-State Wildcats in the Cotton Bowl. That means they will also be missing out on $6.75 million. However, because they are ranked two spots higher than K-State, they get ranked two spots higher on this list.

1. Boise State Broncos

Sure, the Broncos are perennially a top 10 BCS team, but they’re not from a powerful conference. So screw them, right? Well, that’s the NCAA’s thinking, anyway.

This year, the Broncos once again went 11-1 and finished ranked #7. But apparently they have to go undefeated if they even want a shot at a BCS bowl and a top 4 finish. This year, instead of collecting $18 million, they get to play Arizona State (who would rank somewhere around #50 if the rankings went that high) in the Maaco Bowl for—ooh, wow—a million bucks.

$1 million is almost the same as $18 million, right?

When it was officially announced earlier this week that Urban Meyer, former football coach at the University of Florida, would be taking the head coaching job at Ohio State, I’m sure more than a few Florida fans spit on the ground and began cursing his name as a traitor. But that’s fine by me, because the mere fact that someone can be considered a “traitor” just for changing schools is what makes college football so much fun.

For college fans, loyalty and tradition is everything. Unlike the NFL, you don’t just start rooting for this school or that school because you like a certain quarterback. Being a college football fan requires a certain amount of character, and when fans get the sense that a coach lacks the same, they go crazy. Which is awesome.

Today, we bring you a list of college football’s all-time biggest coaching traitors. I’m sure many of you will think I’ve left some slimy scumbag or another off this list, so by all means let me here about it. Like I said, this kind of thing is what makes college football so much fun.

9. Kyle Whittingham

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has definitely been loyal to the school that gave him is big break as a coach, having spent the last 17 years with Utah. However, when he was offered the head coaching job at Utah in 2005 after serving as defensive coordinator at Utah for 10 years, he was also offered the head coaching job at BYU. What’s the problem? Whittingham was born and raised in Provo, his dad played for BYU, his brothers played for BYU, he played for BYU, and he also coached for a spell at BYU. So you can understand why BYU people kind of expected one of their own to “come home.” But he chose Utah…that bastard?

8. Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer was the coach at Utah right before #9 Kyle Whittingham took over. But he actually handled that departure well. In Florida, things didn’t end so well. Officially, he “retired” from football after the 2010 season due to health concerns, but anyone who watched the Gators that season saw that he really lost interest in running a top-notch college football program. So despite his tremendous success, Meyer left a bad taste in the mouths of Gators fans. And of course, now he’s announced that he is coming out of retirement to coach at Ohio State.

Not smooth, Urban.

7. Dennis Franchione

Coach Fran came into Alabama from TCU in 2001 and started to turn around a formerly proud program that was reeling from NCAA recruiting violations. In addition to leading his team to a surprise 10-3 season in 2002, he convinced a number of recruits to stick with Alabama through thick and thin. But when it became clear that the NCAA was going to hand Alabama a two-year bowl ban, Franchione said, “nah, forget it,” and used his success at Alabama to head off to a more lucrative position at Texas A&M.

The worst part is that Fran didn’t even have the balls to tell his players in person. Instead, the douche told them via video teleconference from College Station, Texas.

6. John L. Smith

It’s not uncommon for successful college coaches to sign on with a new program before they’ve played their last game with their current program. You just need to have a little tact.

While he was coaching Louisville in 2002, John L. Smith made the decision to move to the more prominent Michigan State. Unfortunately, when it came to telling his players, Smith really screwed the pooch. He thought he would wait until after Louisville’s bowl game; however, news got out during the game and some injured players were notified by friends via cell phone. So Smith had to break the news to the guys in the locker room at halftime.

Needless to say, Louisville ended up losing that game, and Smith left town on a pretty sour note.

5. Bobby Petrino

Hey look, another former Louisville coach makes the list. In fact, Petrino was John Smith’s replacement. So if Louisville didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.

Petrino came in as head coach at Louisville in 2003 and did a great job. So great, in fact, that in July of 2006 he negotiated a 10-year $25.6 million contract extension that would pay him $1.6 million per year. Obviously, Louisville thought they finally had a top-notch coach locked up for a while that would enable them to really grow their program.

Then, just 6 months later, Petrino announced that he would be leaving Louisville to coach the Atlanta Falcons. (Keep in mind, unlike the NFL, when you leave a college coaching position mid-contract, you really mess up a program’s ability to recruit.)

Adding insult to injury, Petrino didn’t even last a full year with the Falcons. He quit in the middle of the 2007 season to take the head coaching job with…the Arkansas Razorbacks? Seriously?

4. Frank Leahy

Frank Leahy is a Notre Dame legend. He played for the Fighting Irish under legendary coach Knute Rockne. Then he coached the Irish for 11 seasons, winning 4 national championships.

But what people often forget about Leahy was that, to take the job at Notre Dame, he had to completely screw over Boston College. You see, he led the Golden Eagles to an undefeated season and a victory in the Sugar Bowl in 1940. So BC signed him to a lucrative contract extension after the season. Then Leahy decided that he’d rather coach at his alma mater, Notre Dame. So even though he had no way of getting out of his Boston College contract, he too the job at South Bend.

That was a sticky situation. He begged and pleaded with Boston College to let him out of his contract, but they wouldn’t do it…that is, until Leahy went to a press conference and told a boldfaced lie to the national sporting press about how BC had granted him his release. Upon hearing that, the vice president of Boston College immediately called Leahy and said, simply, “Coach Leahy, you may go wherever you want, and whenever you want. Good-bye.”

3. Nick Saban

You can’t begrudge a guy who’s conquered the college football world for wanting to try his hand at the NFL. And that’s what Saban did in 2004 when he signed on with the Miami Dolphins after winning a BCS Championship at LSU.

However, if you decide after two years in the NFL that you want to go back to the NCAA, do not go to one of your previous team’s most heated rivals (i.e. fellow SEC member Alabama). That’s really going to piss people off.

2. Rich Rodriguez

In 2007, West Virginia coach (and West Virginia native) Rich Rodriguez renegotiated his contract with the Mountaineers. But right before his team was to play in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, Richie changed his mind and decided he’d rather coach at Michigan.

This change of heart might have been forgivable had Rodriguez handled it with class. But he doesn’t have any of that. So what he did was just quit on his team two weeks before their final and biggest game of the season.

At least Rodriguez made Mountaineers fans happy when he crashed and burned at Michigan, then was unemployed for two years (before getting his current gig as coach at Arizona).

1. Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin is a first-rate jackass. Remember the time he publicly accused Urban Meyer of recruiting violations, even though the accusations were untrue, and Kiffin himself was guilty of numerous violations? Yeah, that was hilarious. But it wasn’t as hilarious as his departure from Tennessee after only one mediocre season.

You see, for some reason, Kiffin had become the hottest young coach in football. The late Al David hired him to coach the Raiders in 2007 at the age of 31. Then, after sucking in Oakland for two seasons, the Tennessee Volunteers thought they saw something in Kiffin and gave him a huge, lucrative contract that he most definitely did not deserve. Then, after just one season, Kiffin left the Vols for USC—yet another team that saw something special in a guy who didn’t really win all that much.

Tennessee players and students were so shocked by Kiffin’s announcement that a riot actually broke out on campus. (Or maybe it was a celebration.)

*Update* Joe Paternity has since announced that he will retire at the end of the season.

Hat Tip – (Big Lead Sports)

Hat Tip – (Deadspin)

Week nine did not turn out as we had originally planned, as we were handed our first losing weekend of the season.  Oklahoma State rolled to the easy victory, but neither Clemson nor Kansas State were able to keep their games even remotely close, leaving us with a 1-2 record and dropping our overall record to 16-8.  With all of the winning we had been doing throughout the first eight weeks of the season, I guess it was only a matter of time before we had a bit of a setback, but we are ready to bounce back immediately with our week ten picks

Here they are.

Game: #1 LSU @ #2 Alabama
Pick: Alabama -4.5
Reason: Here it is!  The match-up everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived.  For the first time in history, two SEC teams that are ranked 1 and 2 in the nation will meet prior to the conference championship game.  You’d have a tough time finding a closer match-up than this, which usually means the underdog is a good play, but I can’t help but think otherwise.  Both team’s defenses are just about even and LSU may be better on special teams, but Alabama appears to have two important advantages in this game; their offense and home-field advantage.  While LSU has proven that they can beat ranked teams on the road, they haven’t faced a team as good as the Crimson Tide in front of a crowd like the one they will be confronted with at Bryant-Denny Stadium.  Look for running back Trent Richardson and quarterback AJ McCarron to be the difference as the Roll Tide rolls to the victory and the cover.

Game: #13 Houston @ UAB
Pick: Houston -27.5
Reason: The Houston Cougars are 8-0 this season and have been averaging 453.3 passing yards and 52.3 points per game (both best in the nation) while allowing 24.8 points against.  As for UAB, they are 1-7 on the season and are allowing 35.1 points against per game, while scoring only 14.9 points per game.  Cougars quarterback Case Keenum already has 32 touchdown passes and only three interceptions thus far this season, and on Saturday he will be up against one of the worst defensive units in the nation.  This game has “Houston blowout” written all over it.  Look for them to win big and cover the 27.5-point spread in the process.

Game: Northwestern @ #10 Nebraska
Pick: Nebraska -17
Reason: After an embarrassing loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have put together three straight victories, including wins against Ohio State and Michigan State.  Last weeks’ 24-3 victory over the Spartans was their most impressive performance of the season, and they should be able to build off it when they take on a Northwestern team whose defense is currently ranked at the bottom of the Big Ten.  The Cornhuskers’ ground game has been phenomenal, averaging 252.1 rushing yards per game.  Look for them to control the clock and the tempo of this game, as they come away with the easy victory against an over-matched Northwestern team.

Last Week’s Record: (1-2), 2011 Record: (16-8)

It wasn’t a very good week for us, as Auburn and Arkansas didn’t put up quite as many points as we had initially expected.  As for the Hokies, they were able to come away with a win, but a late surge from the Hurricanes prevented them from covering the spread.  Thankfully, LSU came though for us once again and saved us from going winless in week six.  Now we turn our focus to week seven, as we see three teams ranked within the Top 10 covering their respective point-spreads on the road.

Here they are.

Game: #1 LSU @ Tennessee
Pick: LSU -17
Reason: LSU hasn’t disappointed us thus far this season, and we will continue to ride them this week as they take on a team with a quarterback making his first start of the season for the second time in two weeks.  Last week LSU terrorized Florida freshman Jacoby Brissett, and we expect much of the same when they take on Tennessee’s Matt Simms.  LSU has one of the best defensive units in the nation.  As a result, the Volunteers should have a tough time producing points.  That will make it easy for the Tigers to earn the victory and cover the 17-point spread.

Game: #6 Oklahoma State @ #22 Texas
Pick: Oklahoma State -7
Reason: For the first time this season the Texas Longhorns found themselves up against an elite college offense last week, and they had no answer for it, surrendering 55 points to the Oklahoma Sooners.  Now they will take on an Oklahoma State offense that is just as good, if not better, than the Sooners’ offense.  The Cowboys rank first in the nation in points scored, and second in passing offense.  They have also covered the spread in each of their last four games.  Look for them to make it five covers in a row as they beat the Longhorns by more than a touchdown.

Game: #8 Clemson @ Maryland
Pick: Clemson -8
Reason: Clemson has been a pleasant surprise, although they haven’t been all that pleasant to the other teams in the ACC.  Florida State, Virginia Tech and Boston College have already learned that lesson, and it appears as though Maryland will be next.  The Tigers have covered the spread in each of their last four games, while the Terps have covered in only one of their last four games.  If the Tigers playing on the road has you worried, it shouldn’t.  They were able to go into Lane Stadium two weeks ago and come away with the 23-3 victory over Virginia Tech.  They shouldn’t have a problem doing the same when they visit Byrd Stadium on Saturday.

Last Week’s Record: (1-2), 2011 Record: (10-5)

Well, we’re almost halfway through the college football season once again. Pretty soon we’ll all be debating the merits and faults of the BCS with friends and coworkers like we do every year. But before we get to the arguing, I think we should all take a moment to appreciate the one element of college football that everyone likes: the cheerleaders.

We’ve been observing these hard working women perform their various cheers, dances and acrobatic maneuvers for four weeks now, and we’re ready to sort the pretenders from the contenders. So here, for your viewing pleasure, is Total Pro Sports’ mid-season ranking of the hottest college football cheerleading squads in the land.

15. Miami

Honestly, I expected the Miami Hurricanes’ cheering squad to be way higher on this list. After all, is there any sexier city in America than Miami, Florida? But I guess the Miami Hurricanes cheerleaders are in a down period like the football. Still, they’ve got these two lovely young women who, if nothing else, know how to pose for a picture.

14. South Florida

Hey, the South Florida Bulls are doing pretty well this year. They’re ranked pretty high (#16 in the AP after week 4) for a program that went 8-5 the last three seasons. Maybe this success has something to do with these hot cheerleaders? If nothing else, hot cheerleaders have to help with recruiting, right?

13. Clemson

I’m not a Clemson fan, so I don’t really give a crap about Howard’s Rock. It’s the purple shorts and the cute girls wearing them that have drawn my attention to this picture. They (the shorts and the cute girls) make me want to move to the south. Well, that and the barbecue.

12. LSU

I don’t know if they just put the girls with the sexiest abs in the front row, or what, but this is one hell of a team photo. Thank you, Louisiana State University, for admitting so many ridiculously fit women to your school and then putting them on your cheerleading squad. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

11. Florida State

FSU is another school I expected to do pretty well on this list, given its reputation as one of the nation’s—nay, one of the world’s—top party schools. And, unlike Miami, this “institution of higher learning” did not let me down. They don’t rank as high as I would have though, but they are still pretty great. Of course, any cheerleading squad would be on this list with a girl that looks like this, don’t you think?

10. North Carolina

Holy hell, look at this cheerleading uniform! It certainly flatters this lovely cheerleader’s figure. But I guess they had to do something to get people to come out and watch the North Carolina Tar Heels play football.

9. USC

The University of Southern California Song Girls are one of the nation’s legendary cheerleading squads. Sadly, they are not quite what they used to be. They’re still good enough to slide in at #9 on this list, but a decade ago they almost certainly would have been in the top three. Maybe cross-town rival UCLA (#5) has been poaching hotties away from the USC board of admissions? Or maybe USC just aint what it used to be since Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush left for the NFL.

8. Missouri

Now here is one I didn’t see coming. If you told me a midwestern college was going to make this list, I would probably have guessed Iowa, or maybe Wisconsin. Whenever I line about “Midwest farmers’ daughters” in the Beach Boys song, those are the states that comes to mind. But what do you know, the Mizzou Tigers have some damn hot cheerleaders. I mean, just look at that lineup—not one of those girls is even average. They’re all exceptional.

7. Texas

I’m not sure these Texas Longhorns cheerleaders are hotter than their Big 12 counterparts from Missouri. But they’re outfits include chaps. That right there is worth a bump of one or two places in the rankings. But also, yes, these ladies are quite attractive.

6. TCU

Is your jaw okay? Because when I saw this incredibly hot Texas Christian University cheerleader, my own jaw hit the damned desk. TCU’s mascot may be the Horned Frog, but it might as well be the Horny Frog. (You knew that joke was coming as soon as you saw TCU on the list, right?)

5. UCLA

See what I mean? I think UCLA is stealing all of USC’s hot girls. I guess after Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush left, there was just no reason to go to an academically inferior more expensive school. So all the attractive California girls just headed West along the Santa Monica Freeway to Westwood. (In case you didn’t realize it and are confused, USC and UCLA are both in Los Angeles.)

4. Baylor

Of all the big football schools in Texas, I wouldn’t have thought the Baylor Bears TCU horned Frogs would have the hottest cheerleaders. But as you can clearly see, the evidence is irrefutable. The Baylor cheerleaders are the best of the bunch. I mean, they are just downright smokin. What is it with Christian colleges?

3. Alabama

If you ask me, the Alabama Crimson Tide have the classiest looking hot cheerleaders in the country. They’ve just got that quintessential look of Southern charm and hospitality. So whatever they’re doing down there in Tuscaloosa, I hope they keep it up.

2. Arizona State

Party schools in temperate climates are babe magnets. If you need proof, just look at the Arizona State cheerleaders. Every single one of them: crazy hot. The outfits don’t even have to be outrageous to show it off, either. These girls would look gorgeous in potato sacks. (Though I don’t recommend that, on account of the chaffing.)

1. Oregon

When the hell did a school with such stupid colors and garish football uniforms get such incredibly attractive cheerleaders? And how? For a long time the Ducks were a novelty on the college football scene. Then one day, all of a sudden, they’re a top program and their cheerleaders are absolutely legendary. Yes, the super skimpy outfits help, but like the Sun Devils, the Ducks cheerleaders are so hot they would look good no matter what.

Any fan of football has to admit that, if you want to understand the soul or essence of the sport, you’ve got to start with college football. Don’t get me wrong, I love the NFL. They obviously have the better on-field product and, frankly, I’m really an NFL guy at heart. But when it comes to “intangibles” like passion, rivalries, and atmosphere, there can be no doubt that the NCAA is king.

Don’t believe me? Just think about venues for a moment. How many NFL stadiums would we say are so “hallowed” as to be worthy of a pilgrimage? If you answered “one” you’d be correct. Green Bay’s Lambeau Field is the only stadium in pro football imbued with a sense of tradition and greatness.

College football, on the other hand? When I sat down to make this list of the 13 best places to watch a college football game, I couldn’t believe how many incredible places wouldn’t be making the list. Texas A&M’s Kyle Field? Not on the list. Georgia’s Sanford Stadium? Nope, not quite. Oklahoma, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and the freakin Rose Bowl? Unbelievably, none of them made it. You may think this sounds crazy, but that’s how many awesome football shrines there are in the NCAA.

So without further ado (ado sucks, and there’s already been too much of it), here are the 13 best places to watch college football.

13. The Big House (Michigan)

Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 and originally had a capacity of 72,000. Since then, this historic venue has expanded to hold 109,901, making it the largest capacity stadium in the United States. (I knew there had to be a reason this place is known simply as “The Big House.”) I’ve heard some people say that the “buzz” in The Big House isn’t what you would expect from a place filled with so many people and so much history. Still, I couldn’t leave the biggest venue in American sports (and home to one of the most storied college football teams) off this list.

12. Husky Stadium (Washington)

I think because they’re in the Pacific Northwest, I tend to forget that the Washington Huskies are one of college football’s great programs. They’ve won 15 Pac-10 championships, 7 Rose Bowls, and 4 National Championships (all between 1960 and 1991). So, this is a college team with some pedigree, and they’ve got the historic stadium to match. Husky Stadium opened in 1920 and was originally one of the great old bowl-style venues. They’ve since added on to the original structure to increase the capacity from 58,000 to 72,500.

The fans? They’re pretty awesome, too. The average attendance at Husky Stadium in 2008 was 68,000. The team went 0-12 that year.

Also, did I mention that this is one of the few stadiums in college football where people tailgate right outside on boats? Yeah, they call it “sailgating,” and it’s ridiculously awesome.

11. Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin)

You want history? How about this: the Wisconsin Badgers’ home field is named Camp Randall Stadium because it was built on the site of a Civil War training camp. It became the grounds for Badgers football in 1895 and the site of a permanent structure in 1917. Since then, the University of Wisconsin has build additions to the stadium here and there such that the capacity now stands at a massive 80,321. Today, this place is one of the most lively venues in college football thanks in large part to the Wisconsin Marching Band’s raucous post-game party known as “The Fifth Quarter.”

10. Clemens Stadium (St. John’s University, MN)

Okay, I know you internet people are probably scratching your heads (or perhaps screaming obscenities) at this pick, but please hear me out.

College football is more that the big name schools. There are tons of small colleges playing Division III football whose fans are just as rabid as those at a BCS school. And among these Division III football madhouses, St. John’s University is like Penn State. Their coach, John Gagliardi, is the winningest college football coach of all time (480-131-11) and is one of only three active coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. The others? Chris Ault of the Nevanda Wolf Pack and a little nobody named Joe Paterno of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The St. John’s University Johnnies play football in Clemens Stadium, also known as “the Natural Bowl” because it’s built in a natural amphitheater enveloped by pristine Minnesota pines. On game days, the quaint venue fills with about 10,000 fans and the smell of fresh baked “Johnny Bread” (baked weekly since 1895 by the Benedictine monks who run the school). In other words, this place is what you would get if Kevin Kostner made a Field of Dreams about football.

Okay, now that you’ve heard me out, you may resume yelling obscenities.

Source

9. Death Valley (LSU)

Any place nicknamed “Death Valley” has to be pretty nuts, right?

LSU’s Tiger Stadium is on this list because there are few louder, wilder, or more intimidating venues in college football. Apparently, after you attend a game in Death Valley your ears ring like you were at a rock concert. Part of the reason for all the insanity must surely be the fact that the Tigers play mostly night games—meaning their fans have extra tailgating time to get all liquored up. Also, they really love their football down there in the bayou.

8. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas)

To be honest, there could probably be four or five Texas schools on this list. But for the sake of maintaining diversity, I went with just one: the home of the Texas Longhorns. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and their passion for football is certainly no exception. Everything you encounter at this stadium has a distinctly Lone Star feel, from the outfits worn by the marching band to the ritual unfurling of the largest Texas flag in the world.

7. The Swamp (Florida)

Officially named Ben Griffin Stadium, they call it The Swamp because, there, it’s always the gators who dominate. Of course, Florida being a member of the SEC, the passion of the fans needs little explication. So I’ll say only this: they’ve sold out every game for the last 30 years. As for the environs, as you can see from this picture, this place is probably the most intimate 88,548 seat stadium on the planet. With rabid fans practically right on top of them, it’s no wonder opposing teams fair so poorly here.

6. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama)

Opened in 1929, this stadium was originally just “Denny Stadium.” In 1975, however, the Alabama state legislature decided the stadium should also honor legendary Crimson Tide coach (winner of 6 national championships) Paul “Bear” Bryant. So now it’s the Bryant-Denny Stadium. Of course, the fact that the state government concerns itself with honoring football coaches ought to tell you something about the importance of football in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Today, the stadium seats 101,821 people (every single one of whom puts the “fan” in “fanatic”), but is only the second-biggest stadium in the SEC.

5. Memorial Stadium (Nebraska)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have one of richest traditions in college football. Their Memorial Stadium opened back in 1923 and is named to honor Nebraskans who have served the nation in times of war. Classy, right? On game days, the stadium is subjected to a deluge of 80,000 fervent Nebraskans dressed entirely in red. They call this, strangely enough, the “Sea of Red.” Of course, all this sounds amazing, but good luck getting tickets. They’ve sold out every game since 1962. (Yes, that’s a record.)

4. Michie Stadium (Army)

Army’s Michie Stadium is a hell of a lot smaller than most of the places we’ve seen so far. But it’s old, gorgeous, and overflowing with tradition, which is why it comes in at #4 on this list.

This 38,000-set gem was built in 1924, designed to overlook the Hudson River and West Point’s picturesque neogothic campus. Combine this with about 4,000 men and women in sharp uniforms, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a place to watch college football.

3. Beaver Stadium (Penn State)

Beaver Stadium, opened in 1960, is the second-largest stadium in North America (after Michigan’s Big House) with a capacity of 106,572. But it’s not just a shrine to one of the nations greatest college football programs. It’s also a shrine to living legend, football idol, and one of the greatest coaches (of anything) ever: Joe Paterno. When he comes out before the game to great the student section, you’d think it was Santa Clause greeting a pack of sugared up 6-year-olds—that’s how big a deal JoePa is. Sadly, Joe aint gonna be around forever. Hopefully this place will still be magical after he’s gone.

2. Neyland Stadium (Tennessee)

Opened originally in 1921, this 102,455-seat stadium located on the banks of the Tennessee River has one of the most picturesque locations in college football. And it’s not just home to a football team, but to one of the grandest football “experiences” anywhere. At least, that’s according to both the Sporting News and Sports Illustrated.

Hey, if a stadium is an experience unto itself, that’s pretty good, right?

Also, like Husky Stadium, people tailgate on boats outside Neyland Stadium, which (as I’ve said already) is ridiculously awesome.

1. Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame)

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I am not a fan of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have been irrelevant for 20 damn years but people still act like they matter, and that bugs the crap out of me.

That being said, Notre Dame used to be the greatest program in the country, and was perhaps the first college football team to have a truly national fan base. On top of that, they’re stadium was, is, and I suspect will continue to be absolutely beautiful. I have only walked around the outside of this place, but I’ve heard people say that this stadium is the Fenway of college football. From what I’ve seen, that sounds about right. Thus, I feel I have no other choice but admit that Notre Dame Stadium is probably the best place to watch college football.