Last Monday had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed. I cried. I screamed with both enthusiasm and anger. My anxiety levels were through the roof. What can I say, though? That’s the kind of effect that the BCS National Championship game had on me.

College football. It is a lifestyle more than a sport. My father dressed me in a University of Alabama jersey before I could walk and I was at Bryant-Denny Stadium before I was in pre-school. My family has had me screaming “Roll Tide” for as long as I can remember. Some would call that brainwashing -- I call it unconditional pride.

Whether you Roll with the Tide, yell War Eagle or Hook ‘em Horns, there’s no pride that compares to the pride you have in your college football team. Buckeyes, Gators, Bulldogs, and Vols. We all have our traditions that are frequently seen every home game. Tailgates in the quads, tunnels to welcome your team to the stadium. Can you not just smell the burgers on the grills? Or the ice coolers sitting on the back on pickup trucks?

Football season is the best season of the year -- some might say better than Christmas. Most of the time, college football season is perceived as the time of year in which the biggest rivals in the nation clash on a green field stretching 100 yards. We all watch as sports commentators discuss the best teams’ strongest players and the offensive and defensive coaching tactics they expect to be used in upcoming games. Don’t get me wrong -- all of the build up to the game is very entertaining and gets me ready to put on my #15 Crimson Tide jersey. However, college football has become so competitive that I think people often forget what makes the sport so special.

People become so entangled in their hatred for other teams that the fun of the sport is completely taken out of the event. Healthy competition is fun but sometimes I think it’s taken a little too far. College football is and always be an American sport. Colleges all across the country put forth the best athletes to give millions of people something to root for, no matter the mascot. Each team brings forth something new and interesting to the field.

So as our favorite boys suit up in their uniforms, we will do the same. Crimson and white, purple and gold, orange and blue. As the sea of colors clash, keep your pride for your team. However, keep your respect for the sport.

Roll Tide.