I, like jbills, have gravitated toward college football in recent years.

I can't exactly pinpoint the specific reason as NCAAF has MANY of the same issues of injuries, poor refereeing, bad QB play, etc.

MANY bring up the decaying ethics of the NFL experience but NCAAF is far worse given the free labor provided by "students".

All that being said, I've come to enjoy NCAAF more. I think it's because I enjoy the more diverse styles of teams? Not really sure yet.

I've always preferred college football. It's much more enjoyable to watch teams and games you don't have a rooting interest in.

I always liked the NFL better outside of the years I was in school.

The product in college is superior now unless you are really hung up on pure athleticism.

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It's not just athleticism. The NFL has significantly more skilled players in every facet of the game, which is something college can't really ever compete with. I've been getting into college more recently, but I can't imagine my interest in it ever surpassing the NFL.

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To rock my soul

That is mostly to due with athleticism though.

However, college football really has no need to have equal skill or athleticism to the NFL. There is a very good reason why college won't be able to meet or beat that and in some ways that is actually better.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Well, obviously this is all subjective, but really the only thing college has over the NFL is more loyalty to specific teams or universities due to there being a more personal connection. But having worse skilled and less athletic players is never going to make for a better product.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

The athleticism/skill is great when you see OBJ or Patrick Peterson perform something ridiculous.

The negative though is it hinders the diversity of football scheme. The triple option isn't everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy watching it's gimmicky nature. That goofiness doesn't fly in the NFL.

Athleticism isn't very high on the list of reasons I watch football. Especially because some average doofus from the SEC can look like a complete athletic freak going up against some FCS jobber (Leonard Floyd for example). Athletic mismatches are more entertaining than watching Peterson and ODB neutralize each other for 95% of a game.

NFL playoffs trump anything college football has to offer. level of play is usually excellent and the divisional playoff weekend is the best weekend in sports.

Both products suck.

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Yep. Terrible thread with terrible thoughts.

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Within the context of the games the athleticism and skill is virtually indistinguishable, at least for maybe the top 20-30 teams. B/c of the salary cap you have very late round draft picks starting all over the place in the league. When Jamarcus Webb and Shea McLellin were starting there were probably like 20-40 better players in college at their positions.

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"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

That is not the only thing.

The styles are more varied. The atmosphere at games is better. The rivalry games are much better. In my opinion, the regular season drama is much better and more important. The lack of parity rewards teams more for doing things well. The amount of hateable teams to root against is great. The conference vs conference battles are fun to watch.

Don't get me wrong. I really like the NFL too. I just am going to get a lot more excited about Michigan State-Michigan this year than I am for Packers-Vikings or any other non-Bears game. That isn't even the best rivalry game involving Michigan.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Ya know I'll never ever in my life say I like NCAA bball better than the NBA, but right now I just prefer the college football game a little bit more than the NFL.

College football seems more open. More entertaining. A wider variety of games each weekend with a wider variety of styles.

Pro football is undoubtedly more athletic, and the playoffs can be must watch tv each year. The injuries every other play really turn me off. Along with the drop in quality QB play, but that is just as much due to the ability of the elite defensive minds in the game thannit is a lack of prospects.

Also helping the college game is the fact you had MANY ranked out of conference teams playing each other the first few weeks of the season.

Idk, maybe I'll change my mind come November or December, but right now I'm more excited for Saturday's in the Fall.

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It is due to quarterbacking.

Shitty NFL QBs were stars in college

on the other hand, you can find athletic freaks at junior colleges and small universities. There are lots of skill position players that are relatively unknown who are playing in the NFL

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Less flags in NCAA.. Its a better watch

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I think the NFL should adopt the pass interference is 15 yards from college.

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most of my problems with NCAAF come from off the field stuff, and i can't stand most college head coaches. but as BRick pointed out, the atmosphere is the most infectious thing to me that draws me into college football. college gameday is outstanding. from 9a to 2a, you have a whole day of programming, all over cable. besides the mid afternoon news lull, it's non stop.

the college game is faster, too, with a lot more action. and it's on a saturday, the best day of the week.

As MANY have said, it's the "exotic" appeal of it ... you probably don't know most of the players, or the plays they run, the game doesn't just look different it also 'sounds' different, it's not on a Sunday, and there are usually MANY games to choose from over quite a long period of time. It's certainly a viable alternative for one who feels they have reached NFL over-saturation for whatever reason(s).

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Plus the players actually care, they stand for the national anthem, and they are all students who are more interested in an education than getting paid.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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Brick is now bizarro Nas.

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Elections have consequences.

The NCAA seems to look for any chance to stop the clock while the NFL tries to keep it running as much as possible. Carolina and Tampa Bay run 72.7 plays a game which is tied for 1st in the NFL, 86 of 128 D1 schools run at least that many plays in a game. It adds up to a lot more action. Sure, it makes games longer, but nobody cares about longer games except in baseball.

Many different styles of teams. Offense not dominated by whether or not you have a good quarterback. Awesome rivalries. Crazy fans. Beautiful stadiums. No worrying about the start of a new week the next day. Regional announcers with cool accents. Way hotter chicks in the stands. Nostalgia. Kick ass mascots. More big games. Just a better game and more fun.

The NFL playoffs are pretty cool, though.

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I'm not really a big football fan in general. Maybe that's why I like the NFL better. Largely one day a week, limited number of teams so I can follow the teams and athletes...I just don't like NCAA football.

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<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Another dreadful week in the NFL. Something is wrong with the product.

Contrast NCAAF where the games were tight exciting affairs.

Now, poor defense in NCAAF is likely a large factor. Is that the main difference between the NFL/NCAAF ins making games are far more interesting?