By Alec DavisThe Daily Northwestern

There might not be anything better in the United States than Saturdays in the fall, because that is when you will find college football. I love baseball and pro football. But I think if I were to show someone from another country what American sports are about, I would choose a college football game. The atmosphere in a college town during gameday is like nothing else – at least if you’re in a town other than Evanston.

I know we’re working against tough odds here. We have a student body that’s a mere fraction of the size of the schools we regularly play against. We also have a student body that is a little more academically oriented, “nerdy” if you will. And we have a football team that isn’t exactly known for its ability to win football games.

But that doesn’t mean we should sit back and accept the fact that Evanston will never be a Columbus, Madison or Ann Arbor. Gameday can be a great event, even if you don’t like football.

I suggest waking up early and getting a good start to the day. Tailgating or kegs-and-eggs are two time-tested methods, and I suggest taking advantage of these. When else in life can you start drinking at 7 a.m. and not have to worry about the word “alcoholism” being thrown around?

After you’ve had a couple of beverages to warm yourself up and get the juices flowing, throw on your purple and get to the game. And yes, I mean purple and not just Northwestern apparel. I shouldn’t have to explain what’s wrong with wearing a blue or gray NU shirt in the student section. Just turn on the Penn State game, have a look at the “white out” and you’ll see what I mean.

And if nothing else, please just go to the game. It’s sad to see a half-filled student section. What’s the point of a home game if you don’t have a crowd there to support the team? Our student section can be strong at times, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

I know our team hasn’t exactly had a stellar season so far. I never thought I would have said this, but I really miss last year’s quarterback, Brett Basanez. And I miss Randy Walker and Mike Dunbar running the offense. I put our offensive play calling this year somewhere between the categories of godawful and horrendous. And yes, that means we play pretty ugly football.

But I still have faith in Coach Pat Fitzgerald and the team. We might not lead the Big Ten this year (quite the opposite, in fact), but we’re still a part of possibly the best conference in college football, and there’s no reason not to enjoy it.

There’s really nothing too difficult about it, and I guarantee the players appreciate the effort. So grab a drink, grab a friend, grab a football, grab your purple and have a good time. You can’t tell me you were really going to study at 11 a.m. anyway.

McCormick senior Alec Davis can be reached at [email protected].