True Story

OK, so we all know how the BSC Bowl turned out... sad stuff. I do have to say, however, that Colt McCoy has got to be one of the classiest college athletes out there. His post-game speech was incredibly gracious despite the fact that his heart was obviously broken after having been injured 2 minutes into the game. What a guy. And Gilbert, a true freshman with like 4 minutes of actual college football playing time under his belt (let alone replacing one of college football's best quarterbacks ever in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS), rose to the occasion despite a very obvious case of nerves, and managed to bring the team back to within 3 points of Alabama towards the end of the 4th quarter. They made us all proud.

But I had to share a funny story that happened as a group of us (me, 2 other girls, and 2 guys) were all walking out of work on Thursday evening before the game. Actual conversation:

Guy 1: "Um, so what does it mean to be a Tier 12 school?"

Several of us girls: "Tier 12?..." "Uh, not sure..." "Um, do you mean Big 12?"

Guy 1: "Oh, yeah, Big 12. What is that?"

Me: "That's the athletic conference that UT plays in."

Guy 1: "Oh, so that means were in, like, the top 12 schools?"

Girl 2: "Noooo... it's just a group of schools in the region that play against each other in college sports."

Girl 3: "You know, like we play against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, etc. There are 12 schools."

Me: "Yeah, it's an athletic conference. Like the PAC 10, SEC, ACC, Big 10... there are a bunch of conferences throughout the country by region."

Guy 1: "Oh, huh." [seems confused]

Guy 2: "So what is the significance of tonight's game?"

Girl 2: "It's the championship."

Guy 2: "The championship of what?"

Me: "College football. Texas and Alabama are playing to see who will be the champion of all college football." [And, yes, I realize this is semi-arbitrary given the flawed BCS system.]

Guy 2: "Oh." [Finally getting it.]

Really? Really??? Now, granted, these two guys are developers and definitely more techy/artsy than sporty. But we live in TEXAS, people! I thought college football obsession was a birthright here. I mean, if 6 months of living in Texas can turn someone like me, with less than no interest in televised sports, into someone who knows things like the names of all the Heisman candidates, or the records and coaches names for teams that are not only the teams I root for (UT and Oregon) or other teams in the two conferences I follow (Big 12 and PAC 10), but also for teams in other conferences (namely, SEC), how on earth did this conversation transpire?? But it did. Only in Austin.

And with that, I conclude Berry & Bramble's 2009-2010 edition of college football commentary.