Empty Inside...

Back in the day, before the age of conference championship games, college football fans had a tradition. If their team was playing late in the season to clinch a spot in a BCS Bowl, an object relating to that bowl would be brought in huge numbers to the field so that if the team did manage to clinch the BCS berth, so much like a bachelor party hooker they could celebrate in lewd and inappropriate ways with said object.

Although I can't find any evidence of this being any of kind of tradition in College Park (let's be honest, we haven't had that many opportunities to create one), I'm sure there's something there. Pac-10 and Big-10 (11) schools for example shower the field in a very American Beauty-esque way with roses when they lock up a berth to the Rose Bowl. God help the opposing teams when the home team locks up a berth to the Watermelon Bowl. That could be trouble.

I'm certain some folks back in 2001 brought some oranges to share with Shaun Hill (pictured... how hammered do you think he got about 2 minutes after this picture was taken? empty shotgunned beers all over the locker room I'm sure) following their 23-19 victory over NC State in Byrd. Right?

Well, now that we have a conference championship game, that apparently non-existent tradition is over. Although technically the Terps could clinch a trip to Tampa Bay for a spot in the ACC Championship, no specific bowl bid can be assured. This Saturday evening in College Park, no one will be bringing bushels of beautiful Florida Citrus. No. No one will pelt the hated Seminoles with frozen oranges as they leave Chevy Chase Bank Field. Frankly, I had to beg Berg to once again make Orange Crushes despite the freezing weather so we could hold on to a sliver of the fact that superstition still is an important part of college football fanship.

I don't know who is going to win Saturday night (let's go Wake... really need one from you guys in Winston-Salem), but a little part of me will be looking to fill the void left by something that once was...


That's what she said.

Go Terps!!!