College Football – Choose Your Team!
The 2023 college football season is in full swing, and while it may have become a lot harder to watch games live here in Ireland and the UK it’s still shaping up to be a fantastic few months of action!
There have already been some thrilling jousts and as Week 2 gets underway on Saturday now is the perfect time to pick a college football team and tune in! College football’s profile is on the rise here thanks in large part to the recent Aer Lingus sponsored clashes in the Aviva. And whether you have a passing knowledge of the game, have flirted with supporting a team in the past or are a complete newcomer to college football, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you choose a team to cheer for!
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This is a no brainer, however biased I might be. Notre Dame opened their season in Dublin with a 42-3 thumping of rival Navy. The Irish are currently undefeated and have a legitimate Quarterback in Sam Hartman. And they’re basically Ireland’s team now. This is Notre Dame’s year – I can just feel it. Most of their games are on at a reasonable hour as well, so it will be handy to watch them!
- Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 45-42 upset over the TCU Horned Frogs in his first game as Head Coach. It’s time to jump on the Buffaloes Bandwagon, and if you are currently unattached to any college football team, I would highly recommend becoming a Buffs fan. The best is yet to come for these boys, and Shedeur Sanders is my early pick for Heisman. This team is a great pick for anyone new to college football.
- Georgia Bulldogs
This might be a safe pick, but at least you know your team will win a national championship every now and then! Or in the case of the Bulldogs, two in a row the last two years! The Bulldogs have a pretty handy schedule this year and I can’t really see anyone challenging them until they play Tennessee in November!
- Navy Midshipmen
A lot of first time college football attendees adopted the Mids as their team when they faced off against Notre Dame in the Aviva last month. And while that game didn’t go quite how they would have liked, this is still a solid program to support! Brian Newberry is a fantastic Coach. They will likely never really reach lofty heights, but they will always play with pride! And they have some pretty cool uniforms as well!
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Kerry native and Georgia Tech punter David Shanahan will play the first game of his senior season on home soil in 2024, as the Ramblin’ Wreck return to Dublin to face Florida State. This will be a massive occasion for the young Shanahan and I’m sure he’d appreciate all the support he can get! The fact that the Yellow Jackets have an Irish player should be a good enough reason to support them!
While watching college football games live is now undoubtedly a lot trickier than it was last year, it is not entirely impossible. Check out our recent guide on how to watch college football in Ireland (and the UK) here!