The long wait is over.
Sweet, sweet college football is back. Two top-15 teams, a Payton Award candidate in Vernon Adams and a blood-red field?
Eastern Washington and Sam Houston State have kicked off on ESPN, bringing the Division I college football season with it. The second-ranked Eagles are favored over the 14th-ranked Bearkats, but last season's game between the two teams ended in a 49-34 SHSU victory. Their last two meetings have combined for 170 points and 2,078 yards, and we'll likely be in for another high-octane affair Saturday.
The game itself should be loads of fun, but the real excitement comes in what it means: college football is really, really here. We'll have to wait until Wednesday for FBS football, when Georgia State hosts Abilene Christian.
Some more pictures:
Another sign football is back? Announcers misquoting pop culture references. Rod Gilmore watches The Wire, y'all.