What makes college football so special? There are countless different answers to that question, depending on whom you ask. Some would say that the storied tradition of the sport, its red-blooded rivalries and blueblood showdowns, is the main draw. Others would point instead to the opportunity for underdog stories far less likely than those in professional sports—the rise of completely unexpected contenders, like this year's emergences at Illinois and TCU. There are those for whom college football is a chance to bond with family, those who prefer finding the best lines to bet against, and those who simply love watching the sport for its inherent excitement.
Whatever your reason to enjoy college football, November is the month where things come to a head. This month culminates with the Thanksgiving weekend spectacle of Rivalry Week, a multi-day drama filled with battles between teams that have been playing for decades. But it also brings the conclusion of those upstart successes' hunt for postseason glory: by the end of this month, we'll know if the likes of the Illini and Horned Frogs are bound for the College Football Playoff or the New Year's Six. For those who watch for the pageantry or the parity, who watch to share their excitement or to test their bets, and who watch the sport for what it is, this month is a cavalcade of everything worth caring about football for.
Rivalry Week isn't here just yet, but the first notes of college football's finale are beginning to sound. The fate of both divisions in the SEC, where the champion is almost certain to make the playoff, is at stake this week as rivals clash in Athens and Baton Rouge. As for the unexpected standouts, Oregon State tests its first AP Poll ranking since 2013 and Maryland looks to win seven regular-season games for the first time since 2014. There are no off weeks in November—every undefeated record, every chance at the CFP, every momentous year, and every rivalry streak is on the line in the final month of the regular season. Whatever you're watching for in college football's inimitable denouement, it all begins to end this outstanding Saturday.