As the fall season approaches, my heart begins to swell with excitement. I love autumn. I love the crunch of orange leaves underneath leather boots. I love the tight feeling that spreads across my face when the cool temperatures hit my skin. I love the fresh smell of a new season that is constantly swirling through the wind. This season is the common favorite for many reasons, for most though, the reason this season is important is because it is the beginning of the all beloved, all worshipped football season.

There is nothing I love more than football season.

Wait, let me rephrase that.

There is nothing I love more than everything that accompanies football season— mainly the food. Gooey, sticky hot wings, giant, soft pretzels, cheesy nachos, caramel covered popcorn, the list is endless and my stomach is already growling in anticipation of this Saturday’s schedule of all day long football plus snacks, drinks, and fellowship with my neighbors.

But, that just covers the beginning of what I love about football season. I love fight songs, traditions, tailgates, and the passion that people feel for a big group of sweaty guys that run around hitting each other. I love that people can still find things to be passionate about. You have never seen passion until you've seen a grown man literally collapse into tears right in front of the television after a big loss. And yet, they still continue to check their fantasy football league charts on a daily basis, and they still return to the television every Saturday to win or lose right alongside their team.

I think it’s absolutely beautiful, and at the same time incredibly insane. How beautiful it is to be so devoted to something that you stick it out through the good and the bad, the wins and the losses.

How amazing it is that college football can create a large sense of community across the nation.

You know what I mean by that, it doesn't matter if you're on the other side on the United States, if you see that navy and orange AU printed across a ball cap, then an immediate fist in the air and a “WAR EAGLE” is soon to follow. It is crazy cool. People simply build connections unlike any other through love and devotion to their team.

But, when does this devotion become obsession, and when does this hobby begin to hurt our Christian walk? I want to take you through a look at some numbers.

Over the last 10 years, the SEC championship game has averaged about 75,000 people in attendance. These are probably the most dedicated of dedicated fans spending hundreds on tickets, braving the winter weather, and cheering their team on to victory. The latest championship game between The Ohio State Buckeyes and The Oregon Ducks averaged 33.4 million viewers in January. That, my friends, is a ton of people giving hours of their lives to watch a bunch of college kids work together towards a common goal. Take a minute to think about those 33.4 million viewers. Think about how many of the world's problems could be solved if these people came together in support of something other than college football.

It makes me wonder, though, why are these numbers so large and why the numbers of believers are only decreasing. It’s all relatively the same. You give your undivided attention to your team one day a week for a few hours. You give money to your team in exchange for gear and apparel that shows your devotion. You sing songs of praise when they bring home a big win and songs of mourning when the defeat rolls in.

One of the largest differences I have seen though, is the willingness to return after a huge defeat. How many times have you heard the excuse, “Well if God is so good, then why are bad things happening?” My question is for all the dedicated Tennessee Vols fans that I love so much, “If your team is so worth following, then why do they keep losing every single week?” See, theres no difference. For some reason we offer leniency and understanding to our teams when they don’t pull through, but when God doesn't answer our prayers in ways that we see fit, we immediately jump ship.

There are so many things wrong with this mindset. For one, we are giving too much power to college athletes to influence our lives and the lives of our children. We forget as we see amazing athletes grace our television screens that they are only college kids making mistakes and finding themselves just like the rest of us. As soon as they make a mistake, they are chastised by the media, but as soon as they draw a bible verse underneath their eyes or point to the sky after a touchdown, they suddenly become an idol worthy of worship.

We cannot allow ourselves to put pressure on a group of 20 somethings to be our only role models.

Paul tells us exactly who we should look up to in First Corinthians.

I don't believe that we should make the decision between one or another. Instead, let's create a compromise! There are so many ways to incorporate both faith and football into your Fall weekend routine. There are devotional books for every type of sports fan that create a great foundation for a bible study within your fantasy football league. Even simply praying over your teams with other like-minded fans, all the while remembering that glory and praise belong to The One who carried the cross not the one who carried the ball.