Finally!

If you hear Christmas music tomorrow when you awake it's not a mistake. While I know I'm reaching a bit here, I believe that tomorrow all will be right with the world. No, it doesn't have anything to do with Barak Obama or John McCain. We will not have found Jimmy Hoffa.

Tomorrow, every Southern Man will awake to know that the College Football season will officially begin at 8:01 pm Eastern Standard Time.

We wait all year for this. At this point, my team and your team is undefeated. Hopeless dreams run amuck and visions of greatness fill the air with optimism.

Tomorrow night, my Gamecocks will take the field against the Wolfpack of NC State, renewing an old rivalry from the old ACC days and even from the 80s when Todd Ellis lead the charge. We last played NC State in 1999. Lou Holtz's first game as the coach at Carolina. That game was played in the middle of a hurricane in a torrential downpour. We lost that game, 10-0, and afterwards Coach Holtz said it was the worst conditions he had ever played in. Remember, Holtz is a pretty old fella and he's seen a lot so saying that these were the worst conditions says a lot.

I digress, tomorrow, I will pull out my cooler, my chairs, my car flags and my Garnet Polo and with the stroke of noon begin the pilgrimage to Columbia where the most wonderful time of the year will officially begin. From here on out, for the rest of 2008 football will dominate my Saturdays, my TV and my life. And in case you're worried, I'm very much okay with that.

This year should be my 8th straight year of not missing a single home game in Columbia. I can't wait, I won't be able to sleep tonight and when the morning comes the air will smell like evergreen and "Jingle Bells" will play.

The only question now is what to drink.....Bourbon and Ginger, Bourbon and Diet, or Beer. Tell you what....let's not make this any harder than it has to be. I'll drink a little bit of each and when the pregame clock hits zero, know that I'll be in my place, right there in the heart of Williams-Brice Stadium waiting anxiously for that low bass to drop. Goose bumps will come over me, my emotions will take over and 2001 will play. Shed a tear? I'd say there's a good chance.

Go Cocks!