Last night 17th ranked Missouri and Heisman Trophy candidate Brad Smith encountered more then they could handled from Troy State University – yes, it does appear that the Sun Belt does have what it takes to compete with the big boys.

The ESPN crew said it best, the scholarship limitations have started to equalize the “haves” and “have nots.” It doubtful that Sun Belt teams such as Troy State and North Texas will ever fully compete with the BCS elite from Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Florida State, Miami, Georgia, and so on, but when Troy State knocks off what is considered a decent Big 12 school? What does that say about the Big 12 as a whole? What does that say about the “have nots?”

This is the reason I love college football. The match-ups, while not always compelling to non-college football fans, are full of energy, hope, and great entertainment. Who would have thought that Troy State would knock off Marshall and Missouri in back-to-back weeks? Who would have thought that Troy State would overcome a 14 point deficit with 24 unanswered points?

This is why they play the games. Upsets are why the college football regular season holds so much significance – every week is a playoff or has playoff implications. This is why I love college football.