I heard it again today -- another one of my peers predicting a loss for our beloved football team. Can you blame them though? Our record the last few years has been subpar, and Nebraska?These guys started playing football in the womb.

But through out all the negativity that has been placed on our chances of victory, one thing lies heavy on my mind: How can we be so unappreciative to what the football team has given us? Maybe it hasn't been in the form of a national championship or a big name bowl game, but to be honest with you, that doesn't really bother me.

Our football team accomplishes something every Saturday that no dean or professor can do; they unite our campus. Because of this, I'm nothing but thankful for our squad. Penn State has been a strange trip and only now am I happy to say that I have been blessed with the rollercoaster ride that is "growing up," a maturation process few seem to be able to avoid.

Throughout all the madness though, I have always been able to find a small oasis of time that grants me the ability to stop and appreciate what I have been given. My oasis is not a mirage, but rather a patch of grass on a small hill in between Beaver Stadium and the beauty of Mt. Nittany.

Football Saturdays for me are a tradition I will never forget. It is here that I can truly relax and enjoy an ambiance that in my mind will forever remain unrivaled. For me, it is here that the stereotypes and trivialities of college can be set aside for a brief moment while the student body celebrates their love for this fine institution.