10 things college football fans can be thankful for

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 19: Joe Burrow #9 and Ja"u2019Marr Chase #1 of the LSU Tigers high five each other during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 36-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 09: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws a pass during the second half against the LSU Tigers in the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

10. Getting to see Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama

We’re going to start off with something that’s a little bittersweet to be thankful for and that’s Tua Tagovailoa. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you know that the Heisman hopeful for 2019 and Heisman finalist from 2018 suffered a hip injury that could well mean the end of his college football career and time with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Tua suffered the injury two weeks ago against Mississippi State coming off what should only be considered a heroic effort. After suffered a high-ankle sprain previously, he returned for a high-profile showdown with LSU and gave the Tigers everything he had in a great performance. Even if he and the Crimson Tide came up short, it was nothing but respect for the quarterback’s toughness and heart, which he continued to display by playing against Mississippi State when the season-ending injury occurred.

While all signs have been that Tagovailoa will be able to recover and should still have an NFL future if his recovery goes well, it is undoubtedly disheartening and unfortunate that his time in the college ranks has come to a close, most notably that he won’t get to make a run at another National Championship Game.

At the same time, though, we should all be thankful for getting to witness him when he was healthy. He took an often predictable ground-and-pound Alabama offense and helped turn them into one of the most electrifying forces in college football. It was always a pleasure to watch the southpaw sling it across the field and that was the case every time he took the field. That’s something that every fan should appreciate.

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