Journeys With Jani

It’s here. The Saturday we circle on the calendar every year. The one that makes our blood pressure spike, our grills fire up, and our wardrobes suddenly revolve around crimson, red, orange, or whatever shade screams loyalty. Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for—SEC football is back, and there’s nothing like it in the South.

Now, let me go ahead and put my cards on the table. I’m a BAMA girl through and through. Roll Tide runs in my veins. But I’m also going to be real—when it comes to SEC football, I love the whole crazy, passionate, rowdy mess of it. Every single team brings its own flavor, and if you grew up in the South, you know this isn’t just football—it’s a lifestyle.

The Teams I Live For

Let’s just say it: BAMA and UGA have my heart. I’ll cheer ‘em on like I’ve got stock in the programs.

The Teams I Just Can’t With

Now Auburn? Gators? LSU? That’s going to be a hard pass from me, thank you very much. I don’t even try to hide it—it’s a diabolical twist of SEC rivalry that makes me despise those games in the most entertaining, petty way possible.

The Ones I’m Surprised By

And then there’s Vandy. Who knew? That quarterback has me hooked with his “I will do it” grit and that contagious energy. I’ve found myself cheering on Vandy in a way I never thought I would. (Don’t worry, my BAMA loyalty is still rock solid!)

The Rest of the Pack

Everybody else? I’ll clap, I’ll cheer, I’ll boo a little—because honestly, I’m here for all of it. That’s the beauty of the SEC.

A House Divided

Now here’s where it gets fun—my family is a house divided. My oldest is a die-hard FSU fan (Lord, bless him). My husband, middle son, and youngest? 100% UGA through and through. And one of my daughters-in-law? She’s a Vol—voluntarily! (Bless it, Lord, we pray for her daily.) We rib each other, we talk smack, but at the end of the day, it’s all in good fun.

But today? Oh, today is different. FSU and BAMA are going head-to-head, which means my son Jake and I are absolutely not friends until that final whistle blows. Lines are drawn, trash talk is flowing, and only one of us is walking away with bragging rights! And of course, that will be me! ROLL TIDE!

SEC = Southern Life

In the South, we don’t just watch football, we build life around the season. You do not get married on a game day. Birthday parties, baby showers, whatever it is—you’d better believe we’re still going to have our phones out, tuned into the game. That’s just how it is. And yes, we’ve got bandwagon fans, but you know what? Why wouldn’t they want to cheer on a great team? The more the merrier.

So today? Today we live, breathe, and bleed SEC football. Whether your team wins, loses, or just plain makes you holler at the TV—welcome to fall in the South, y’all. Let the games begin! #BearBryant # NickSaban #KalenDeBoer

And as for me… ROLL TIDE! 🐘❤️

XOXO, Jani