Thanksgiving is a time to show gratitude for good fortune and give to those that are less fortunate.
It's also a time to gather around the dinner table with family and friends and take in a hearty meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and bread rolls, while enjoying a heaping helping of football action across all platforms -- from the backyard to high school games to the college gridirons to the NFL.
In the spirit of this great American holiday, here's a look at what we're thankful for from this 2015 college football season.
1. Walk-off wins
There were all-time epic walk-off game-winning plays in three consecutive weeks in late October. The mayhem started with the Miracle in Michigan II on Oct. 17, continued with the Miracle on Techwood a week later, and then Miami's controversial eight-lateral return on Halloween night.
2. Frank Beamer
Beamer is retiring after 29 seasons as head coach at Virginia Tech. Beamer is a Virginia Tech alum who played defensive back for the Hokies and he's had his No. 25 retired by the school.
In his time as the Hokies' coach, Beamer turned the program into a national powerhouse, with the pinnacle being a national-title game appearance following the 1999 season at the 2000 Sugar Bowl. Beamer has led Virginia Tech to bowl games the previous 22 seasons, which is the longest active streak as recognized by the NCAA. In the 85 seasons prior to Beamer's tenure as coach, Virginia Tech made six bowl-game appearances. Beamer played in two of those six bowl games -- the 1966 and 1968 Liberty Bowls.
For his last home game at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, Metallica -- whose "Enter Sandman" has been a pregame fixture at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium for a decade and a half -- offered a special message to the legendary coach. Seriously, how awesome is that?
3. This play
On Sept. 19, Ole Miss pulled off a zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play (h/t to Bill King). After a bad snap, Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly threw an ill-advised pass, which, after being tipped, bounced off of an Alabama defender's helmet and into the hands of Rebels receiver Quincy Adeboyejo, who ran for a 66-yard touchdown. Ole Miss wound up winning the game, 43-37, dealing Alabama its only loss to date.
Thank you, football gods, for we will enjoy this play until the end of time.
4. Big 12 conference
If you're into #points -- and, really, who isn't? -- then the Big 12 has been the place to be. Check out these final scores as proof of the high-scoring football fun this fall:
» Baylor 45, Oklahoma State 35
» Baylor 63, Texas Tech 35
» Baylor 62, West Virginia 38
» Oklahoma 44, Baylor 34
» Oklahoma 62, Kansas 7
» Oklahoma 63, Texas Tech 27
» Oklahoma State 49, TCU 29
» Oklahoma State 70, Texas Tech 53
» TCU 55, Texas Tech 52
» TCU 52, Kansas State 45
» Texas Tech 66, Iowa State 31
» Texas Tech 59, Kansas State 44
5. Alternate uniforms
Some are nice. Some are not so nice. Some are glorious throwbacks. Some are fashion-forward extravagant/whimsical creations. Some are going to get a "oh, man, get a look at what (fill in team name here) is wearing today" reaction.
Opinions on these looks will always vary. One thing most can agree on -- the alternate uniform has become a staple of the college football Saturday.
Some that have really stood out this season:
» Akron's "Fear the Roo" helmet
» Michigan State's Mach Speed
» Purdue's alt logo helmet
» UCLA's #DarkOps gear
» Oregon's lime green helmet
» Notre Dame's Shamrock Series uniform
» Tennessee's Smokey Grey
» Anythingthrowbackisawesome
6. 400-pound tight end LaQuan McGowan
McGowan is the create-a-player video game feature gone mad. McGowan's size -- and surprising athleticism for a man of his carriage -- makes him fascinating in Baylor's sprint-relay offense.
McGowan burst onto the scene in the 2015 Cotton Bowl against Michigan State, scoring a touchdown that captured the imagination of the nation. To the delight of everybody, he returned to the end zone during Baylor's 66-7 hammering of Kansas. Just watch that highlight against Kansas ... that poor safety wants no business of taking on a 400-pound tight end one-on-one.
7. Leonard Fournette
Fournette's early season emergence as a Heisman Trophy candidate re-ignited a debate that surrounded South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney a couple years ago ... the suggestion that a college player sit out his junior season to remain injury free before early entry into the NFL. To his credit, Fournette quickly squashed such talk.
Fournette also helped boost the profile of running backs, as he was eventually joined by Alabama's Derrick Henry in the Heisman conversation. A running back hasn't won the Heisman Trophy since the New Orleans Saints' Mark Ingram bagged the award in 2009. Ingram is the only Alabama player to ever win the award -- as surprising as that is -- but Henry is threatening to become the second.
8. Harbaugh vs. Meyer
This high-profile coach-vs.-high-profile coach showdown has been talkedabout often since Jim Harbaugh "returned home" to Michigan to be the head ball coach. Now, it's finally happening.
While the luster has been knocked from Urban Meyer's defending national champions after the stunning home loss to Michigan State, Ohio State's road trip to "The Big House" will be must-watch college football programming on Saturday at noon ET.
9. Rivalry games
Thanksgiving weekend features a smorgasbord of scintillating rivalry games, in which cool trophies are the prize.
On the line this weekend are:
» Apple Cup trophy (Washington State vs. Washington)
» Bedlam Bell (Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State)
» Commonwealth Cup (Virginia vs. Virginia Tech)
» Golden Egg Trophy (Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State)
» Governor's Cup (Kansas State vs. Kansas)
» Governor's Cup (Louisville vs. Kentucky)
» Heroes Trophy (Iowa vs. Nebraska)
» James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy (Iron Bowl, Alabama vs. Auburn)
» Land Grant Trophy (Penn State vs. Michigan State)
» Land of Lincoln Trophy (Northwestern vs. Illinois)
» Legends Trophy (Notre Dame vs. Stanford)
» Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana vs. Purdue)
» Old Wagon Wheel (BYU vs. Utah State)
» Palmetto Bowl (Clemson vs. South Carolina)
» Paul Bunyan's Axe (Wisconsin vs. Minnesota)
» Platypus Trophy (Oregon State vs. Oregon)
» Victory Bell (UCLA vs. USC)
That's a lot of hardware on the line. And, that's awesome.
Also, let's not forget the big regional rivalries that don't have a cool prize at the end: Ohio State-Michigan, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Colorado-Utah in the famous "Rumble in the Rockies", North Carolina-North Carolina State, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Florida State-Florida.
This is the ultimate prize for fans. The last regular-season weekend of college football play -- Thanksgiving weekend -- features so many high-octane rivalry games. Even if your team has long been left out of the College Football Playoff discussion, there's still something to root for. Now that's something to be thankful for.
Follow Jim Reineking on Twitter @jimreineking.
