I used to have a friend in college named Paul. He was a great guy – loved football, although he couldn’t care less about the NFL. He was a college football fan through and through.

Paul and I used to get into heated debates over which was better – college or pro football. One time we almost came to blows in his living room, although it’s important to note that there may have been some alcoholic beverages involved that contributed to the debate growing into a fight.

His main points were that NFL players only cared about money and essentially weren’t playing for the love of the game. Conversely, since college players weren’t being paid, they played more for the competition and the love of football. He also noted that the game-day atmosphere in college football was way better than in the NFL and that the regular season games had more meaning because if a college team lost, than their season could essentially be over.

His first point about college football players loving the game more because they’re not being paid is a bit flawed. Some NFL players only play for the money. But some college football players are only playing so that they can make it to the NFL…so they can make money. I really don’t see the difference.

But Paul had a point about the atmosphere being better in college – I would rather tailgate with a bunch of rowdy college kids than some stuffy executive types that got their NFL tickets for free at the company picnic.

However, after Oklahoma leapfrogged Texas in the BCS standings this week despite the fact that the Longhorns beat the Sooners earlier in the year, I refuse to agree with anyone who says regular season games in college have more meaning than in the NFL.

In a recent column for FOX Sports.com, Michael Rosenberg writes that the NFL can’t compete with college football.

From now until the end of the season, I’ll write about college football every Monday here on FOXsports.com. College football is 300 times more interesting, 600 times more controversial and 900 times more fun. It is also 1,700 times more prone to hyperbole. This is part of its charm.

College football teams are a reflection of universities, fan bases, even entire states. NFL teams are a reflection of … the billionaire who owns the team. The only real difference between a Vikings fan and a Dolphins fan is that the Dolphins fan has a year-round tan. But Wisconsin fans see themselves in their Badgers.

Critics say that college football is rife with hypocrisy, cheating and dishonesty. This is also part of its charm.

This debate is tired and old. College football fans down the NFL because the athletes “only play for money.� While NFL enthusiasts crap on college football because it doesn’t have a defined playoff system.

Know what? It’s football – they’re both great. College football rivalries are fantastic, while parity makes the NFL exciting every week. I wouldn’t want to cut either to save the other; football fans need college and pro games to fill up their fall weekends and I for one am happy as hell to have both in my life.