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I learned a valuable lesson during the opening week of college football.

When it comes to college football, the SEC is my favorite conference.

I really miss the SEC and can’t wait until the league starts on Sept. 26.

In the state of Alabama and the SEC, football is considered a religion. Dallas County is mixed mostly of Alabama and Auburn fanatics.

In Dallas County, we all know that third-ranked Alabama travels to Missouri and No. 11 Auburn entertains Kentucky the last week of September.

Heavy chants of “Roll Tide,” “War Eagle” will be heard in the county and throughout the state.

The only contest that had my interest on Labor Day weekend was the South Alabama-Southern Miss showdown at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

That was because I worked 26 years at The Biloxi-Sun Herald and occasionally attended Southern Miss football games.

I also know the Jaguars’ head coach, Steve Campbell, having covered him when he coached at Delta State University and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

I was not surprised when Campbell outcoached Golden Eagles coach Jay Hopson as South Alabama dominated the Golden Eagles at the Rock.

Campbell won a NCAA Division II national championship at Delta State in 2000 and a NJCAA co-national title at Gulf Coast seven years later.

A few days later, Hopson resigned after the humilating defeat.

I’m grateful that SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and officials from the league’s 14 schools to salvage a season despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kudos to the ACC, Big 12, Sun Belt, AAC and C-USA as well. Even if the season gets stopped because of the coronavirus, at least you gave it a shot.

In a situation like this, you get a few causalities.

The inter-state rivalries, Florida-Florida State, Georgia Tech-Georgia and Clemson-South Carolina, are cancelled because of the pandemic.

You also won’t get to see the pre-game tailgating in Stadiums across the SEC.

I won’t get a chance to eat chicken smothered in white barbecue sauce at Alabama and corn Nuggets and fried pickles at Auburn.

LSU’s crawfish étouffée, a pulled pork barbecue sandwich topped with smoked bacon at Mississippi State and French Toast Casserole at Ole Miss.

Oh well, at least we get football in SEC country. I can live with that.