For the rest of the team though, this mid-term anxiety is all going on while we're preparing for the final 2 weeks of the season, and we're expected to be putting an increasing number of hours into studying our opponents game films, and learning our game plans. Football never gets neglected, but I can see the effects of the stress on the guys who are trying to balance this while studying for school. Guys can be heard in the locker room asking each other if they've started their essays yet, or if they're up to date on their readings; topics which normally wouldn't exist within the locker room walls during other times of the year.
Although it is not always the case, most of us are in school to get our degree while playing football. Those that manage this feat will have to succeed in their mid-terms; and the football teams who peak at the right time and excel throughout the end of the season must not get overwhelmed by them. It wouldn't be completely accurate to say that the best university football teams are made up of the best students, but they do have the ability to balance their academics and athletics efficiently, and get good results out of both.
