It’s that time of year again. Yes, schools have started back and the prospect of cooler temperatures grows increasingly likely as Summer transitions to Fall. But that is not what I am talking about. Decades ago, when I was a student at Georgia Tech, our football play-by-play radio broadcaster was a guy named Al Ciraldo. He had a unique way of calling the kickoff of every game. His trademark “Toe meets leather” reverberated through the airways when each game started. Even now, no matter the game or teams I watch, the opening kickoff calls to mind Ciraldo’s unique way of “kicking off” a game.

So, here it is, another September. How does one know that football season is upon us? Here are 15 signs for the clueless and pigskin-challenged among us that toe is about to meet leather.

1. It’s a Saturday morning in September and the cool crisp morning air quickens your anticipation of Fall’s annual spectacle of sport.

2. Collegiate banners hang from mailboxes throughout the neighborhood.

3. Colorful college car flags adorn vehicles proudly declaring one’s favorite team.

4. Beer sales are up.

5. Face paint sales are up too and (almost) no one looks at you and thinks you are weird.

6. Sporadic shouts and screams of “Go Dawgs” and “Roll Tide” reverberate through stadiums, playgrounds, and living rooms. My proclamation of choice is “Go Jackets.”

7. Boiled peanut stands dot the intersections of highways leading to college football stadiums.

8. Tailgating becomes a tradition rather than an illegal act and you start searching the web for tailgating recipes.

9. Weddings are scheduled around kickoff times. (Don’t laugh, mine was.)

10. Your calendar has game dates highlighted.

11. You start humming, even singing, your college fight song.

12. You trash-talk your friends’ college teams.

13. You suddenly regret not buying that bigger screen TV.

14. You pull out your school colors to wear on game day…and hope last year’s sizes still fit. And…

15. Echoes of “Toe Meets Leather” still bring back pleasant memories of college gameday. GO JACKETS!