Whether on a chamber floor, in a committee hearing or at happy hour, Hill folk are known for big talk and bigger egos.

So it is no surprise, perhaps, that the start of college football also rings in trash-talk season on the Hill. To be fair, this season, also known as the Oh-my-God-if-you-say-anything-about-my-team-I-will-cut-you-I-am-so-serious-right-now-I-hate-your-face months, sometimes lasts all year, but Hill cats ramp it up around football.

Demonstrating extraordinary leadership, the House whip offices for both parties ushered in this most sacred Hill season by sending out a squee for their teams last week.

Ben Howard, a staffer for House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), included a note on the bottom of his floor update email Friday that said, “Go Penn State!!! Beat Alabama!!!” This note bounced around and even made it on the blog FamousDC in its Friday roundup.

Howard’s beloved Nittany Lions did not win and, in fact, lost pretty brutally to the Crimson Tide, 27-11. If FamousDC’s follow-up is any indication, we can only assume Howard has been forced to suffer greatly for his shout-out.

On the Democratic side, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer has Maryland pride. How do we know? Because he tells the world in this video.

To quote “Wedding Crashers”: “Crab cakes and football, that’s what Maryland does,” except the state sport is jousting and the state team sport is lacrosse, neither of which are football, but whatever.

Go Terps!