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12 months ago

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Nov 20, 2023, 06:45 AM ET

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally was published in 2021.

It’s finally here, the week that hate — the clean, old-fashioned kind, mind you — is in fashion.

If you’ve ever been accused of firing a contractor because he wore a rival’s shirt to your house, this is your time. Put the flag up outside your house. Get the group texts fired up. Add a little school spirit to your Zoom background for your next meeting.

It’s Rivalry Week!

To celebrate, our reporters recap the excessive celebrations, tree desecrations and trash-can-fueled altercations from some of college football’s greatest games. Turn the fight song up and get the memes loaded up in your camera roll. Here we go.

Jump to a rivalry:
Ole Miss-Miss. State |
Oregon-Oregon State | Ohio State-Michigan
Kentucky-Louisville | Texas A&M-LSU
Alabama-Auburn | Arizona-Arizona State
Virginia-Virginia Tech | Washington State-Washington
Kentucky-Louisville | Florida State-Florida
Georgia-Georgia Tech | Clemson-South Carolina
North Carolina-NC State

All times Eastern

Thursday

Better known as: Egg Bowl
This year’s game: Thursday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN & ESPN App
All-time record: Ole Miss 64-47-6 (according to Ole Miss); 66-46-6 (according to Miss. State)
Current streak: Mississippi State, 1

Wildest on-field moment: Where do you start? Most recently, there was Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore dropping to all fours in the end zone, lifting his leg and pretending to urinate like a dog in the 2019 Egg Bowl. His actions drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Rebels missed the ensuing 35-yard extra point attempt and lost 21-20 to the Bulldogs. Three days later, Ole Miss fired coach Matt Luke, which precipitated the hiring of Lane Kiffin. Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead was probably under more pressure coming into that game. There was a feeling, fair or not, that he was an odd fit in Starkville after previous coaching stops at Penn State, Fordham and Connecticut, among other non-southern schools. Moorhead famously said that Thanksgiving night after the game, “This is my team, this is my school, this is my program. You’ll have to drag my Yankee ass out of here.” A little more than a month later, Moorhead was fired on Jan. 3, four days after Mississippi State lost to Louisville in the Music City Bowl. That’s despite going 2-0 against Ole Miss as Mississippi State’s coach. The ironic thing is that Moore’s stunt wasn’t original. DK Metcalf did it two years earlier in the end zone after catching a 63-yard touchdown pass in Ole Miss’ 31-28 win over Mississippi State. Three days later, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen bolted for the Florida head-coaching job.

Strangest off-field moment: Steve Robertson, a lifelong Mississippi State fan who has the school’s logo tattooed on his left hand, was researching former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze’s phone records on July 5, 2017, for a book Robertson was writing and found a call associated with advertisements for a female escort service.

Robertson, who had been covering Mississippi State sports since 2001, relayed his findings to attorney Thomas Mars, who was representing former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt in his lawsuit against Ole Miss. Mars alerted the Ole Miss general counsel in a July 13, 2017, email about the call, and a week later, Freeze was out as Ole Miss’ coach despite beating Alabama in back-to-back seasons, in 2014 and 2015, and guiding the Rebels to their first Sugar Bowl victory in 50 years to cap the 2015 season.

Robertson said he received multiple death threats and shared one with ESPN back in 2017 in which someone wrote on a message board that he “won’t be around much longer.” — Chris Low

Quote that defines the rivalry: C.R. “Dudy” Noble, the namesake for Mississippi State’s baseball field, played four sports at Mississippi State (then known as Mississippi A&M) then coached baseball, basketball and football at Ole Miss for parts of the 1917 to ’19 seasons, before returning to coach at Mississippi State, most notably baseball. He later became Mississippi State’s longtime athletic director.

Noble famously told a sports writer: “I already know what hell is like. I once coached at Ole Miss.”

A close second place in the quote department goes to former Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill. When Sherrill was hired in 1991, Ole Miss coach Billy Brewer called Sherrill a “habitual liar.” Sherrill countered by saying that Brewer “didn’t know what the word habitual meant.”

Friday

Better known as: The schools did away with Civil War moniker in 2019
This year’s game: Friday, 8:30 p.m., Fox
All-time record: Oregon, 67-49-10 (acc. to Oregon State); Oregon, 66-51-10 (acc. to Oregon)
Current streak: Oregon State, 1

Wildest on-field moment: It’s tough to beat the 1998 game. No. 15 Oregon was, of course, favored in the game, yet the nighttime setting in Corvallis made it ripe for an upset. The back-and-forth affair led to overtime, when a failed fourth-down try appeared to give Oregon State the victory. The fans rushed the field and surrounded the goalposts without noticing that there had been a flag thrown for pass interference. Security and team officials took more than 15 minutes to get all of the fans on the field back to their seats in order to continue the game. Oregon scored a touchdown to tie the game at 38 then added a field goal to start the second overtime.

The Beavers then handed the ball off to running back Ken Simonton, who had 157 yards on the ground and four touchdowns on the night, and he pranced into the end zone for a winning 16-yard touchdown run. The field was re-rushed, and the win not only gave the Beavers their first five-win season since 1971, it also set the stage for going 11-1 and winning the conference in the 2000 season.

Strangest off-field moment: This rivalry is no stranger to strange moments, but how about one that involved actual fire? In 2010, after the Ducks beat the Beavers in Corvallis to advance to the BCS title game, a group of Oregon fans were seen holding up an “I hate your Ducks” T-shirt that was on fire while they tried to light their celebratory cigars with it. The burning shirt soon ended up burning the turf and damaged the field. At the time, Oregon State’s assistant athletic director said the entire logo at midfield needed to be replaced, which would cost over $5,000. It was later determined that the damage was closer to $1,500.

Police found cigar wrappers on the field and eventually were able to catch the Oregon student via a photo in the Portland Tribune and a YouTube video in which the 20-year-old student was seen throwing the burning jersey onto the turf. Though he was not the one who lit the shirt on fire, he was charged with one felony and four misdemeanors. — Paolo Uggetti

Quote that defines the rivalry: At the risk of leaving out “No Natty for you” guy, this quote by running back Ryan Nall in advance of the 2017 matchup sums up the dynamic the two schools have with each other.

“I remember [at last year’s game] seeing that our sideline was jumping around, and we didn’t have raincoats on,” Nall said. “And then I saw the fancy Nike Duck raincoats on. And I remember thinking, ‘We’re going to beat them. They’re not prepared for these elements.'”

Nall was right. Oregon State beat the Ducks that day. But his trash talk was thrown back in his face during the 2017 game, as Oregon trounced the Beavers 69-10.

Saturday

​​Better known as: The Game
This year’s game: Saturday, noon, Fox
All-time record: Michigan, 60-51-6
Current streak: Michigan, 2

Wildest on-field moment: There was Desmond Howard striking the Heisman Trophy pose as Keith Jackson yelled, “Hello, Heisman.” Charles Woodson and David Boston going after each other in 1997. The 1950 Snow Bowl, a game that featured 45 punts and ended with a 9-3 Michigan win. The controversy over whether J.T. Barrett got a first down in the 2016 game. But one of the wildest moments came in 1973, when Ohio State ran onto the field to a roar of boos and ran straight toward Michigan’s “Go Blue” banner that the Wolverines jump and touch before every home game. The Buckeyes jumped up, grabbed the banner and tore it down in the middle of the field, which caused the boos to grow louder. That incident led to former Michigan players defending the banner in 1977, which caused an incident of its own. As Ohio State players ran under the banner, the Michigan alumni stood in the middle of the lane while body checking and pushing the Buckeyes players as they ran through. The incident caused Michigan announcer Bob Ufer to exclaim, “Oh brother, are you and I in for 60 minutes of football!”

Strangest off-field moment: This probably could have served as the wildest on-field moment, but it technically happened off the field. A dustup occurred in the 2013 game, and Ohio State offensive lineman Marcus Hall was ejected. He stormed to the sideline, threw his helmet to the ground, kicked a bench and left the field. As he made his way into the tunnel, he extended both arms and flipped off the Michigan fans as he exited. That moment went viral, and T-shirts were even made with a silhouette of Hall flipping the double bird. — Tom VanHaaren

Quote that defines the rivalry: “I can assure you that you will be proud of our young people in the classroom, the community and, most especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan.” — new Ohio State coach Jim Tressel at a Buckeyes basketball game after being hired to replace John Cooper, who went 2-10-1 against Michigan.

Better known as: Governor’s Cup
This year’s game: Saturday, noon, ABC and ESPN App
All-time record: Kentucky, 19-15
Current streak: Kentucky, 4

Wildest on-field moment: Louisville was a massive, four-touchdown favorite entering the 2016 game, with future Heisman winner Lamar Jackson leading the way. But the Cards’ season had already begun to fall apart the week before when Jackson was bludgeoned by Ed Oliver and the Houston defensive front. Against Kentucky, Jackson struggled badly, throwing three interceptions. Still, Louisville had a shot to win, with a first-and-goal play, tied at 38 with 1:45 to go. Instead, Jackson was hit in the backfield and fumbled. Kentucky recovered, drove 60 yards on seven plays and kicked a winning field goal to hand the Wildcats their first Governor’s Cup since 2010.

Strangest off-field moment: OK, this happened on the field — but not during a play. Louisville was looking for revenge in 2017 after Kentucky pulled the massive upset the year before, and Jackson was the catalyst. The emotions were high from the outset, and when Jackson scored in the first quarter, a skirmish broke out on the sideline. Jackson got into it with Kentucky’s Jordan Jones, but it was Wildcats linebacker Denzil Ware who stole the show by picking up a plastic trash can and attacking a Louisville player with it. — David M. Hale

Quote that defines the rivalry: Although the two schools initially played in 1912, the rivalry went dark from 1924 until 1994. When the rivalry kicked off again, Louisville was considered an upstart program, while Kentucky was already battling in the difficult SEC East. Former Kentucky coach Bill Curry summed up the general feeling for the Wildcats, who saw the game as an obstacle, while Louisville saw opportunity: “To add another stem-winder, another gut-check game, was just not smart scheduling on our part, whereas for Louisville, it was a great thing.” Kentucky prevailed 20-14.

Better known as: Nothing, but Les Miles once had an idea: “We need a trophy. Somebody needs to come up with a trophy. There’s so much petroleum right? On both ends. Maybe some kind of big petroleum something. No, not a barrel. A wrench or something.”
This year’s game: Saturday, noon, ESPN and ESPN App
All-time record: LSU, 35-23-3
Current streak: Texas A&M, 1

Wildest on-field moment: The two teams played 50 times before they were ever in the same conference, so there is plenty of history. But we just have to go back to 2018 for this one, to when A&M beat LSU 74-72 in an epic, seven-overtime game that set the FBS record for the most points in a game and lasted nearly five hours. That, in itself, was wild. But afterward, with fans storming the field and Texas A&M receivers coach Dameyune Craig — who was fired by LSU coach Ed Orgeron following the 2016 season — jawing at LSU coaches, a melee broke out. LSU offensive analyst Steve Kragthorpe (himself a former A&M offensive coordinator) intervened with Craig, and A&M student manager Cole Fisher, Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher’s nephew, shoved Kragthorpe. Cole Fisher then traded punches with LSU running backs coach Kevin Faulk and was punched by LSU safety John Battle. “I didn’t appreciate getting punched in my pacemaker,” Kragthorpe told Gannett Louisiana newspapers afterward, though video showed it to be a shove, albeit in his chest. Jimbo Fisher said “the matter has been addressed internally” on A&M’s end; and Kragthorpe, who has Parkinson’s disease, was OK. But that game supercharged the now-divisional rivalry.

Strangest off-field moment: The two are fierce recruiting rivals. But no signee was under as much scrutiny as Billy Cannon Jr., son of LSU’s legendary 1959 Heisman Trophy winner. The younger Cannon chose Texas A&M in 1980, saying he didn’t “owe LSU his blood” and that he wanted to leave Louisiana. LSU retired the elder Cannon’s No. 20 jersey in 1960, but after his son picked the Aggies, there was a failed movement to unretire the father’s jersey. LSU and the Aggies also went to the wire in 1986 for the services of one of the nation’s top recruits, running back Harvey Williams. Williams, a star at Hempstead (Texas) High School, just 42 miles from College Station, told Sports Illustrated he was set to sign with the Aggies but that he heard a cheerleader singing the “Aggie War Hymn” on the way to his announcement, got annoyed and changed his selection to LSU. For a little extra fuel, he added: “All that military and uniforms and yell leaders, I don’t get off on that stuff. And that dog — Reveille — that dog is so sorry. I can’t stand that dog.” — Dave Wilson

Quote that defines the rivalry: “I hope they enjoyed it. I hope they put the score of last year’s game too. I bet they didn’t sell many cups on that one.” — Orgeron to WAFB-TV in the spring of 2020, following LSU’s 50-7 defeat of the Aggies in 2019 after Texas A&M sold cups at Kyle Field concessions stands with 2018’s 74-72 score on them.

Better known as: Iron Bowl
This year’s game: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS
All-time record: Alabama, 49-37-1
Current streak: Alabama, 3

Wildest on-field moment: At first, it looked as if the official review might save Alabama, which was one win away from reaching the SEC title game in 2013 and a shot at a third consecutive BCS National Championship appearance. With the contest tied at 28, running back T.J. Yeldon sprinted across midfield and ran out of bounds right as the play clock hit 0:00 on the field. But officials took another look and decided one second should be placed back on the clock — enough time for Alabama coach Nick Saban to have his place-kicker attempt a 56-yard field goal.

And just like that, the Kick Six was born. Adam Griffith’s kick fell short. Chris Davis caught the ball in the back of the end zone, started running toward the middle of the field, then veered to his left. Alabama’s field goal team was late getting into coverage and couldn’t stop Davis from breaking containment, and he danced down the sideline for a touchdown. Auburn won the game, fans stormed the field and Alabama was stunned. Auburn went on to the SEC championship game and the BCS title game.

“First time I’ve lost a game that way,” Saban said. “First time I’ve ever seen a game lost that way.”

Strangest off-field moment: Al from Dadeville wasn’t Al from Dadeville at all. His real name was Harvey Updyke, and he was from Louisiana, and he called in to Paul Finebaum’s radio show one day with a story of how overheated the Iron Bowl rivalry can get.

Updyke, an Alabama fan, said he was at the 2010 game in Tuscaloosa when he saw someone place a Cam Newton jersey on former Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s statue.

“Let me tell you what I did,” Updyke told Finebaum. “The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I went to Auburn, Alabama, because I live 30 miles away. I poisoned the two Toomer’s trees. I put Spike 80DF in them.”

Finebaum, who wasn’t taking it all that seriously, asked, “Did they die?”

“They’re not dead yet, but they definitely will die,” Updyke said.

Finebaum then asked, “Is that against the law to poison a tree?

“Do you think I care?” Updyke said. “I really don’t. Roll damn Tide.”

Updyke did poison the famed oaks on Toomer’s Corner, which had stood for more than 70 years as a gathering place for Auburn fans to celebrate. The school fought to save the trees, but in 2013, they had to be removed.

Updyke, who died in 2020, was charged with criminal mischief, desecrating a venerated object and damaging agriculture. He was later convicted of felony criminal damage of an agricultural facility, served more than 70 days in jail and was ordered to pay about $800,000 in restitution. — Alex Scarborough

Quote that defines the rivalry: From 1904 to 1988, every Iron Bowl was played in Birmingham, which was only an hour’s drive from the University of Alabama but twice as far from Auburn. When Pat Dye took over as coach at Auburn in 1981, he wanted to change that. But his former boss, Bryant, said they’d never agree to it as long as he was still coaching. To which Dye famously replied, “You ain’t gon’ coach forever.” Bryant reminded Dye that they had a contract to play in Birmingham through 1988. Fine, Dye said, they’d play the game in Auburn in 1989 then. And they did. The 11th-ranked Tigers upset No. 2 Alabama 30-20 in the first rivalry game ever played in their home stadium. Afterward, Dye told his team how much that meant to him: “Sure I’d like to be 11-0, but I wouldn’t swap this year for any year that I’ve been at Auburn.”

Better known as: Territorial Cup
This year’s game: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN and ESPN App
All-time record: Arizona, 50-46-1
Current streak: Arizona, 1

Wildest on-field moment: Arizona State had already locked up a berth in the Rose Bowl when it traveled to Tucson in 1986, and the only blemish on its record was a tie. Down 24-10 late in the third quarter, the Sun Devils were driving with a chance to make it a one-score game. On third-and-goal, Chuck Cecil stepped in front of a Jeff Van Raaphorst pass six yards deep in the end zone and returned it for a touchdown. The touchdown sealed a famous win for Arizona and, perhaps more importantly, prevented Arizona State from finishing undefeated. For Arizona, Cecil’s interception return stands as one of the most iconic moments in program history.

Strangest off-field moment: Unlike most long-standing rivalries, there hasn’t been one iconic trophy on the line in the Arizona-ASU football game for a significant period of time. Multiple trophies have cycled in and out over the past 70 years or so. Still, the Territorial Cup is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football, dating back to 1899. After its debut more than a century ago, the Cup went missing for the next 80 years, only to be discovered in a church basement in 1980. It has been awarded to the winner of the game since 2001. — Kyle Bonagura

Quote that defines the rivalry: “This rivalry goes back [to 1899]. The Territorial Cup has really emotional fan bases when it comes to this football game. It’s one of longest rivalries in college football, so that’s always good. The guys that have played in this game have competed in it; they understand the validity of it.” — Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards, 2018

Better known as: Commonwealth Cup
This year’s game: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network and ESPN App
All-time record: Virginia Tech, 60-38-5 (acc. to Tech); Virginia Tech, 58-38-5 (acc. to UVA)
Current streak: Virginia Tech, 2 (and 17 of the past 18)

Wildest on-field moment: Virginia held a commanding 29-14 lead entering the fourth quarter of the 1995 installment of the Commonwealth Cup. The Hokies stormed back on the arm of signal-caller Jim Druckenmiller, taking a one-point lead with 47 seconds to play. UVA’s final comeback attempt was thwarted when Virginia Tech’s Antonio Banks picked off a pass and returned it for a score. But what’s most remembered from that play is Virginia trainer Joe Gieck sticking his foot out in a feigned attempt to trip Banks as the Hokies’ defender raced down the Cavaliers sideline. Gieck insisted the incident was just a joke and that he never came close to tripping Banks, adding, “I’ve seen too many people break a tibia [doing that] in soccer.”

Strangest off-field moment: These days, Virginia Tech players expect wins against their chief rival, but at the turn of the 20th century, things were different. Hence the story of the long career of Hunter Carpenter, a future Hall of Fame halfback who played for the Hokies from 1899 through 1903. In 1899, Carpenter’s team was demolished by Virginia, and he vowed revenge. Unfortunately for Carpenter, he lost again in 1900 and 1901 and 1902 and 1903. Inexplicably, Carpenter then enrolled at North Carolina — a far better football program at the time — in hopes he might finally beat Virginia in 1904. He lost again. In 1905, Carpenter returned to Virginia Tech — his eighth year playing college football — and faced allegations by the UVA newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, that he was being paid. He was forced to sign an affidavit denying it, and he finally got his win. The outcome became so contentious that Virginia refused to play the Hokies again until 1923. — David M. Hale

Quote that defines the rivalry: In 1989, former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer was dealing with heart problems, which raised alarms when he collapsed on the sideline during the Hokies game with Virginia that year. It turns out, Beamer had actually been on the receiving end of an errant elbow during a tackle attempt. “So, I got this heart issue going,” Beamer said, “I got a tooth knocked out, and we lost the game.” No doubt the score was the one that bothered Beamer most.

Better known as: Apple Cup
This year’s game: Saturday, 4 p.m., Fox
All-time record: Washington, 75-33-6
Current streak: Washington, 1

Wildest on-field moment: When an individual game within a rivalry is branded with its own name, it’s a good indicator that something unique took place. For the Apple Cup, the Snow Bowl is that game. After climbing to No. 13 in the AP poll a few weeks earlier, Washington State had lost three of four and entered the 1992 Apple Cup at home against No. 5 Washington. The Huskies had been ranked No. 1 until a loss to No. 12 Arizona two weeks prior but had still already locked up a trip to the Rose Bowl.

It began to snow the morning of the game and really started to come down after kickoff. At halftime, Washington, which was led by quarterback Mark Brunell, led 7-6 at halftime as neither team could find any sort of an offensive rhythm. In blizzard-like conditions in the second half, everything changed. WSU quarterback Drew Bledsoe caught fire and led the Cougars to 29 third-quarter points, including one of the most iconic plays in WSU and Apple Cup history: a 44-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Bobo, who slid into a snowbank underneath the goalpost after making the catch.

Strangest off-field moment: A lot of what made the 2002 game strange — for all the wrong reasons — technically took place on the field, but not until the game was over. Unranked Washington beat No. 3 Washington State 29-26 in triple overtime in a game that ended when the officials ruled a WSU bubble screen was a backward pass and recovered by Washington. The response from the crowd at Pullman’s Martin Stadium was ugly, as fans rained down bottles and whatever else they had at their disposal toward the field. Washington star wide receiver Reggie Williams was pelted with a bottle, and UW athletic director Barbara Hedges stated she “feared for her life,” marring the end of one of the best WSU regular seasons in history. — Kyle Bonagura

Quote that defines the rivalry: “One game doesn’t make a season, but the people who say that haven’t participated in the Apple Cup.” — former WSU coach Mike Price

Better known as: Sunshine Showdown
This year’s game: Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN and ESPN App
All-time record: Florida, 37-27-2
Current streak: Florida State, 1

Wildest on-field moment: It is so hard to choose between the Choke at Doak in 1994 or the Sugar Bowl in 1997 when Florida won the national championship or Florida upsetting No. 1 Florida State 32-29 by rotating quarterbacks in 1997 or Doug Johnson throwing a football near Bobby Bowden’s head during a pregame brawl in 1998 or a postgame fight between the teams in 2003 after Florida State started stomping on the logo at midfield (a game marred by horrific officiating calls). As you can see, there have been plenty of wild moments. But if we had to choose one, the most notable has to be the Choke at Doak, when Florida blew a 31-3 fourth-quarter lead in Tallahassee. The game ended in a 31-31 tie, but it felt like a win to many Seminoles. Florida coach Steve Spurrier said of the game, “They were all bragging about the tie. I said, ‘Hell, it’s the same for you as it is for us.'” Spurrier never did beat Florida State in Tallahassee.

Strangest off-field moment: Perhaps the most contentious moment in the rivalry happened after their 1996 regular-season matchup, when Spurrier accused Florida State coach Bobby Bowden of trying to deliberately take out quarterback Danny Wuerffel. Florida State won the game 24-21, but the teams ended up in a rematch in the Sugar Bowl to decide the national championship. Bowden said of the accusations: “We might hit ’til the echo instead of just the whistle. We try to do it legally. They usually call it if it’s too late.” It was not a good enough explanation for Spurrier, who said, “We are not going to go to the Sugar Bowl and take the crap that we took in Tallahassee. Maybe we’re declaring war on the Seminoles, and maybe they’ve declared war on us, but we’re looking forward to competing with them — not for a national championship, not for anything except trying to beat them. That should be as big a goal as we could possibly have.” Florida won the rematch 52-20 to claim its first national title. — Andrea Adelson

Quote that defines the rivalry: “You know what FSU stands for, don’t you? Free Shoes University.” — Spurrier

Better known as: Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
This year’s game: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ABC and ESPN App
All-time record: Georgia, 70-39-5 (acc. to Georgia); 70-41-5 (acc. to Tech)
Current streak: Georgia, 5 (and 18 of the past 21)

Wildest on-field moment: In the 1999 edition in Atlanta, the score was tied at 48 with 13 seconds to go. Georgia had the ball at Tech’s 2-yard line on first-and-goal. Instead of kicking a field goal to potentially win the game, Georgia coach Jim Donnan elected to go for a touchdown. Jasper Sanks took a handoff, dove for the goal line and — depending on which side you were on — either fumbled or was down before losing the ball. TV replays showed Sanks was down, but it was before the introduction of instant replay rules. So, the only thing that mattered was the officials ruled Sanks fumbled the ball, and Georgia Tech took possession at its 1-yard line. The game went into overtime, and Tech’s Luke Manget kicked a field goal to give the Yellow Jackets a controversial 51-48 victory. The next week, then-SEC commissioner Roy Kramer suspended referee Al Ford and his six-man crew from working the SEC championship game.

Wildest off-field moment: The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets don’t agree about much of anything, including the all-time series record. Georgia says it has a 68-39-5 advantage; the Yellow Jackets claim 41 victories in the series. The dispute lies in games played during World War II, in 1943 and 1944, during which Georgia Tech won by a combined score of 92-0. Many of the Bulldogs’ best players from their 1942 national championship enlisted in the war, so there wasn’t a single returning starter. In fact, most of Georgia’s players were under the age of 18 and weren’t eligible for the military draft. Conversely, Georgia Tech benefited from having an on-campus Navy V-12 Program, from which it was able to recruit football players, as well as a Navy flight school, which attracted players from other schools. Georgia still distinguishes the disputed games in its media guide and record books with asterisks. — Mark Schlabach

Quote that defines the rivalry: “Lose to Tech, you don’t put up a Christmas tree. That’s my rule.” — Erk Russell, whose family apparently went without the holiday tradition only four times in his 17 seasons as Georgia’s defensive coordinator from 1964 to 1980.

Better known as: Palmetto Bowl
This year’s game: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network and ESPN App
All-time record: Clemson, 72-43-4
Current streak: South Carolina, 1

Wildest on-field moment: The nation’s second-longest continuously played rivalry (it ended at 111 games last year; thanks COVID-19) is packed with title-worthy moments, from The Return and The Brawl to The Catch and The Catch II (or as Gamecocks fans call it, The Push-Off). But the peak pissed-off moment of the game’s history happened in 1992. That’s when cocky, rattail-wearing quarterback Steve Taneyhill took over a South Carolina team that had started the season 0-5 and led the Gamecocks to four wins in his five starts, including an upset 24-13 victory over the reeling Tigers. Taneyhill threw for nearly 300 yards in the cold rain, and along the way, he stood on the bench and taunted the orange crowd, swung an imaginary baseball bat, was carried off the field by jubilant fans and, most notably, ran to Death Valley’s midfield and acted as if he was signing his autograph atop Clemson’s sacred Tiger Paw logo. A poster of that moment is still on display in sports bars and man caves from Charleston to Greenville.

Strangest off-field moment: OK, so it was on the field, but it involved a bunch of guys who should have been off the field. In 1961, Clemson took the field in Columbia and started their pregame warm-ups, but they were the weirdest warm-ups ever, including dancing and stumbling and dropping passes. They even convinced the Clemson band to play the “Tiger Rag.” But when the real Tigers jogged out, confused and then angry, the crowd realized that the “team” they’d been watching was instead members of South Carolina’s Sigma Nu fraternity. — Ryan McGee

Quote that defines the rivalry: “They ain’t Alabama. They ain’t LSU. And they’re certainly not Clemson. That’s why Carolina’s in Chapel Hill and USC’s in California and the university in this state always has been, always will be, Clemson.” — Tigers coach Dabo Swinney, 2011

Better known as: Carolina-State
This year’s game: Saturday, 8 p.m., ACC Network and ESPN App
All-time record: UNC, 68-38-6
Current streak: NC State, 2

Wildest on-field moment: This game has never been as big of a deal as it should be, at least not nationally. When these squads met as ranked teams one year ago, it was only the third time in 110 meetings that both teams were in the AP Top 25. But forget that neither one of these Tobacco Road anchors has been as good at football as they should be or that they have inexplicably kept this game off the final weekend of the schedule more often than not; this is a game that generates plenty of heat across the Old North State. (Trust me: I grew up dodging postgame fights in the Carter-Finley Stadium parking lot.) The 2004 edition of the game was in Chapel Hill, and the home crowd was left heartbroken when Wolfpack tailback T.A. McLendon rumbled into the end zone for a game-tying TD in the closing seconds, with the would-be game-winning PAT forthcoming. As one goal line official signaled touchdown, another ran in and said McLendon’s knee had hit the turf before the ball crossed the goal line. On the next play, McClendon ran it in again, this time going airborne. UNC’s Khalif Mitchell blasted the ball from McClendon’s grasp, and the game ended with a Tar Heels fumble recovery and a 30-24 win.

Strangest off-field moment: After the 1905 game ended in a 0-0 score, the third straight tie in the rivalry, the NC State football team received a congratulatory telegram from Trinity College, a little school in nearby Durham that had yet to start a football program. In 1925, Trinity changed its name to Duke. — Ryan McGee

Quote that defines the rivalry: “You might not hear much about that game around the country, and that’s fine. But if you ever walk into a bar anywhere in the state of North Carolina and you see a guy in khakis and his Carolina polo staring at a guy in his jeans and an NC State T-shirt, clear the room, because it’s about to go down.” — Philip Rivers, NC State quarterback, 2000-03, who posted a 3-1 record vs. UNC

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Best of Week 12: Georgia returns to form, Oregon escapes and Travis Hunter takes control of the Heisman race

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November 17, 2024

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Best of Week 12: Georgia returns to form, Oregon escapes and Travis Hunter takes control of the Heisman race

  • David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterNov 17, 2024, 01:49 AM ET

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    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN in 2012.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

Georgia entered Week 12 in an unusual place. Coming off an emphatic loss to Ole Miss, the Bulldogs were scuffling, looking for answers, and if the season had ended on Tuesday with the College Football Playoff committee’s most recent rankings, they’d have been on the outside looking in.

We had become accustomed to Georgia’s dominance at all turns. The close games were more a product of boredom than any actual defect, and the losses, rare as they were, were offered as little more than tribute to Nick Saban, the man who had sent Kirby Smart to lead Georgia to the promised land.

But in 2024, even amid the wins, things have just felt … off.

There has been the familiar parade of players landing in legal hot water away from the field. There has been the rising frustration with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. There’s the gut-wrenching losses to bitter rivals that seem destined to doom the Bulldogs to second-class status. If this were pro wrestling, the first notes of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” would begin playing and Mark Richt would emerge from the tunnel, revealing he had been in charge all along.

On Saturday, however, we got our reminder that this isn’t the Georgia of old, even if it’s not quite the Georgia of 2021 and 2022 either. In a game that felt almost algorithmically engineered to prove the Dawgs had addressed each of their most blatant faults, Carson Beck and crew devoured Tennessee 31-17 and reasserted dominion over college football — if not officially in the standings, then certainly in the hearts and minds of every team that might have the misfortune of drawing the Dawgs in the playoff.

Beck, who had thrown 12 interceptions in his past six games, was nearly flawless Saturday. He threw for 346 yards and totaled three touchdowns, but more importantly, he looked supremely confident with each fastball he delivered downfield.

The offensive line, which handed out party favors to Ole Miss pass rushers en route to he backfield last week, held its own against one of the most ferocious defensive fronts in the country. Beck wasn’t sacked, and Tennessee managed just two tackles for loss in the game.

The ground game, scrambling for answers and without injured starter Trevor Etienne, turned to Nate Frazier and, in so many critical moments, Beck to provide the spark. They delivered a pair of rushing touchdowns as proof of life for a backfield that had so often looked dormant.

So it is, too, that Georgia has life in the crowded SEC.

Certainly SEC fans are too modest to say it, but the fact its, the league is pretty good this year. We entered Week 12 with a logjam of teams with a loss or two or three, but a résumé warranting real playoff consideration. The depth of talent threatened to overwhelm the conference, however, with the committee inserting four Big Ten teams in the top five and leaving Saban to lament to Pat McAfee that the committee can’t “just look at the record,” echoing Greg Sankey’s long-held belief that wins are an overrated metric compared to things such as revenue, attendance or prevalence of cowbells.

But Saturday proved to be something of a palette cleanser for the SEC — like the white bread that comes with Dreamland ribs. While a handful of teams took a mental health day — Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Kentucky all played lower-tier competition and won by a combined 154 points — the rest of the slate helped clarify something akin to a pecking order.

In Gainesville, the Billy Napier redemption tour continued, with DJ Lagway and Elijhah Badger leading the Florida charge on a 27-16 win over LSU. After the game, Napier celebrated the Gators’ fifth win of the season by calling human resources at Zaxby’s and letting them know he won’t be able to start on Dec. 1 as previously promised, now needing just a win over either Ole Miss or (more likely) Florida State to secure a bowl.

LSU, meanwhile, is effectively cooked in the chase for the playoff after the loss, and it’s possible Brian Kelly’s anger management classes are no longer covered by his insurance.

After the game, Kelly lambasted the team asking of his players, “Do you want to fight or not?” It was not immediately clear if he meant in LSU’s remaining games or in the parking lot out back as soon as his press conference was over. Either way, things are bleak in Baton Rouge. It’s sad to see a situation where everyone felt like faaaamily devolve into something completely inauthentic.

If LSU is tumbling in the SEC standings, however, Saturday was South Carolina‘s time to shine against Missouri.

LaNorris Sellers threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns and continued to treat pass rushers like softballs bouncing off a fungo.

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Highlight: South Carolina wins fourth-quarter thriller behind Sellers’ heroics

No. 23 Missouri comes roaring back in the final frame only to be stomped out by LaNorris Sellers as the No. 21 Gamecocks escape with a 34-30 victory.

What started as a defensive tussle ended with four touchdowns — two by each offense — in the game’s final 9:12. The Gamecocks took a 27-22 lead with 5:04 to play on Sellers’ fourth TD pass of the game, only to see Brady Cook and Luther Burden III hook up on a gorgeous 37-yard bomb to regain the lead with just over a minute to go.

But South Carolina had an answer, marching 70 yards on six plays in just 47 seconds, culminating with a 15-yard touchdown run by Raheim “Rocket” Sanders to secure the win. That Shane Beamer didn’t celebrate by head-butting a player still wearing his helmet really shows how far he has come as a coach this season.

So here’s where things stand amid the rubble of another Saturday in the SEC: Texas and Texas A&M are atop the standings at 5-1, but they’ll play each other in Week 14. Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama all have two losses, but each have secured a win versus at least one of the other tied teams, leaving their fate to the SEC’s arcane tie-breaker policies which involve opponent records, scoring differentials and a pie-eating contest between Lane Kiffin and Josh Heupel. And, of course, there’s still South Carolina, looming on the fringes of the playoff debate at 7-3.

The case for the SEC’s supremacy is clear. With seven teams playing such high-level football, all losses come with an asterisk and all wins feel epic. In that case, Georgia’s two losses and occasionally confounding struggles will pale in comparison to the immense talent on the roster, and this win over Tennessee will be Exhibit A for why the road to the national championship still runs through Athens.

But the path toward the SEC’s demise is also clear: Either the committee fails to reward depth or, more likely, in a fit of rage, Kelly uses a flamethrower he bought on the dark web to burn the entire conference to the ground.

Jump to:
Ducks hold off Badgers | Hunter’s Heisman case
Big 12 drama | Klubnik delivers late
USC finds a spark | Irish roll
Tulane capsizes Navy | Lobos rally | Week 12 trends
Heisman five | Under the radar

Ducks D plays big

The College Football Playoff committee is going to have to take a hard look at Wisconsin this week. With a three-point loss to No. 1 Oregon, the Badgers now have a top-five résumé.

More importantly, the committee won’t have to select a new No. 1, as Oregon’s defense came up big in a grueling 16-13 win.

Dillon Gabriel finished with 218 passing yards and an interception, just the second time in 60 career starts that he threw a pick without also throwing a touchdown. Instead, the Ducks relied on tailback Jordan James to lead a second-half comeback after falling behind 13-6. James finished with 25 carries for 121 yards and a game-tying TD with 13:14 to go in the fourth quarter.

It was Matayo Uiagalelei who sealed the win, however. Wisconsin got the ball at its own 17 with 1:26 to play, but Jamaree Caldwell tipped a Braedyn Locke pass, and Uiagalelei caught the carom for the game-sealing INT. (Note to Florida State fans: It is possible for the words “Uiagalelei” and “interception” to appear in a sentence not involving a brutal loss.)

The win keeps Oregon undefeated and headed toward a Big Ten title game berth, but it’s not without some red flags. Wisconsin held the Ducks to just 354 total yards — a week after Oregon mustered just 363 against Maryland. That’s the first time Oregon has had back-to-back games with fewer than 400 yards of offense since 2020.

On the other hand, winning games while accumulating a frustratingly limited number of yards and relying on a power run game and a stout defense suggests Oregon has acclimated nicely into the Big Ten’s way of life.

Hunter states Heisman case

Colorado is still coming, according to Deion Sanders, but according to the Big 12 standings, the Buffaloes are already there.

Coach Prime lamented a less-than-exceptional performance by his Buffs in a 49-24 win over Utah, and yet there’s little other than platitudes in the aftermath. Colorado is tied for No. 1 in the Big 12, and if it wins out against Kansas and Oklahoma State, a date in the conference title game is assured.

Shedeur Sanders struggled early against the Utes’ defense, but he ultimately finished with 340 yards passing and three touchdowns in Colorado’s usual demoralizing fashion.

Meanwhile, after a season-ending injury to Brandon Rose, Utah turned to Isaac Wilson, who is actually just an AI-generated representation of what a Utah QB might be after feeding Rose, Nate Johnson, Bryson Barnes, Charlie Brewer and Jake Bentley into the algorithm. The important takeaway here, however, is he’s not Cam Rising, so of course, Utah struggled. Wilson lost a fumble and threw three interceptions in the game, including one to Travis Hunter, who struck a Heisman pose afterward.

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Travis Hunter stakes Heisman claim after great plays on both sides of ball

Colorado’s Travis Hunter makes a nice interception off a deflection in the first quarter, followed by an incredible first-down catch in the second quarter vs. Utah.

Hunter caught five passes for 55 yards, and after Coach Prime checked the rule book and learned his team was also allowed to run the ball, Hunter got a carry that also went for a 5-yard touchdown. On the downside, Hunter did allow his first TD of the season in coverage, a 40-yard dart to Dorian Singer in the third quarter.

With the win, Colorado moves to 8-2 — just the second eight-win season for the program in the past 20 years, making it likely other teams will attempt to copy Sanders’ program-building blueprint of bringing in a whole bunch of transfers, at least one of whom is the best player in the country.

BYU falls, Sun Devils rise

BYU’s perfect season came to an end with a tackle at the 6-yard line on fourth down against Kansas, and thanks to Utah AD Mark Harlan, no one at Big 12 headquarters buzzed down to the officials to have them throw a random flag for excessive playing of “Carry On My Wayward Son.”

Kansas walked off with a 17-13 win after recovering a muffed punt deep in BYU territory that the Jayhawks turned into the game-winning touchdown. BYU still had a chance to win, driving into the red zone but coming up empty on four tries inside the Kansas 15.

Devin Neal became the first player in Kansas history with 4,000 career rushing yards, racking up 52 yards and two TDs in the win Saturday.

Meanwhile, Arizona State remains alive to be the Big 12’s Cinderella team, shocking Kansas State 24-14 behind a three-touchdown performance from QB Sam Leavitt.

Sun Devils’ head coach Kenny Dillingham’s reputation as a QB whisperer is going strong with Leavitt. After Dillingham helped shape Jordan Travis and resurrect Bo Nix, Leavitt has blossomed after transferring from Michigan State and has Arizona State riding high at 7-2.

The Sun Devils take on BYU next week, with the winner gaining the inside track on a trip to the Big 12 title game. BYU would clinch with a win and a loss by either Colorado or Iowa State, who toppled Cincinnati 34-17 behind a pair of Rocco Becht touchdowns.

The Cyclones (5-2) remain alive, too, along with Colorado (6-1) as the Big 12 works to adopt a full ACC coastal approach to this season.

Klubnik delivers late win

Pitt hosted Clemson on Saturday in a game that figured to settle any debate over who was the third-best team in the ACC, which is like RC Cola and Shasta getting into a slap fight over cola rankings.

The results often looked like two teams who didn’t exactly warrant their space on the playoff periphery, too.

Indeed, Pitt followed up that defensive series with one of the most mind-numbing offensive stretches possible. The officials missed a clear false start on second-and-goal, but Pitt was stuffed. Pitt called a timeout to avoid a delay of game, then was flagged for an illegal formation, then was flagged for a delay of game, then topped the whole thing off with a penalty for a false start before ultimately kicking a field goal.

Could those four points Pitt left on the field have helped?

The Panthers actually erased a 17-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead, but on a second-and-3, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik took a QB sneak up the middle and scrambled virtually untouched for 50 yards and a score. Pitt’s last-gasp drive stalled at the Tigers’ 26, and Clemson held on for a 24-20 win that was marked by abysmal O-line play, missed opportunities and some astonishingly questionable officiating.

Afterward, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi summed up the game by utilizing all seven of George Carlin’s words you can’t say on TV and also making up several new ones.

USC finds a spark

After climbing to No. 11 in the AP poll in September, USC entered Week 12 losers of five of its past seven, with all five losses coming by a touchdown or less.

After opening the season 5-1, Nebraska entered Week 12 losers of three straight, two by a touchdown or less.

USC made a QB change, giving UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava the start. Nebraska made a change at offensive playcaller, with Dana Holgorsen emerging from his basement to see daylight for the first time in 11 months and recoiling in horror.

Both teams were in desperate straits, and they met at the Coliseum on Saturday to chase something approaching credibility like two pigeons fighting for half a discarded baloney sandwich.

The game didn’t disappoint.

USC led 14-7, Nebraska charged back to take a 17-14 lead, USC scored to jump ahead by a point, then found the end zone again on a 2-yard Maiava TD run with 2:45 to play.

The game was in Holgorsen’s hands from there.

After being fired despite what he had called “an impossible buyout” at Houston last year, Holgorsen had largely disappeared from the public eye, focusing instead on the finer things in life. But Saturday was like the montage scene in any ’80s movie where the down-and-out character resolves to get his life together, showers, shaves and puts on a new suit, emerging like a conquering hero. Only Holgorsen didn’t shower or shave and may have been wearing a Nebraska hoodie that Mike Riley left in a desk drawer 10 years ago after splilling some spaghetti on it.

But there was still a little Holgo magic left, and Dylan Raiola and the Huskers marched to the USC 14 with 5 seconds to play and a chance to tie the game.

But we know how this story ends. It always ends this way for the Huskers.

USC prevailed 28-20. Nebraska has now lost 38 one-possession games since the start of the 2017 season — 10 more than any other Power 4 school. After getting to win No. 5 in each of the past two seasons, it has subsequently lost a combined eight straight, seven of them by one-possession.

Dante’s ninth circle of hell is called “treachery.” Then there are like 14 more he didn’t write about, one of which involves being really into downloading bootleg Nickelback live shows, and then you finally reach something approaching where Nebraska fans are at right now.

Leonard, Irish roll

In 2014, Notre Dame and the ACC entered into a scheduling agreement in which the Irish promised five matchups per year against the conference in exchange for a home for their non-football programs. Since then, Notre Dame has effectively been Biff from “Back to the Future” to the ACC’s McFly family. They roll into the house unannounced, raid the fridge and eat Wake Forest’s leftover chicken and then take Georgia Tech’s car without asking.

And so it was that the Irish throttled Virginia 35-14 on Saturday behind Riley Leonard‘s three touchdown throws. Jeremiyah Love ran for 137 and the defense picked off Anthony Colandrea three times. Notre Dame finishes 5-0 against the ACC, the sixth time in 11 years the Irish have gone undefeated against the conference in the regular season. Overall, Notre Dame is 50-9 in the regular season against the ACC since 2014, including a 9-0 record as a full member in 2020, and somewhere Jack Swarbrick is inviting his buddies to crash at John Swofford’s beach house for the entire summer again.

The rigging was set, the masts were raised, ye old Navy set sail for a win. But before it had reached shore, the Green Wave climbed all aboard, and plundered its gold and its gin.

Yo ho, yo ho, to the league championship game they go.

If Tulane ain’t the best on all seven seas, certainly it’s tops on at least five. And before it was done, it had won 35 to none, keeping their playoff hopes still alive.

Yo ho, yo ho, to the league championship game they go.

He threw for two scores and ran for one more, Darian Mensah did everything right. The corners and pass blockers, put Navy in Davy Jones locker, now the Wave turn attention to the Army Black Knights.

Yo ho, yo ho, to the league championship game they go.

The steely men of fair Tulane, a right fine crew be they. They fight and they tussle, they’re all brawn and muscle, and they’ll earn their way back to the SEC one day.

Yo ho, yo ho, to the league championship game they go.

Lobos rally for win

A month into the season, Bronco Mendenhall’s New Mexico team was 0-4 and appeared destined for a lost season amid a massive rebuild that included turning over more than half the scholarship roster this past offseason.

After Week 12, the Lobos are 5-6, and just secured their first win over a ranked foe in 21 years, toppling No. 18 Washington State 38-35.

New Mexico’s Devon Dampier and Wazzu’s John Mateer put on an absolute clinic at QB throughout the game.

Mateer accounted for 443 yards and five touchdowns, including a 37-yard bullet to Kyle Williams that gave Washington State a four-point lead with 3:12 to play. Dampier answered with 366 yards and three touchdowns of his own, including a 1-yard scamper with 21 seconds to play that secured the biggest win for New Mexico since toppling a ranked Utah team in 2003.

New Mexico now needs only a Week 14 win over Hawai’i to secure bowl eligibility.

Mateer, meanwhile, will remain college football’s most interesting man. This was his fourth game with four passing TDs and one rushing score of the season — the most by any QB since 2018, all while also doing battle with the Joker to keep the citizens of Gotham safe.

Week 12 vibe shifts

Each week, the Top 25 endures major shake-ups that transform the college football landscape. But there are more subtle changes every Saturday, too, and we capture those here.

Trending down: Noon kickoffs

Ohio State fans are frustrated with so many noon kickoffs this year, noting that only farmers and nerds wake up before 11 a.m. As it turned out Saturday, it was Northwestern who was still asleep at kickoff.

Northwestern somehow held the ball for 32 minutes but managed just 251 yards, spending most of its time on offense working out the details of this year’s team Secret Santa program. Thankfully, the game was played at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs’ bullpen coughed up 31 points in the middle quarters, with Carnell Tate starring. He hauled in four catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns.

Northwestern is the sixth opponent this season Ohio State has held to single digits. Only Oregon has topped 20 against the Buckeyes.

Trending up: Narrow Texas wins

Quinn Ewers tossed two touchdown passes — including a 1-yarder with 9:05 to play that effectively sealed a 20-10 win over Arkansas — but he averaged just 5.5 yards per pass, and the Horns had just 315 yards of total offense, their second-lowest production in a game, trailing only the loss to Georgia.

Texas has now played three bowl-eligible teams this season, and the results have been pretty meh. The Horns were stampeded by Georgia, escaped Vanderbilt by 3 and now struggled offensively against Arkansas in a 10-point win.

The answer here is clear: more Arch Manning. Play him at receiver. Have him provide pre-drive inspiration by reenacting famous motivational scenes from movies such as “Braveheart” or “Weekend at Bernie’s,” have him challenge Bevo to a foot race at halftime. Whatever it takes to get more Arch on the field, Texas needs to make it happen.

Trending up: ACC irony

SMU held off Boston College 38-28 to move to 6-0 in ACC play, all but assuring the Mustangs of a trip to the ACC championship game in their first season in the league. Kevin Jennings threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, and Brashard Smith ran for 120 yards and a score.

It’s worth noting as SMU moves toward a conference title game appearance, that the only reason it’s in the ACC is because NC State changed its vote to approve expansion last year. NC State, in its 72nd season in the ACC, has never played in the ACC championship game, though it has heard it’s not that great anyway. Plus, it had plans, like catching up on the new season of “Only Murders in the Building.” And maybe a Home Depot trip. And it’s just nice to have a staycation after a busy football season. Really, don’t worry about NC State. It’s doing just fine, and it definitely didn’t just DoorDash six pints of Jeni’s ice cream.

Trending up: The smell at the Brown residence

LeQuint Allen ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns, Kyle McCord threw for 323 yards and a score, and both will be getting a nice gift basket from Fran Brown’s wife this week after they lifted Syracuse to a 33-25 win over Cal.

Brown will presumably wait to shower until the team returns to Syracuse, so everyone on the plane can still enjoy the smell of victory.

On the flip side, Cal lost its fifth one-possession game of the season — one that would’ve had the Bears bowl eligible — and Cal coach Justin Wilcox decided he’s boycotting cutting his toe nails, he’ll be blasting Smash Mouth’s “I’m a Believer” cover on repeat at practice and he won’t be throwing away that old tuna sandwich that has been in the office refrigerator until the Bears get win No. 6. Honestly, he had forgotten about the sandwich weeks ago, so this was really just a convenient excuse.

Trending down: Hot seats

Florida already announced Billy Napier would be back next year, and after Saturday’s 49-35 win over West Virginia, Baylor decided Dave Aranda will also be back for 2024.

If Sam Pittman survives at Arkansas, too, it’ll be a remarkable turn for coaches who entered the season on the hottest of seats, and will allow boosters to use all that money typically reserved for buyouts on something more useful, such as building a water slide on the moon.

Aranda now has Baylor set for a bowl game, too, after winning four straight. Baylor’s offense, in particular, has been a revelation, topping 38 in each of the past four.

Meanwhile at Auburn, boosters have scheduled a meeting at their secret hideout behind the Jimmy John’s, and are just going type in Bobby Petrino’s cell number but won’t press send until at least halftime of the Iron Bowl.

Trending up: Big man TDs

Southern demolished Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31-9 on Saturday, and senior defensive tackle Willie Miles delivered a play for the ages in the process.

Miles, who according to Southern’s media guide checks in at 5-foot-9 and a gentlemanly 350 pounds, picked up a loose ball after a DJ Stevenson fumble, and set his sights on the end zone. A Golden Lions lineman appeared to have him corralled at the 5, but Miles had ice water in his veins. He pulled loose from the tackle attempt, spun, gathered his balance, and sprinted for the end zone — running through the back and around to the sideline where his teammate wisely opted against lifting him into the air “Dirty Dancing” style.

This was a fitting highlight in what was Miles’ final home game at Southern.

Trending up: Air mail

At the Utah High School state championships Saturday, a fight for the football happened after a football was dropped from a helicopter hovering over the field.

Though in the long run it did not actually replace the coin toss, it should be implemented as such immediately at all levels of football. However, some schools may not have easy access to a helicopter, so we would also accept wrestling a bear for possession of the football, a wing-eating contest, a breakdancing competition, a series of “Yo Mama” jokes or, if absolutely necessary and only for Ivy League games, a race to see which team can solve the equation from “Good Will Hunting” first.

Trending up: Classy coaches

A week ago, Kennesaw State fired its only coach in program history, Brian Bohannon. First, the school said he resigned. He denied it, and the school relented.

If he’s angry at his former employer though, he’s sure not taking it out on his players.

Kennesaw State played one of its better games in Bohannon’s absence on the sideline, falling to Sam Houston 23-17 in overtime. But what’ll be remembered by most Owls fans is their former coach making a classy gesture in the aftermath of a brutal week. Either that or his moving van has been stuck in traffic on I-75 since Monday.

Heisman five

It’s really a three-man race for the Heisman now, unless you want to count offensive Travis Hunter and defensive Travis Hunter as separate players, in which case he’s going to need to buy another suit for the ceremony.

1. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter

Hunter Week 12 touchdown count: 1 scored, 1 allowed.

He should be ashamed of himself, giving up a touchdown like that. It’s the type of performance that would get one of Deion Sanders’ kids docked three spots on his child ranking list.

2. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

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Ashton Jeanty seals Boise State’s win with 3rd TD of the night

Ashton Jeanty is the first player to record 26 rushing touchdowns in his first 10 games of a season since Ricky Williams in 1998.

Boise State fell behind San José State 14-0 before somebody remembered to wake Jeanty up and tell him to go smash things. He finished the Broncos’ 42-21 win with 32 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns, putting Jeanty now just 107 rushing yards shy of 2,000 on the season. Jeanty has also eclipsed 30 carries in five straight games, just the third player of the playoff era to do so.

3. Miami QB Cam Ward

The Hurricanes were off Saturday, giving Ward more time to stew over the loss to Georgia Tech. He has called Brent Key’s house 23 times already this week to ask if his refrigerator is running.

4. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel

Any chance of Gabriel making a real run at the Heisman probably evaporated Saturday in Madison, as he failed to throw a touchdown pass and the Ducks’ offense struggled. Only a home game against Washington and the Big Ten title game remain before voting commences. The good news is, after 23 seasons of college football, Gabriel will still be a favorite to take home a lifetime achievement award.

5. Penn State TE Tyler Warren

In Saturday’s 49-10 win over Purdue, Warren had eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown and three carries for 63 yards and a score. All season, he has been Penn State’s do-it-all guy, so long as “all” doesn’t also include beating Ohio State. He’s the first Big Ten non-QB to account for at least 10 touchdowns in a season — at least one each passing, rushing and receiving — since 2017, when another Nittany Lion, Saquon Barkley, did it.

Under-the-radar play of the week

Liberty‘s kicker was pretty, pretty … pretty good in overtime of Saturday’s 35-34 win over UMass.

Normally, UMass is an easy win, but this one seemed destined to go down like a dry scone. UMass jumped out to a 20-7 halftime lead, with the majority of Liberty’s offense coming from pity points. Losing to UMass, of course, is one of the most humiliating things a man can experience along with trying on pants.

But the Flames pulled the old chat-and-cut in the second half, tying the game at 28 with 3:49 to play and forcing overtime. UMass scored first in OT, but kicker Jacob Lurie, who we assume doesn’t respect wood, missed his PAT try. Liberty then matched the touchdown and sent Colin Karhu in to win the game with the extra point — and to stare down the legend, Larry David.

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Liberty hits winning extra point despite Larry David scoreboard distraction

Quinton Cooley rushes in for a 5-yard Liberty touchdown and hit the winning extra point despite a Larry David distraction on the videoboard.

From there, the scoreboard flickered to the actual final score — 35-34 Liberty — which feels offensive. They could’ve at least lied to UMass. A lie is a gesture, it’s a courtesy, it’s a little respect. This was very disrespectful.

Under-the-radar game of the week

Louisville technically joined the ACC in 2014, but it wasn’t until Saturday that the Cardinals truly hit the type of rock bottom misery the ACC foists upon all who approach it.

Louisville, which figured to win easily since it has many Cardinals, whereas Stanford is just one Cardinal, cruised early and led by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. But Stanford scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 45 seconds left to tie the game at 35, forced a Louisville turnover on downs after the Cards ran seven plays in just 35 seconds and Stanford got the ball back with 10 seconds to play at its own 45. That should’ve meant overtime, but Louisville committed an unsportsmanlike penalty, setting up Stanford for a 57-yard field goal try. Quincy Riley then was flagged for being offsides, shaving another 5 yards off the kick, and Emmet Kenney delivered from 52 yards out for the win.

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Emmet Kenney’s 52-yard FG gives Stanford the upset over Louisville

Emmet Kenney’s kick is true as his 52-yard field goal seals an upset victory for Stanford over Louisville.

With one minute to play in the game, ESPN gave Louisville a 90% win probability. With 15 seconds left it was still a coin flip. And with no time left on the clock, it was a full-on #goacc for the ages.

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Jeanty bolsters Heisman case, sets school record

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November 17, 2024

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Jeanty bolsters Heisman case, sets school record

  • Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterNov 17, 2024, 12:31 AM ET

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    • Covers college football.
    • Joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Attended Washington State University.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty bolstered his Heisman Trophy résumé Saturday night by breaking the single-season school rushing record in a 42-21 win against San José State.

Jeanty rushed for 159 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns to up his season total to 1,893 yards through 10 games. He broke the school record set by Jay Ajayi, who ran for 1,823 yards in 14 games in 2014.

“He’s the best football player in the country,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “He is also a big-time leader and an elite human being.”

The win guaranteed the Broncos, ranked No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings, a spot in the Mountain West championship game, which means Jeanty is on pace to rush for over 2,400 yards by the time the Heisman Trophy ballots must be submitted. With a bowl game or an appearance in the playoff, Jeanty could challenge Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS rushing record of 2,628 yards set in 1988.

“It means a lot,” Jeanty said of the school record. “All the past running backs are great and amazing, but to keep the legacy going, the tradition of great running backs at Boise State, I think is a big deal to me.”

Things did not start well for the Broncos and Jeanty against San José State. He was limited to 19 yards on his first nine carries as Boise State fell behind 14-0. But after the Spartans failed to convert on fourth-and-goal to go up 21-0, the Broncos started to find their way.

Jeanty keyed a strong drive to finish the half, which he capped with a 2-yard score to tie the game with 38 seconds before halftime.

“[The challenge] every week is wearing the defense down,” Jeanty said. “We got 8-men boxes, 9-man boxes, so not as many big runs, but over the course of the game, if we’re able to grind them down, get ’em tired, those big runs will come.”

That’s what happened against SJSU. In the second half, Jeanty had runs of 36, 12, 13 and 11 yards, and the Spartans couldn’t keep pace, despite 446 yards passing from quarterback Walker Eget.

Boise State (9-1, 6-0 MW) travels to Wyoming next week before ending the regular season at home against Oregon State on Nov. 29.

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No. 1 Ducks finish strong, outlast pesky Badgers

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November 17, 2024

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No. 1 Ducks finish strong, outlast pesky Badgers

  • Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior WriterNov 17, 2024, 12:44 AM ET

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      Jake Trotter covers college football for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011. Before that, he worked at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal newspapers. You can follow him @Jake_Trotter.

MADISON, Wis. — Oregon had yet to score a touchdown when “Jump Around” blared throughout Camp Randall Stadium, signaling the start of the fourth quarter in Wisconsin.

The top-ranked Ducks trailed and faced fourth-and-nine. Oregon coach Dan Lanning considered taking a delay of game and punting. Instead, he put his trust in quarterback Dillon Gabriel. And once again, the Heisman Trophy contender delivered.

Unable to find an open receiver, Gabriel scrambled left before threading a pass through a trio of Wisconsin defenders into the chest of tight end Terrance Ferguson for the first down. Three plays later, the Ducks scored their only touchdown of the night.

That was all need they needed. Oregon survived Saturday night with a 16-13 victory over Wisconsin to remain unbeaten.

According to ESPN Research, the Ducks are the only team in the country to win three times this season after trailing by at least six points in the fourth quarter. They’re also just the seventh team in the AP Poll era (since 1936) to start 11-0 with three wins by three or fewer points. Oregon also rallied for wins against Boise State and Ohio State by a combined margin of four points.

“It’s hard to win,” said Gabriel, who passed for 219 yards. “Big plays need to happen in big moments. … winning games are hard, and we have a team that knows how to win. That just speaks volumes about the guys we have.”

The Ducks didn’t make it easy.

Oregon twice settled for field goals in the first half after promising drives. Gabriel also had a pass tipped and intercepted on first-and-goal.

With Oregon’s offense scuffling, the Badgers gradually took control with a methodical rushing attack led by Tawee Walker, who finished with 97 yards.

The Badgers led 13-6 to begin the fourth quarter and seemed headed for their first win over a No. 1 team since toppling Ohio State in 2010.

But momentum swung back in Oregon’s favor after “Jump Around,” Wisconsin’s famed tradition. The Ducks played the song all week during practice to prepare them for the road trip.

To begin the fourth quarter, Lanning told Gabriel to take the delay of game if the Badgers showed zone coverage against Oregon’s triple slant play.

“(They) were in the look that we liked and then they actually checked out of that look,” Lanning said. “But our guys did a good job of executing the scramble drill. … we probably had a little good luck there — and an impressive play by Dillon to keep it alive and find somebody down the field.”

Two possessions later, the Ducks later added the game-winning field goal. Gabriel’s eight-yard scramble on third down helped set up the chip-shot, 24-yard attempt for Atticus Sappington, who nailed the kick with just over 2 minutes to play.

Oregon’s defense did the rest, forcing a turnover on downs, then a tipped interception on Wisconsin’s final drive.

The Ducks will have a bye before facing Washington in the regular-season finale. If they win, they’ll have a chance to secure the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs with another victory in the Big Ten championship game.

“We can handle critical moments,” Lanning said. “We can handle when it’s tough and at some point, that experience is going to pay off for us. It certainly paid off for us tonight.”

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