Let’s say that, early in the week leading up to Nov. 21, you got a tip that the Pittsburgh Panthers would have multiple players out due to COVID-19 protocols in their upcoming game against Virginia Tech (something that’s been all too common during the 2020 season). The Hokies had just gone 1-3 in four straight […]
Iowa State has not traditionally been a college football program that reciprocates heightened expectations with on-field success. So it was tragically on brand when the Cyclones entered the season ranked in the Associated Press preseason poll for the third time in school history and then lost by 17 points at Jack Trice Stadium to an […]
With 12:18 left in the fourth quarter of a game that would decide the Big Ten East title, Indiana had trimmed Ohio State’s 35-7 lead to 42-28. On the ensuing kickoff, Buckeyes return man Demario McCall caught the kick at his own 4-yard line, looking to make a play. But he only made it to […]
The consummate feel-good story of the 2020 college football season can be found in Conway, South Carolina. It involves a university (Coastal Carolina), a mascot (Chanticleer) and a color (teal) that are basically never associated with dominance on the gridiron. It involves a program with three years of Football Bowl Subdivision experience that entered September […]
There are few truly great football movies. The things that draw fans to the sport — a strange mix of athleticism, schematic complexity, courage and violence — seem to defy easy capture on the big screen. Perhaps it’s because our rooting interests change when we watch movies. We cheer for dramatic character arcs rather than […]