Best Weekend of CFB in Recent Memory

I picked a great weekend to become one with the couch, as the action on the big screen was electrifying. Aside from a few family events ..... that I Irish goodbyed on early, I became that guy — sprawled on the couch all day with a bag of chips and a handful of Costco chomps, remote in hand and a four game multiview screen on.

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Around the Country

ACC – The weekend kicked off with a loud-ass bang on Friday night as The U (aka Miami) and their mascot Ibis went down to a flock of Louisville Cardinals. Georgia Tech keeps finding ways to win, knocking off Duke, while FSU and Clemson keep finding ways to lose.

SEC – Of eight games in the SEC, seven were thrillers. Bama won the Cigar Bowl over Tennessee. Florida slipped by Mississippi State, but Coach Napier got fired anyway. Arch became “Ass” again, and the Horns barely bucked the UK Cats. Diego Pavia and Vandy continued their improbable season by taking down LSU in Nashville. Kirby and the Dawgs came from behind in Athens to beat Lane and the Rebs by eight. TAMU slipped out of Fayetteville with a close one over an inspired Razorback squad, while Jackson Arnold’s struggles continued down on the plains as Mizzou escaped with a six-point win.

Big 12 – In one of the most dramatic finishes of the weekend, Arizona State narrowly escaped with a win over Texas Tech. ASU led most of the game until the Red Raiders stormed back late in the fourth. Arizona State ultimately pulled it out with a last-minute drive. Out west, in the Holy War, BYU bested in-state rival Utah 24–21 in the Wasatch Mountains.

Big Ten – Notre Dame ousted USC on the 20th anniversary of the famous Bush Push game. Jeremiah Love ran for over 200 yards and is now a legitimate Heisman contender. Iowa edged the James-Franklin-less Penn State Nittany Lions by one point in Iowa City.

Group of Five – UAB, fresh off firing Trent Dilfer, upset heavily favored Memphis and spoiled their perfect season. Boise State did the same to UNLV on the blue smurf turf.

Pretty funny even if you are offended!

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Bieber Award 

This week’s Bieber goes to all the schools so impatient they’re firing coaches midseason just to appease critics. The latest casualties include the aforementioned James Franklin from Penn State — who, by the way, took the Nittany Lions to the CFP semifinals last year — and Billy Napier, dismissed by Florida right after a win over Mississippi State. Also gone: Trent Dilfer from UAB and Jay Norvell from Colorado State. That makes nine pink slips already.

Rumors are swirling that FSU may part ways with Mike Norvell and South Carolina might do the same with Shane Beamer. A few of these moves make sense, but most are knee-jerk “save my own ass” reactions. In this NIL-driven, win-now era of college football, it’s no surprise we’re seeing this kind of turnover so early. It’s yet another unintended consequence of the new landscape.

So to all the programs guilty of such knee-jerk moves: proudly display your large bronze Bieber Award on your trophy shelf. Enjoy it — your season’s done, and that’s the only hardware you’ll be taking home.

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Ginger Award 

Meet Tom Green — a 60-year-old walk-on defensive lineman for the McDaniel College Green Terror in Westminster, Maryland, whose journey to the gridiron reads like a late-career redemption story. A former semi-pro player, he spent years chasing his dream and is now back in the weight room, hitting sleds, running hills, and studying a defensive playbook that, as he jokes, “makes me feel like I have to go to college just to learn it.”

After a successful real estate run, financial ups and downs, and even surviving stage-four cancer, Green now suits up alongside teammates decades younger. When asked why he returned to the field, his answer was simple: “I’ve always wanted to play… so here I am.”

His story isn’t just athletic inspiration — it’s a reminder that passion doesn’t have an expiration date. It even gives me hope that I’ll petition for a COVID year of eligibility after my five years of collegiate rugby and finally strap on the shoulder pads again — for the first time since ninth grade!

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Next Up

I’ll be hitting some FCS action as the Montana Grizzlies take on the Sacramento State Hornets in Sac Town. I’ll be joined by a real, live seal at the tailgate.

Happy Tailgating!

Another Autumn Audible

As I mentioned last week, I was taking the weekend off from tailgating and not attending a game other than a local high school matchup with my son-in-law on Friday night. We did that. But those of you who know me, know that I can be convinced to alter my plans at the drop of a hat if the offering is bountiful. So keep that in mind when I tell you the audible I called.

Mommy Mommy who are the 2 random guys with no kids on the team?

My old neighbor “lil Johnny”, who now lives in Reno, NV, texted me on Thursday. He mentioned that he was throwing a tailgate for the University of Nevada, Reno vs. San Diego State game on Saturday. Furthermore, he went on to say that the tailgate was being catered by his club with fried chicken, coleslaw, and cornbread. He had me at fried chicken. As is customary, I also scored some “hell points,” as I was supposed to help babysit the three California grandsons on Saturday night. As you can guess, I got out of babysitting duties and made the trek over the High Sierras to Reno on Saturday.

First stop was Twin Peaks to watch the Red River rivalry and Indiana’s upset of Oregon with my other old neighbor, Drubabca. He speaks in monosyllabic mumbles, so I have no idea what the hell we talked about for three hours. Our Family Manager, aka daughter #1 stalked me on the find my friends app and copied all the other members of my flock: Here is the exchange:

So clearly my daughter's love and adore me!

Then it was off to the UNR tailgate—menu is mentioned above—accompanied by cold Coors Banquet and a wee bit of the Irish elixir. I had met much of this crew last year during that bizarre August snowstorm game, and it was great reconnecting with them again.

The Rancharra UNR Tailgate Crew

The Crew, the Dru, me, Crandall and Browns too!

San Diego State is one of the rising teams in the Mountain West conference having won four games in a row. UNR has struggled all season, so the expectations were set commensurately going into the contest. As far as the game goes, it was a non-event, with San Diego State dominating 35–0 at halftime, and sitting in the family section which is non alcoholic, we left. We made our way back to Lil Johnny’s house and continued to eat fried chicken until there was no more left. SDSU won 44-10

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Around the Country

Big Ten – In the Powerhouse game of the day, Indiana proved they are for real, physically dominating Oregon in Eugene with a 10-point win. Curt Cignetti has to be the hottest coach in the country. As we well know, there are multiple openings—about to be more—from elite schools that would love to have this guy.

Upset of the Day – Staying in the Big Ten, Penn State went down for the second week in a row against an inferior opponent as Northwestern scored a one-point victory over the Nittany Lions. Adding insult to injury, Penn State lost quarterback Drew Allar for the rest of the year with an injury. Even more humiliating, Penn State fired their long-tenured coach James Franklin after losing three games in a row and apparently losing control of the team. No need to weep for Coach Franklin—his buyout is $56 million.

SEC – In the Red River shootout, the first half was everything we expected, with both defenses stifling the opposing offenses and Oklahoma leading 6–3 at the break. However, Texas made the proper halftime adjustments, and Arch Manning came out looking better than he has all year as Texas dominated both sides of the ball for the remainder of the game, walking away with a 23–6 victory. Yes, I am eating humble pie on this one.

Big 12 – Shout out to # 3’s school Colorado for upsetting Iowa State. Apparently, there was a field storming, which I would have been part of had I been in Boulder. Final score: Colorado 24, Iowa State 17.

ACC – After a brilliant start with a victory over Alabama, Florida State's season continues to spiral out of control with their third straight loss. This time they were defeated by the University of Pittsburgh 34–31. Safe to say, Florida State will not be sniffing around the college football playoffs.

Bieber Award – This one was unique: Following Fort Valley State’s 31–21 homecoming win over Central State, chaos erupted as players from both Division II programs engaged in a full-blown postgame brawl near midfield. What began as trash talk quickly escalated into punches, helmet swings, and players spilling off the sidelines. The fight drew national attention after multiple fan videos went viral, showing coaches and staff struggling to restore order. In the aftermath, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) handed down harsh penalties—20 players in total were suspended (nine from Fort Valley State and eleven from Central State), and both head coaches received disciplinary action for failing to control their teams. The league condemned the melee as “unacceptable behavior” and warned both programs that further incidents could result in forfeits or postseason bans. But guys, please seek solace in your time off the team in your new iconic Bieber hardware!

Ginger Award – That fried chicken I mentioned at the UNR tailgate and aftermath. Absolutely some of the most righteous tailgate chow I have experienced. Ten pieces in all consumed! Lil Johnny’s kitchen after the game looked like a successful archaeological dig! 

Next Up – I am really taking this week off, as I will begin another one-month gauntlet starting the following week. 

Happy Tailgating!

 

Week 6 – I’m Not as Good as I Once Was, But I Am as Good Once as I Ever Was

 After ten years, I returned to my alma mater, Frostburg State University, for Homecoming weekend. Back in 2015, I wrote about Frostburg and what it means to me, so I’ll repeat myself just a bit—it’s worth saying again.

Frostburg lies in the mountains of Western Maryland, in the skinniest part of the state bordered by Pennsylvania and West Virginia just a couple of vertical miles either way. As I once described it, it’s a hard-scrabble area, built originally as a stopover in the early 1800s along what was then called the National Road. Later that century, the town grew as the surrounding coal mines began popping up.

Today, the university itself is the town’s largest employer. I had the honor and privilege of being interviewed this summer by Frostburg State Magazine about the Tailgate Connect business I founded eight years ago. In the article (link below), I mentioned how my time at Frostburg—let’s just say it was a tad longer than the standard four years—helped shape and mold me into who I am today. The friendships forged there have endured for over 40 years, and the new ones I make on these return trips feel just as strong.

https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f25/feature-dan-donnelly.php

A buddy of mine who went to West Point—and somehow has a ton of Frostburg friends—said it best: “Let’s face it, the whole world revolves around Frostburg State.”

In addition to Homecoming, it was the 50th anniversary of the founding of my fraternity, Kappa Zeta Chi. The weekend was packed with amazing events. Happy hour on Friday with friends. Friday night’s big Kappa reunion was nothing short of epic. Saturday morning, I attended a ceremony dedicating a classroom in honor of one of my closest friend’s brothers, who also attended Frostburg and passed away six years after graduation. Saturday night was a party with live bands in the building I once bartended at while at Frostburg,

KZX Athletic Fraternity 50th

The tailgate before the big game rivaled many I’ve attended in the SEC and Big Ten. In fact, I’d say 70% of the crowd never even made it into the stadium—including yours truly. All of these moments made the weekend more than just another Homecoming—it was something truly special. And yes, true to form, I’ll be nursing my wounds for the next few days while my attorney negotiates payment plans for any blackmail photos that surface.

The three best friends, that anyone can have 🎶🎶🎶

Old bad influences and influencees!

The fearsome foursome rides again

The Men of Kappa!

Sixty Shades of Frostburg turns out!

The celebration never ends!

As for the game, Frostburg was matched up against Concord from West Virginia. The Bobcats entered the day ranked 23rd nationally in Division II with a 4–0 record. They rolled to a 33–7 win to move to 5–0 on the season. A special shout-out to Frostburg tight end Max Heineman—son of my high-school buddy Karl—who was in attendance.

Final score

When I wrote ten years ago that “you can’t go home again,” I might’ve been wrong. If you go back with the right people, you most certainly can.

Around the Country

SEC:  Upset of the Week: Florida Gators knock off Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns, 29–21. The whole country’s still wondering when we’ll finally see the guaranteed wunderkind shine.

Big Ten: Upset #2: UCLA embarrassed James Franklin and Penn State at the Rose Bowl, jumping out early and never looking back. Final: Bruins 42, Nittany Lions 37.

ACC: Miami captures the mythical Florida State Championship after knocking off the Seminoles, 28–22.

Big 12: Cincinnati upsets previously unbeaten #14 Iowa State, 38–30.

Group of Five: Navy, led by this year’s new “Captain America” Blake Horvath, edged Air Force in a thriller, 34–31.

Bieber Award: Mark Sanchez

Just when it looked like Mark Sanchez had finally escaped the Butt Fumble era and settled nicely into his Fox Sports suit, he went and wrote himself into a true-crime episode.

While in Indianapolis to cover the Colts–Raiders game, Sanchez allegedly got into a late-night brawl with a 69-year-old truck driver in a hotel loading zone—reportedly over a parking spot. Witnesses say Sanchez tried to enter the man’s truck and pushed him. The driver responded with pepper spray, then a knife, stabbing the former QB several times in the torso.

Sanchez was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but later stabilized. Then came the kicker—police charged him with battery, unlawful vehicle entry, and public intoxication. Prosecutors later upgraded it to a Level-5 felony, meaning Sanchez could face prison time. The driver has filed a lawsuit claiming permanent injuries and insists Sanchez was the aggressor. Reports say Sanchez was three sheets to the wind.

So, to recap: a national TV analyst, in town for work, ends up in a midnight knife fight with a senior citizen over a parking spot. If that’s not Bieber material, I don’t know what is.

For taking a parking spat to full chaos mode and proving that some reputations are just too resilient to die, Mark Sanchez will be enjoying his Bieber hardware behind bars—with his new cellmates.

Ginger Award: (This goes to the most badass person, group, or thing each week)

This week’s Ginger Award goes to everyone who made Frostburg State’s Homecoming weekend so memorable.

Shout-outs to my fraternity brother Dennis Dillon for organizing the Friday-night party for Kappa Zeta Chi (KZX) and the Saturday tailgate; props to Paul Reutershan and his crew for the “Sixty Shades of Frostburg” bash Saturday night; and special thanks to Tracy Archibald Yaklyvich and Mike Allen for coordinating the classroom dedication in honor of Mike’s brother Matt.

And, of course, thank you to all my fellow Bobcats—for just being you. It was once again an amazing weekend we’ll be recapping for years to come.

Next Up: Taking the weekend off… sort of. I’ll hit a local high-school football game with my son-in-law Friday night, then recharge the batteries Saturday while watching the Red River Rivalry on the big screen.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 5 – Powerhouse Saturday

As mentioned in last week’s recap, I took this weekend off from attending a live game and tailgate. That didn’t stop me from getting into the festivities along 30A on the Redneck Riviera. With Mrs. Tailgate and #3, we hit the beach and stumbled into various establishments along 30A throughout the weekend to enjoy oysters, gumbo, libations, and of course college football. We wrapped things up with chow and suds back at the the billet on the bayou while watching the top games on TV.

Watching the Notre Dame game on my phone at the beach!

Around the Country

Big Ten

Oregon vs. Penn State turned out to be a much better game than it looked for three quarters. In a whiteout at Happy Valley, the Ducks owned the Lions early, only to let their lead disappear and find themselves in overtime. The Ducks scored first in OT, and PSU QB1 Drew Allar also threw the ball to a Duck when it was his turn. Final score: Ducks 30, Nittany Lions 24.

Lincoln Riley continues to prove he is, in fact, one of the all-time “fool’s gold” hires in college football. Lincoln once again couldn’t beat a ranked team, as his Trojans lost in Champaign to the Fighting Illini and their head coach Curly Howard of Three Stooges fame.

SEC

Alabama still lives rent-free in Kirby Smart’s oversized head. As much success as he’s had at Georgia, it has not been at the expense of Bama. In a heavyweight slugfest between the hedges in Athens, Alabama once again got the best of Kirby and the Dawgs, winning 24–21. Kirby is now 1–7 against Alabama as Georgia’s head ball coach.

Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin and the Rebs knocked off Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers in Oxford, 24–19. The bigger drama? Lane’s daughter is dating Whit Weeks, LSU’s star linebacker. Whit literally left it all out on the field Saturday.

Leaving all out on the field!

Big 12

On Friday night in Tempe, the ASU Sun Devils squeaked past TCU 27–24. QB Sam Leavitt led the Sun Devils with 291 yards and two TDs. In Ames Iowa, Iowa state throttled UofA 39-14. 

Upset of the Week

In Charlottesville,VA,  the Wahoos knocked off 4th-ranked Florida State in a massive upset. It took two overtimes, but Virginia prevailed 46–38. Thousands of students stormed the field after the final whistle in celebration. These scenes are what make college football special.

They're streaking through the quad!

Others

Notre Dame’s offense finally showed what it’s capable of, annihilating the Razorbacks in Fayetteville 56–13. Unfortunately, the loss cost Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman his job, as he was fired Sunday morning.

Current Group of Five front-runner Memphis traveled to Boca Raton and kicked the hoot out of the Owls, 55–25.

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Bieber Award

This week’s Bieber Award goes to the institution of Oklahoma State University. Fittingly, it happens to be the alma mater of both my wife and father-in-law.

The reason for this dubious honor: the unceremonious firing of Mike Gundy. Gundy has been Oklahoma State’s head coach for over 20 years, after previously serving as an assistant—and before that, starring as QB when Mrs. Tailgate was matriculating  in Stillwater. He has given more than two-thirds of his life to the school. Oh, and he’s also the winningest coach in OSU history, the man who kept the Cowboys relevant despite never having the recruiting clout of Oklahoma or Texas.

Granted, this year wasn’t off to a stellar start for the pokes. But for someone who gave so much of his life to the school, the right thing would have been to let him finish the season, then mutually part ways—maybe even offering him a role in the athletic department. Instead, the administration tossed him aside like yesterday’s news after week 4. 

Gundy added plenty of trophies to the case in Stillwater by winning numerous bowl games. The one he didn’t win? The Bieber Trophy. That honor now goes to the Oklahoma State University administration. So enjoy your new hardware—and make sure you own it.

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No Ginger Award This Week - need you three readers to send me worthy candidates.

Next Up

I’ll be traveling back to my alma mater for Homecoming Weekend. The mighty Bobcats of Frostburg State, after winning their fourth game this weekend, will be gunning for their fifth straight victory as they take on Concord University.

Week 4 – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Two Tailgates”

Before I recap this past awesome weekend, I must do a shameless plug for the Tailgate Connect Podcast that was started back in August. Here are the links to Spotify and Apple. Our Celeb host Luke Lorick drops an episode each week.

https://open.spotify.com/show/6gAjdvh7JHUadsuTZ4Ylh0 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tailgate-connect-podcast/id1831200374

We found ourselves back in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country for a wedding and to visit family and friends. Oh, and it just so happened that there was a tailgate at Hampden-Sydney College and a game at Liberty University on Saturday. So naturally, we needed to set our priorities straight.

Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, VA, jumped up to Division 1A seven years ago and now plays in Conference USA. They’ve had significant success since the move and are known for a strong game-day atmosphere. The school was founded by Jerry Falwell and is one of the largest religious-based institutions in the country.

But before heading over to Liberty, we tailgated at Division III powerhouse Hampden-Sydney before their matchup with Shenandoah. HSC is located near Farmville, VA. We were invited to the players’ parents’ tailgate with our friends, the Kernans of Frostburg fame. We met some great families, chowed on vittles, and enjoyed a breakfast beverage. Mrs. Tailgate and I had last been at Hampden-Sydney eleven years ago to see their son Joey play in his senior send-off game.

The awesome crew at the Hampden Sydney College Tailgate

Halfway between Hampden-Sydney and Lynchburg sits the historic town of Appomattox, where the War Between the States (nothing civil about war)—or as my Major Huddleston from Tennessee called it, “The War of Northern Aggression”—ended with Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant. Of course, being the Clark Griswold I am, we stopped and spent 20 minutes touring the national park. Then onward to the mecca of Lynchburg, VA, to watch the “Battle of the Blue Ridge” between the Liberty Flames and the Dukes of James Madison.

Liberty is a Christian school with a ton of money, beautiful facilities, and new structures rising all over campus. It is a “dry” campus with no alcohol sales in the stadium. That being said, everyone has their vices—and at Williams Stadium, they’re sweet ones. I have never seen more sugar-focused vendors in one place: cookies, bundt cakes, sno-cones, açaí bowls, ice cream, chocolates—you name it. They’re high on religion and on sugar!

The happy tailgate couple at Falwell U. Amazing setting.

Prior to the game, there was an emotional tribute to Charlie Kirk, who was callously assassinated just ten days prior. The stadium stood in unison and applauded. It was a touching and memorable moment for the Liberty faithful.

Tribute to CK, proof we tailgated at both spots, the scenic backdrop behind Williams stadium.

In the first half, each team started off trading field goals and then touchdowns. Although JMU was favored by 8.5 points, Liberty showed up to play, and the teams went into the locker room knotted at 10 a side.

We were treated to an amazing halftime performance by the Liberty marching band performing songs from Top Gun. Liberty opened the second half with another field goal to take a three-point lead. That would be the last lead they would see, as JMU reeled off three touchdowns while suffocating the Flames on defense. Final score: JMU 31, Liberty 13.

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Around the Country

• The aforementioned Hampden-Sydney Tigers stung the Shenandoah Hornets with a lopsided 42–7 win.
  
  

• Texas Tech went “full Red raider” and dropped the Utes in Salt Lake City 34–10. Our Tailgate Connect host in Utah, The Pig Bus, was even featured on the Fox Big Noon Saturday show.
  
  

• Oklahoma welcomed back their former QB1Jackson Arnold to Norman by sacking him ten times, as Auburn fell to the Sooners in a tight  battle, 24–17.
  
  

• What in tarnation is going on in Clemson? They lost to another team clad in orange this weekend—a game they should have won. Syracuse beat the Fighting Dabos 34–17 in Death Valley, SC. Klubnik is no longer a Heisman candidate. The Tigers have no shot at the playoffs and now Dabo is on the hot seat. Well, there is that speculation but he will not be fired.
  
  

• Iowa came from behind to beat a much-improved Rutgers Scarlet Knights squad on Friday night, 38–28. Thats right, Iowa scored more points in one game then they do in most seasons! The game was much closer than the final score.
  
  

• Staying in the Big Ten, Indiana is back, absolutely destroying #9 Illinois 63–10. Yes, yes, yes—just Google it. Cignetti wins.
  
  

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Bieber Award -  I know it’s unprecedented for a high school kid to win a Bieber Award, but when you weigh 400 pounds and do something so stupid that Jackass wouldn’t even film it, you get noticed. Many of you have seen the video of the heinous act in Michigan during a JV game. A player from the opposing team was lying on the ground, clearly out of the play and yards behind the action. This giant Baby Huey of a specimen thought it would be a good idea to do a WWE-style top-rope drop onto this kid, who was a third his size. Not only did he score a direct hit, but he broke the poor kid’s spine in three places. I don’t yet know the outlook for the injured player but will pray for his recovery. We also don’t know if Baluga will be charged with assault, but if he is and goes to juvie, he can show off his shiny Bieber hardware to his fellow blockmates! (Name withheld due to the age of the perp)

The assualt.

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Ginger Award -  Oh, what the heck. In a week of lesser accomplishments, I’m giving this week’s honors to none other than yours truly and Mrs. Tailgate. I’ve tailgated twice in a day before, but I also attended both games when I did that. This past Saturday was a first: tailgating at one school, then driving to another for a game. And yes, we did have a beverage upon arrival at Liberty to make it officially a “double-gate day.” Additionally, we fit in some Griswolding with our stop at Appomattox between the two schools. Unless you can top that this week with a more “badass’ story, I’m taking the hardware to my trophy shelf!

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Next Up -  A weekend off after four straight weeks and seven games already. We’ll be on the Redneck Riviera, beaching and bar-hopping on Saturday, then watching the big games at night back at the Billet on the Bayou. Oh okay, who am I kidding. I will try to slip away to watch the local South Walton high school game on Friday night!

Happy Tailgating!