Week 2 - God Bless America

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, it was rewarding to see the tributes across the college football landscape commemorating the tragic events of 9/11/2001. In a nation that often seems divided, for the most part we all come together on this hallowed, somber occasion.

Once again, I was kept off the active roster due to my slower-than-expected recovery from last month's total knee replacement. I did not make it to the local JUCO game to see the 47-year-old player on the visiting team. That being said, I filled the void in my life by watching ample action on the big screen from Thursday at 4 PM Pacific until midnight Pacific on Saturday, including a Friday night pizza watch party at HQ with family. My sister-in-law was visiting from Maryland, and I forced her to sit and watch Saturday's action with me. She immediately became a Ginger candidate for that heroic effort.

Ginger Candidate

Around the Country

Perhaps the biggest shocker of the weekend took place in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The number two team in the country, the Oregon Ducks, traveled to Stillwater for what appeared on paper to be an easy victory, seeing as the Cowpokes had been defeated the previous week by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. However, first-year coach Eric Morris of Oklahoma State dialed up an amazing game plan in all facets of the game. Oklahoma State ended the day on top 39-31.

In a personally disappointing outcome for me, the number 11 Oklahoma Sooners traveled to Michigan for what also appeared to be an easy victory after Michigan had been awarded a win the previous week against Western Michigan. Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham clearly outcoached Oklahoma and stifled their offense all afternoon, resulting in a 17-10 win in the Big House.

In one of the greatest comebacks of the year, deep in the heart of Texas, the Texas Longhorns found themselves down 23-3 to the Ohio State Buckeyes at the start of the fourth quarter. Ohio State clearly looked like the best team in the country for almost three quarters. And then something happened. Arch Manning and the Texas offense woke up, and some critical mistakes by that dog-kicking coach Ryan Day allowed Texas to come all the way back and take a one-point lead with less than 30 seconds left. The Longhorns won 24-23. All right...all right ...all right!

Tailgate Connect's Texas Tailgate in action!

Maybe why they ....um....choked?

In the annual Cy-Hawk game in the state of Iowa, the Iowa Hawkeyes narrowly defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 16-13. It is nice to see the stability Iowa has with Kirk Ferentz in his 28th season as the head ball coach for the Hawkeyes.

The Cal Bears traveled to the Dome in Syracuse and delivered new coach Tosh Lupoi his first victory as Cal's head honcho. Cal played a physical game that has not been seen in those blue and gold uniforms in some time. They repeatedly put hard hits on former Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli and escaped the 'Cuse with a 21-18 win.

The reigning FCS champion Montana State Bobcats traveled to Reno, Nevada, and knocked off the FBS Nevada Wolf Pack 20-7.

Two ex Cal Poly players pre gaming at SJSU

Bieber & Ginger Awards

In an unprecedented announcement, for the first time ever the same incident will be awarded both the Bieber and Ginger Awards. I must clarify that there are two sides to this one. The incident took place when Oklahoma State knocked off the mighty Ducks of Oregon in Stillwater. After the game the fans stormed the field, which I absolutely love. It is part of college football and should never be quelled. In addition to storming the field, they tore the goal posts down, carried them from the stadium to Theta Pond on campus and dumped them in. Good job, students. In my view that is exactly what you should do after a monumental victory. Therefore, you students who participated win my Ginger Award for your heroic efforts.

On the other side of the coin, the Big 12, in its infinite wisdom, decided to fine Oklahoma State $50,000 for not adhering to the no-storming-the-field rule it has implemented. That would be all well and good, except the Big 12 has not been consistent in this ruling, handing out fines to some schools while letting others slide for the exact same infraction. Because the powers that be at the Big 12 first wanted to dampen some fun, and then did it inconsistently, they can now hug their new Bieber Trophy, which will sit in the foyer of Big 12 headquarters.

Chaos in Stillwater!

Next Up

I had organized the big Danville DFT trip to South Bend for the weekend. Due to not being cleared by the DFT team physicians, I unfortunately have to miss the trip and the other upcoming games over the next few weekends. In fact, there is a very good chance I will not make it to a live game for five more weeks, when we go to Stillwater for Mrs. Tailgate's homecoming weekend. Maybe they will throw me in the Theta pond for my punishment if missing 1/2 the season!

Happy Tailgating! 

week One and the Weak One!

Week 1 in college football typically symbolizes the greatest time of the year for me, even beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas. What you have to understand is we have games starting on Thursday and going all the way through Monday night — that is five days of college football nirvana. I typically participate by attending three games and tailgates, minimum, over that stretch. It's also the time when I dress up in costume for one of the games. Last year my buddy Tubby and I recreated the famous characters from Caddyshack. This year's plan had been to go to the University at Buffalo on Thursday night and Syracuse University on Saturday, with a stop in Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame in between. Unfortunately, since I am still not on the active roster, we had to punt on that plan. So for the second week in a row, I found myself back in the recliner once again.

In addition to this being Week 1, the first Saturday in September is also National Tailgating Day, founded by my buddy and tailgating cohort Luke Lorick from Tailgating Challenge. Luke and my other colleague Joe Rogers spent the entire weekend in Baton Rouge celebrating National Tailgating Day.

Around The Country

Games of interest to me always involve Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Boise State, Colorado, and Army. So naturally, I watched all of those games along with some of the marquee games for the weekend. Those games included:

CFB's Favorite Polygamist!

Clemson at LSU — This game became unwatchable midway through the first quarter, as it was evident that LSU was just so much better than Clemson. It is sad to see how far Clemson has fallen from its greatness of just a few short years ago. LSU and college football's favorite villain, Lane Kiffin, easily picked up the victory with a 51-10 final score.

Western Michigan at Michigan — The entire country is now talking about Western Michigan getting robbed against Michigan when the refs put one second back on the clock after it was clear the game should have been declared over. This gave Michigan a final chance at a 47-yard Hail Mary, which they threw and caught for the winning touchdown. It's pretty funny to see 100,000 people storm the field in the Big House for defeating Western Michigan out of the MAC. I like Michigan and have nothing against them, but there is nothing that will convince me Western Michigan wasn't robbed of their victory.

Baylor at Auburn — Auburn made a game-saving goal-line tackle on Baylor's two-point conversion attempt as the Bears went for the win rather than settle for the tie. DJ Lagway's pass to his tight end was poorly thrown, and the defender came up and made a Ken Houston-type tackle before the receiver could reach the end zone. Auburn won 14-13.

Louisville at Ole Miss —The Cardinals gave the favored Rebels all they could handle until Heisman hopeful and 7th year senior Trinidad Chambliss bailed his club out for a game winning drive resulting in a field goal and a 41-38 victory.

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin — The feisty Badgers battled the mighty Irish tough in the first half at Lambeau Field. However, the superior team wore them down in the second half and won going away by a score of 41-13.

Actor Rob Riggle is Wisconsin Coach Luke Fickle

Upsets

UMass over Rutgers — Thursday night's result was perhaps one of the most shocking upsets we will see all season. To put it in perspective, UMass had not won a game in its last 16 contests. Last year their point differential was -346. Rutgers came into the game with high expectations as a 26-point favorite. As we all know now, the Minutemen pulled their own Tea Party in Piscataway and rode out of there with a decisive 37-21 victory.

Colorado over Georgia Tech — The Fighting Prime Times from Boulder traveled to Atlanta and got revenge on a favored Georgia Tech squad after last year's loss to them in Boulder. It's good to see Coach Prime smiling again and looking relatively healthy after last year's disaster season. I still think they need to unretire his son's jersey for having one okay year. :)

FCS and Lower Divisions

A shout-out to my adopted team near my homestead in Florida, the University of West Florida Argonauts. For the second week in a row, they have upset another top-25 FCS school, this time knocking off No. 24 Central Arkansas decisively. What's most impressive is that this is the Argos' first year in the FCS.

Bieber — A Lot of Bieber Behavior This Week

The continuing saga of the courts and Lane Kiffin. Kiffin's first season in Baton Rouge has turned into a law school clinic. LSU has been rostering players who already signed NFL contracts, and the SEC responded by suing LSU in U.S. District Court in Alabama, alleging the university is violating the league's First Amendment right of expressive association by ignoring conference rules that prohibit signing and playing former NFL players. The suit names the LSU board of supervisors, president Wade Rousse, AD Verge Ausberry, and Kiffin himself. Meanwhile, a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction against the NCAA the night before LSU had to submit its 105-man roster, clearing the way for LSU to list some former NFL players. The names include former Ole Miss starters Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom played for Kiffin last year in Oxford. Kiffin swears he's not orchestrating any of it, telling reporters "These kids made these decisions on their own with attorneys" and pointing to similar cases in South Carolina, Texas, and California. Sure, Lane. Sure.

The TCU locker-room assault. This one is ugly. TCU receiver Dozie Ezukanma was hospitalized for three days with a brain bleed, a concussion, and other injuries after being assaulted in the locker room by then-teammate Jacob Fields on Aug. 13. Fields, a decorated Louisiana Tech transfer, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. According to the affidavit, Ezukanma was looking at his phone when Fields struck him, and the victim believed it was because he'd been outplaying Fields in practice the day before. Fields walked up and struck him in the forehead with a closed fist, and when Ezukanma fell, kicked him in the head. It took nearly two hours for a member of TCU's staff to get Ezukanma to the emergency room. Coach Sonny Dykes' response? "Look, you got 110 football players. I mean, things happen sometimes." Things happen? A kid nearly died, Sonny.

UNC's general manager is out. Michael Lombardi, Bill Belichick's top aide, resigned as GM after being on paid leave since late July following a human resources complaint filed by a former front-office employee. Lawyers investigating the program have questioned people about allegations involving defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and, separately, about a possible sexual relationship between at least one employee and at least one player. Investigators have also asked witnesses about Lombardi's role in hiring and firing decisions regarding female and minority staffers. Remember, UNC paid Lombardi $1.5 million a year, making him the highest-paid GM among public universities — for a team that went 4-8. The school says the investigation continues even with him gone.

The Big Ten's magic second. See above in the game recap. Nothing to see here, folks. Just a MAC school that got a historic win taken off the board by a half-second of "clock sync." The Big Ten went into full CYA mode, trying to convince the world of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Ginger — Danny Okoye's 9/11 Tribute

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the legacy of those lost on 9/11 and supports injured veterans and first responders. Oklahoma edge rusher Danny Okoye is channeling his breakout season into a cause bigger than football. The Tulsa native pledged to donate money to the foundation for every tackle, sack, and interception he records during the 2026 campaign — a powerful way to honor the heroes remembered on September 11 while using his elite athleticism for meaningful change. It's the kind of character-driven initiative that defines the best of college football's student-athletes. (Source: Fox News)

Okoye's charitable spirit extends well beyond this season. He was named Oklahoma's representative to the 2025 SEC Football Community Service Team in recognition of his charitable efforts over two seasons with the Sooners, and his mission statement says it all: "My greatest impact isn't measured in sacks or stats — it's measured in service." As Okoye looks to finally unleash his considerable talent on the SEC this fall, after patiently waiting his first two seasons, he's proving that the most important stats in life aren't always found in a box score.

Bonus

Top 5 NFL Tailgates, co-written by yours truly, in this fall's Tailgater Magazine. Go to page 52. https://cloud.3dissue.com/96043/96462/113567/TailgaterFall2026/index.html

Next Up

If I am up for it, I will attend a local JUCO game at Sierra College to see a 47-year-old defensive end take the gridiron next Saturday… and plenty more time in the recliner!

Happy Tailgating!

 

Dan From The Recliner

As I am in the midst of convalescence from a medical speed bump, I am forced to enjoy these first few weeks of college football from the confines of the DFT West Coast HQ. I will have to live vicariously until mid-September through those who are actually at tailgates and games. And so, this was the scene from my recliner:

The unofficial start of college football commenced on Thursday night with 23 FCS games, most of which were carried on the ESPN+ app. I was in heaven, bouncing from game to game. The FCS level provides a little more purity to the game, as there is less of the NIL-fueled team-hopping temptation that has taken over the FBS level of college football.

The game of the night on Thursday, in my humble opinion, was the upset by the University of West Florida Argonauts over the Southern Illinois University Salukis in Pensacola, Florida. West Florida had just moved up from Division II to the FCS level and knocked off a team that nearly made the FCS playoffs last year. The final score was 34-31.

On Friday night, the FCS action continued, and there were two excellent games. In one, Cal Poly beat the University of Idaho for the first time after dedicating its new John Madden Center sports facility. The Mustangs won on a 4th down, 35 yard touchdown strike with 4 seconds left on the clock.

The other game featured one of the worst collapses I had seen in a long time. Villanova held a 10-point lead over William & Mary with less than a minute to go. Somehow, William & Mary came back to actually win the game in regulation. A field goal, an onside kick resulting in 7, and another field goal after a turnover put them on top of the scoreboard at the end, 35-32.

Saturday was a feast for the eyes, as there were eight FBS games starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific with the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.

Tailgate Connect partner was throwing in my Fatherland!

The Fighting Belichicks of the University of North Carolina knocked off the Horny Toads of TCU, 15-10. Most people tuned in in hopes of getting a glimpse of Belichick's granddaughter-aged girlfriend.

In one of the more meaningful games of the day, the University of Virginia matched up with NC State in a game that was originally supposed to take place in Rio de Janeiro. However, after the schools declined to deliver bags of unmarked dollar bills to the kings of the favela of Rio, that venue was scrapped, and the game ended up being played in Charlottesville. UVA picked up right where they left off last year with an impressive 34-8 victory over North Carolina State.

In one of the best Group of Five matchups of the year, Memphis came away with a 31-27 win over UNLV in Las Vegas.

In somewhat of an embarrassing showing, USC played San Jose State at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of what looked to be 15,000 to 20,000 people at best. Allegedly, tickets were going for as low as $8 prior to the game. This is not what we expect from one of the premier programs in the nation. They ended up winning the game, but didn't come close to covering the spread.

I also had my first beer in a month!

My Son in law is a horrible influence

Tailgate Connect in Fargo yesterday at NDSU!

Bieber Award: College Football Has Officially Lost Its Mind

DFT Nation, I think we may have officially jumped the shark.

We now have players who have finished their college careers, signed NFL contracts, gone through NFL camps and, in some cases, gotten cut, trying to come back and play college football. And while the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC have all agreed to block these former pros, the courts keep stepping in with injunctions that essentially tell the conferences, "Not so fast."

These guys can potentially walk back into college locker rooms and take roster spots, playing time and NIL money from kids who stayed, worked their asses off and earned those opportunities.

And then there's Lane Kiffin, who has been more than happy to exploit the loophole and recruit former NFL players for LSU while the rest of college football is trying to shut this circus down. But then again, character issues and Lane Kiffin have been synonymous throughout his coaching career.

At some point, we have to admit this isn't college football anymore. It's a revolving door between college and the NFL, and the courts are making a bad situation even worse.

For polluting what used to be the sanctity of college football, this mess earns the DFT Bieber Award.

Ginger Award: Never Too Old to Play the Game

This week's DFT Ginger Award goes to 47-year-old Justin Buzzard, who decided that apparently having a wife, three kids, a full-time job and a few decades between him and his last college football game wasn't enough to keep him off the field.

Buzzard, a pastor from Silicon Valley, walked on at San José City College and earned himself a spot on the Jaguars' roster as a defensive end. While most of his teammates are young enough to be his kids, Buzzard has been showing up every day, putting in the work and proving that he's not just there to collect a jersey.

While college football seems determined to find new ways to become ridiculous, here's a guy who isn't chasing NIL money, a transfer or a shot at the NFL. He's simply chasing something he thought he'd lost decades ago.

At 47, he's taking the hits, battling through the aches and proving that sometimes you just need to say, "Screw it, I'm going to give it a shot."

For having the guts to chase a childhood dream when most people his age are worried about their golf handicap, Justin Buzzard gets this week's DFT Ginger Award.

As an aside, I am hopeful I will get to see him play in two weeks when SJCC plays at Sierra College near my West Coast HQ.

The old "Buzzard"

Next Up

More recliner time next weekend. :). Don't forget to check out https://tailgateconnect.com/ for your tailgating needs.

Happy Tailgating!

DFT Pre Season Primer

 

DFT Pre-Season

The DFT blog is entering its 19th season—and 23rd season of the obsession, I mean …….quest. Many of you have been with me from the very beginning, and I just want to say that I appreciate the loyal following and truly enjoy writing this blog because of the feedback I get from you all. And so it is, we're off to another season.

This season will be a little unique as I will start it off on the injured reserve. This means no Labor Day trifecta where we dress up in costume for the anchor game of that weekend. My first real road trip won't be until week three with the Dons of Danville & my son in laws (bodyguards) as we visit South Bend for the Michigan State weekend. In fact, this will be one of my latest starts other than the covid year of 2020, when I was only allowed to attend one game. There is a chance I will attend a local JUCO matchup the week prior to Notre Dame.

This was going to be this year's labor day get up. Shake n Bake!

Other notable matchups on the DFT agenda include Indiana at Rutgers on October 3, Oklahoma at Kentucky on October 17, Colorado at Oklahoma State (Mrs. Tailgate's alma mater), The Seneca Valley boys from class of '81 weekend, Georgia at Ole Miss on November 7th. There are a few other Group of Five schools on the slate, and I also plan to attend a conference championship in December. All in all, this will likely be a maximum of 10 games.

Off Season Bieber Honors- Pretty easy choice as the scandal was dominating the sports media for a month. Brendan Sorsby, The highly touted transfer quarterback that landed at Texas Tech from the University of Cincinnati is our big winner as he may be following in the footsteps of the great Art Schlister. . In brief, this is what happened:

Sorsby admitted to wagering at least $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years, including betting on Indiana football while he played there as a freshman in 2022.

The NCAA permanently banned Sorsby, but he challenged the ruling in state court and surprisingly won an injunction allowing him to play football in 2026. A retired County judge in Texas ruled that Sorsby would suffer "irreparable injury" if banned, finding that his attorney successfully framed the gambling history as a mental health and addiction issue rather than purely a disciplinary matter. 

The case became controversial for seemingly allowing a player to escape NCAA penalties through litigation.

However, after significant backlash from fans and opposing teams and legal filings, Sorsby and Texas Tech mutually agreed to part ways. He withdrew his college eligibility lawsuit and planned to enter the NFL's supplemental draft. The NFL opted to not hold a supplemental draft in 2026, so Sorsby will now enter the 2027 NFL Draft with a gambling scandal hanging over him and a year away from competitive football. 

No worries though as he will have ample time to polish his shiny new Biebs hardware on the family mantle!

This Is the End, My Only Friend, the End 🎶🎶🎶

As prices for the Natty soared well over $3,000 for the cheap seats, most of the country was more than happy to stay in the comfy confines of their own cribs or local watering holes to watch this one. I chose the latter.

Sports bar on the Riviera

By now, the nation knows the Cinderella story of the Indiana Hoosiers, who beat Miami in a hard-fought, close game. The team was led by this year’s college football poster boy and Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza.
Final score: Indiana 27–21.

The camera spent more time on her than the game!

Butcher Dan in his boujee suite.

The McCools converted from Mountaineerdom!

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Season in Review

• 11 FBS games – BGSU, Illinois, Liberty, Temple – 4 new home stadiums, plus Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Peach Bowl

• 4 FCS games - SIU & North Dakota State - 2 new stadiums

• 1 D2 game

• 1 high school game

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Next Season

• Zero Week – Rio de Janeiro: NC State vs. UVA

• Labor Day Weekend – Syracuse and Buffalo home games

• 9/19 – Michigan State @ Notre Dame

• 10/17 – Idaho @ Montana

• 11/7 – UGA @ Ole Miss

• TBD – UTEP & NMSU double-header weekend

• TBD – LMU & LT double-header weekend

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Ginger Award – Curt Cignetti

In the world of NIL and the portal, coaches and programs must use the current rules to their advantage. Indiana—one of the all-time losingest programs in college football—turned itself in just two years from the laughingstock of the Power Five into a National Champion.

Credit goes to Coach Curt “I Win” Cignetti.

When he left James Madison University, he brought over key players from that program and aggressively attacked the transfer portal. He built this team not through the traditional high school recruiting model, but through this mythical portal thing we’re all dealing with now.

I’m not a fan of how the portal has zero guardrails, but its most positive outcome has been the leveling of the playing field in college football. Any program with deep pockets and a keen eye for talent can succeed in this new world order.

Indiana is not loaded with former 4- and 5-star athletes. In fact, they had zero 5-stars on this year’s roster.

Outside of Heisman-winning QB1 Fernando Mendoza, there are no household names—and that’s by design. Cignetti got these young men to buy into the team concept first. This team is unified, disciplined, and focused. Miami may have had more individual talent, but they lacked the team-first mentality Cignetti built in Bloomington.

So Coach, along with your Natty trophy, please accept our Ginger Trophy for your badass performance over the past two years.

"I win, google me"

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Bieber Award – Miami’s Sideline Circus

The famous trio of Miami Hurricane alumni—Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed—inserted themselves on the sideline for the Natty.

Nothing wrong with legends of that magnitude gracing the sidelines of their alma mater for a big game. What was wrong is what it became.

Those guys became the show. They got as much pub as many of the players, and possibly even more than Coach Cristobal. Worse, they took it upon themselves to coach players up, get in their faces, and try to inspire and instruct them.

Michael Irvin turned into a full-blown side circus, running up and down the sideline acting like he was… high on life or something.

Before Miami’s final drive in the fourth quarter—when they still had a chance to win—Ray “Killer” Lewis was seen in the face of Miami QB1 Carson Beck, offering inspiration or instructions like, “Win or die, son!”

Beck then promptly went out and threw a game-losing interception to an Indiana DB.

Miami, this isn’t the 1980s or 1990s anymore. Move on. Keep these fossils in the museum so they don’t interfere with your game plans. And while you’re at it, stick your new Bieber hardware in that same museum.

A relic from the past!

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Next Up

There’s a possibility of tailgating at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Otherwise, I’ll be enjoying trips to warm places and spending time on the Redneck Riviera to recharge for next fall.

Come see me on the Riviera this off season!

I’ll also be spending time on Tailgate Connect, which continues to grow nicely over the past two years.

Happy Tailgating! 

Semi Excitement

I had the privilege of attending the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, GA Friday night for the College Football Playoff semifinal between Indiana and Oregon. It honestly felt like the game was already over when I boarded my connecting flight in Denver on Thursday, as the majority of my plane was adorned in Indiana crimson, with only one lone Duck fan in sight. More of the same when I landed at Hartsfield International — and again at my hotel.

On Friday, while making my way to our tailgate near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the whole town was wearing red. Our tailgate was easily 10-to-1 Indiana fans, and as you may have seen on TV, the stadium was at least 90% Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers.

Let’s put things in perspective. Prior to the 2024 season, Indiana had the most losses of any Division I program in the history of college football and an all-time winning percentage of just .420, perennially fighting for the bottom of the Big Ten. Heck it was just last year that they brought back their mascot after a 55 year absence. Indiana has long been known as a basketball school, largely thanks to the late, great Coach Bobby Knight. In fact, save for Notre Dame, the entire state of Indiana is known for basketball — the Pacers, IU, Purdue, Butler, Larry Bird and of course, Hickory High.

IU fans clearly don’t know how to react to these newfound riches after the remarkable run of the past two seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti. The guy wins — just Google him. Many IU fans I spoke with admitted they had little to no interest in the football program prior to last year. Now, they are the nouveau riche of college football, trying to balance euphoria with not becoming too annoying.

Before kickoff, I attended and helped check guests in at our Tailgate Connect–affiliated tailgate in ATL, The Tailgate Party Committee, run by Big Lee, LaRonda, and a staff of awesome people. For $70, guests were treated to fresh-smoked meats, sides, an open bar, and great music from DJ Erock. There was a giant screen for the pregame show and a slew of other activities.

Tailgate Party Committee Tailgate with the Brothers Lusk

More action at the gate!

At one point, Erock played ABBA’s Fernando, which took me a few seconds to figure out why he was killing the upbeat vibe (think Heisman Boy), then it hit me. There was a lot of attention being paid to the Indiana contingent, who were clearly in the majority.

After finishing my duties at check-in, I joined my friends — the Lusk Bros from Minnesota — along with our good friend Evan Williams. After a solid number of rounds with Evan and some seriously righteous chow, and some fun people watching, we made our way to the stadium to watch the spectacle unfold.

Oregon received the opening kickoff and promptly threw a pick-six on its first play from scrimmage, immediately going in the hole. The Ducks answered on their next possession to tie the game at seven apiece, but that was the last time this contest resembled anything competitive. Indiana rattled off 28 unanswered points before halftime, sending Hoosier Nation into full ballistic mode, while the few Oregon fans in attendance fell silent.

Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando “Iceman” Mendoza — who simply does not make mistakes — added a few more scores in the second half. Oregon scored as well, but it was all academic. Final score: Indiana 56, Oregon 22. The Hoosiers are headed to the national championship game next Monday night in Miami.

Inside the Benz

Indiana’s opponent will be the University of Miami, who will essentially enjoy a home game with the title contest being played in their own stadium. Miami ended Ole Miss’s improbable playoff run Thursday night in an exciting Fiesta Bowl nail-biter. The game came down to a final passing attempt by Ole Miss that fell incomplete. If not for Lane Kiffin’s Bieber-worthy moves, who knows — Ole Miss may have prevailed with a full coaching staff. That said, Miami played well enough to earn the win. Final score: 31-27.

Ginger Award

This week’s Ginger Award goes to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Indiana quarterback Nando Mendoza. These two young stars are the epitome of what college athletes should be. Both are grounded in faith, family, and team — foundations that are clearly unshakable. If you listen to their interviews, you’ll come away impressed. It’s never about them; it’s always about the team.

They each landed in systems that accentuated their unique talents and allowed them to grow into the players they are today. In an era where NIL money and self-promotion dominate headlines, it’s refreshing to see two exceptional leaders take center stage in college football.

Bieber Award

Demond Williams Jr. earns this week’s Bieber Award for managing to light the college football world on fire in under 48 hours. After the sophomore QB signed a massive NIL deal to stay at the University of Washington, Williams abruptly announced he was entering the transfer portal anyway — sparking legal threats, agent drama, and national embarrassment for everyone involved. Less than two days later, he reversed course and decided to stay put.

The end result? Burned trust, unnecessary chaos, and a masterclass in selfish, poorly thought-out decision-making at a time when leadership and maturity actually matter. Typical behavior from a player who hasn’t earned that kind of leverage yet. At least he’ll have his Bieber hardware to fall back on after he burns through the $4 million NIL payout.

Next Up

I will not be “taking my talents to South Beach” like LeBron. Tickets are starting at $3 grand right now. Instead, I’ll be posted up in a sports bar somewhere along the American Riviera Monday night, rooting hard for the Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers. My tailgating season is likely over — unless I somehow find myself at the Super Bowl next month.

Happy Tailgating!