Week 9 recap- The Final Buff Clap

With #3 nearing her graduation this coming spring, this past weekend marked my final Family Weekend in Boulder, Colorado. It may also have been my last time participating in the Buff Clap, the stadium ritual performed between the 3rd and 4th quarters of a Buffaloes game.

I was joined by Mrs. Tailgate, #1, #2, and my two sons-in-law to celebrate #3’s final Family Weekend at the University of Colorado. On Friday night, we met up with friends at an outdoor brewery and later visited a speakeasy off Pearl Street in downtown Boulder—a perfect warm-up for the following game day in Boulder.

Around town in Boulder

The Buffaloes, led by Coach Deion "Prime" Sanders and his son QB1 Shedeur, faced off against the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big 12 matchup. The only downside? An 8:15 PM kickoff. Our pregame festivities started around 4:00 at a house known as The Chateau on the Hill. Classic collegiate tailgate games with red cups and ping-pong balls kept us entertained for hours with family and friends.

The Tailgate Family

Pre gaming at the Chateau

As for the game, the Buffaloes took an early lead, thanks to multiple touchdown passes and a rushing score from Shedeur. one touchdown was even called back for taunting. The Bearcats, despite a spirited effort just couldn’t keep up with the the talented skill position players on the CU squad. The Buffaloes won 34-23, notching their sixth win of the season and becoming bowl-eligible. While this is just one milestone, Coach Prime has bigger ambitions, eyeing a Big 12 championship and a potential College Football Playoff spot. As of this writing, the Buffaloes have broken into the Top 25, now ranked at #23—their first appearance in a while.

Perhaps my final visit to Folsom Field

Around The Country
ESPN College Gameday traveled to Bloomington, Indiana, for the first time, celebrating Indiana University’s rise to football prominence with an 7-0 record. Bloomington even declared October 26th "Lee Corso Day." The Hoosiers defeated reigning national champs Washington to secure their eighth victory of the season. If you ask head coach Kurt Cignetti, he “just wins, Google it.”

In other Big Ten action, Ohio State narrowly edged out Nebraska in Columbus, where Coach Ryan Day was spotted fuming on the sidelines and was suspected of kicking a dog again. Down in the SEC, Alabama got back on track with a 34-0 rout of Mizzou. Texas A&M, backed by their eccentric Yell Leaders, might be the hottest team in the SEC right now, winning against LSU by 15 points.

In the ACC, Miami claimed bragging rights in the Sunshine State, beating Florida State and having previously defeated Florida, solidifying them as state champs. In a nail-biter in Durham, SMU squeaked by Duke with a one-point win, 28-27. Out in the Big 12, Kansas State held off in-state rival Kansas in Manhattan. Notre Dame dominated Navy, winning 51-14 in their most impressive game of the year. Friday night saw Boise State take down UNLV in a clash of two of the strongest Group of Five teams, with Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty leading Boise to a 29-24 victory in Las Vegas.

Bieber Award
This week's Bieber Award combines comedy and tragedy. During ESPN College Gameday’s weekly contest, a randomly selected student can win $100,000 by making a 30-yard field goal, cheered on by Pat McAfee. Most students miss the kick, but twice this season, someone has nailed it. However, Saturday’s contestant injured himself during warm-ups in an attempt that left him sliding to the ground in pain, turning him into an instant meme: "6 AM drinking has its hazards." Unable to kick, a replacement stepped in—only to miss the kick as well. Instead of a celebratory $100,000, this student may now be facing medical bills for ACL surgery. On the bright side, he’s also won this week’s Bieber Award.

Ginger Award
In a world where NIL money dominates, it’s refreshing to find a true team-first, country first athlete. Jacksonville State’s QB Tyler Huff exemplifies this spirit. Huff, who transferred from FCS powerhouse Furman, is also a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves. Watching Wednesday night’s game, it was clear that LT Huff’s military discipline translates well on the field. We wish him all the best in both his football and military careers. Keep leading with honor, LT!

Next Up
I’ll head to hurricane stricken Boone, NC, with my high school buddies for our annual outing. The Appalachian State Mountaineers will host Old Dominion in a Sun Belt showdown in the hurricane-battered town.

Happy Tailgating!

 Week 8 Recap: “The Third Week in October”

As I mentioned in last week’s recap, I finally took a weekend off from attending a game. Not that I wasn’t tempted to go to the Sacramento State vs. Weber State game on Saturday night, but instead, I indoctrinated my grandsons into a full day of watching college football on TV while enjoying Mrs. Tailgate’s famous chili.

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Our Texas Tailgate greeters!

Around the Country: In the Big Ten, Illinois took the field in retro 1920s uniforms, complete with leather helmets, for their matchup against reigning national champion Michigan. Not only did Illinois pull off a victory, but they trolled Michigan by playing their song Mr. Brightside in the stadium as the win became inevitable. It pains me to see Lincoln Riley and USC lose once again, this time to my home state Maryland Terrapins. That must’ve been a long flight from DC back to Los Angeles for Riley.

Red Grange running over Michigan?

Meanwhile, Indiana is having its best season ever, led by cocky coach Kurt Cignetti and transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The Hoosiers absolutely dismantled the up-and-coming Nebraska Cornhuskers 56-7 in Bloomington. Indiana remains undefeated and should crack the Top 10 this week. ESPN College Gameday will be in Bloomington this Saturday morning.

In the SEC, Alabama traveled to Tennessee for the annual "Cigar Game" and came away with another loss in the inhospitable state of Tennessee. Teenage Tennessee fans awkwardly tried to light cigars as part of the victory celebration in the stadium. Over in Austin,TX,  Georgia thoroughly dominated the first half against Texas, going into the locker room with a 23-0 lead. Texas rallied in the third quarter, putting a couple of touchdowns on the board, but despite a controversial overturned call that led to students throwing bottles onto the field, Georgia comfortably prevailed. And yes, I still maintain that Coach Kirby Smart has the most punchable face in college football.

Deep in the hair of Texas......

In the ACC, Miami and Louisville put on a scoring clinic, but Miami ultimately emerged victorious, staying unbeaten. Clemson added another win to their tally with a victory over Virginia in Death Valley, SC.

Big 12 Action: Iowa State hung on in a thriller to beat UCF 38-35. There was some serious Bieber-worthy action in that game, as a player pulled a DeSean Jackson, dropping the ball intentionally before crossing the goal line. Down in the desert, the Sanders family and the Colorado Buffaloes took down Arizona easily, improving to 5-2 and staying in the Big 12 title chase.

Both Army and Navy continued their dominance, each moving to 7-0 on the season. In FCS action, North Dakota State recaptured its past glory, knocking off reigning champs South Dakota State in the Fargodome. Honestly, both of these teams could beat half of the FBS schools.

Bieber Award: In a week full of Bieber-worthy moments—like Tennessee fans struggling with cigars, Texas fans throwing garbage onto the field, and referees making wrong calls—one incident stood out. During the USF vs. UAB game, two members of the USF squad got into a verbal altercation. As they were being separated, USF player Dinnellson Exume decided to go the extra mile and lay hands into his teammate's face. After some pushing and shoving, Exume was led away by his teammates. While I get being frustrated when you’re losing to UAB, fighting with your own teammate mid-game is Bieber-level behavior of the highest order. Exume, whether you were suspended or kicked off the team, take solace in your new bling—this week’s Bieber trophy.

Ginger Award: Wisconsin strength coach Brady Collins vowed that if the Badgers beat Northwestern, he would jump into Lake Michigan. With the water temperature hovering around the mid-50s, Collins made good on his promise after Wisconsin's 23-3 victory. He and some of the team headed straight to the lake to watch him get a frigid baptism. It’s refreshing to see someone follow through on an outrageous promise—unlike the dog crap man at Florida State, who is still missing in action. Congrats, Coach Collins, on earning this week’s badass Ginger Award!

Next Week: My final game at CU Boulder for Parents' Weekend. Mrs. Tailgate, #1, #2, and both sons-in-law will be in tow, likely governing my activities for the weekend.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 7 Recap - Games of the Year

As often happens in my weekend plans, I had to call a few audibles. The original plan was to attend James Madison University’s Thursday night game against Coastal Carolina, complete with some tailgating. Saturday was supposed to take me to the University of Pittsburgh for their game against Cal. However, fate had other plans. My train from New York to Maryland broke down for three hours, so by the time I arrived at my brother's house in Maryland, we barely made it to the JMU game right after kickoff. I’ll get to the game in a moment. Then, on Friday, I came down with a bug, which forced me to cancel my Pittsburgh trip and instead opt for a low-key Division III game near my brother’s house on Saturday.

The last time I visited James Madison University was during my freshman year of college when we played them in rugby. I don’t remember much about that game, but I do recall one of my high school buddies offering up his dorm room for me and a teammate to crash in. Let’s just say it was a mistake—his room was likely condemned after that weekend. Fast forward to today: walking into the stadium, we were blown away by the scene. The stands were nearly full, and it was a white-out. The student section was electric, and ESPN was there to broadcast the game live.

James Madison recently elevated its program from D1AA to D1A and is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They have done remarkably well at the hihest level of college football and have already built a winning tradition. Unfortunately, the game wasn’t much of a contest. JMU dominated from the start, with their offense running like a well-oiled machine and capitalizing on Coastal’s mistakes. By halftime, JMU was up 29-7.

Festive Bridgeforth Stadium at James Madison University

After a spirited halftime show from JMU’s massive marching band, the students began streaming out of the stadium. By the end of the third quarter, only about 10% of the student section remained. JMU tacked on 10 more points in the second half, while Coastal remained scoreless. Final score: 39-7, in favor of the Dukes.

On Saturday, we attended Division 3 McDaniel College’s game against Muhlenberg College in Westminster, Maryland. McDaniel boasts one of the most unique tailgating setups in the country despite being a small school with only 3,000 students. As you’ll see in the photos, cars pull right up to the field—nestled in a natural bowl—and fans tailgate while watching the game from their cars and tents. They’ve been featured in multiple publications as one of the top 25 tailgates in the country. It was a picturesque early fall afternoon in Maryland with blue skies. However, the campus must’ve been on fall break because there were no students, no band, and no cheerleaders. The game itself was free to attend.

The unique game day experience at McDaniel College with my brothers and nephew.

For me, the highlights of the game were that Muhlenberg had a player named Tommy Donnelly (same as my nephew) and their 6'5" receiver, who dominated the game and looked like he could easily play for a Division I team. Muhlenberg cruised to a 31-7 victory.

Around the Country
In what many are calling the best day of football this season, epic battles played out across the nation. Penn State took on USC in the LA Coliseum in a rematch of the 2017 Rose Bowl, and once again, it was a thriller. The game ended in regulation with a score of 30-30, sending it into overtime. USC faltered in OT, failing to convert, while Penn State nailed a field goal to win 33-30. Lincoln Riley was, as usual, a bit edgy in the post-game presser.

The South Carolina Gamecocks nearly pulled off a monumental upset, falling to Alabama by just two points in Tuscaloosa. In the ABC Game of the Week, Oregon edged Ohio State 32-31. Ohio State QB Will Howard had a massive blunder by running out the clock instead of downing the ball for a field goal attempt. Meanwhile, in Boulder, Deion’s Buffs made a valiant comeback but still lost by three points to Kansas State, 31-28.

In one of the most exciting games of the season, LSU defeated Ole Miss 29-26 in double overtime. Florida also pushed their rival Tennessee to overtime, but ultimately fell 23-17. Illinois needed overtime to beat a struggling Purdue squad, 50-49, in a barn burner.In the game I was supposed to attend, Pitt edged Cal 17-15 to remain unbeaten on the season. In the Group of Five, Army continued its unbeaten streak, moving to 6-0 by demolishing UAB. For the first time in what feels like forever, both Army and Navy are ranked in the Top 25, each undefeated. And in FCS action, rogue reporter DruBaca reports that his alma mater, Cal Poly, is awful and that their coach needs to be fired.

UNR Tailgaters before the big win over Oregon State

Bieber Award
This week’s Bieber could’ve easily gone to my brother Brian for two offenses: first, forgetting to tell us that his wife had packed us a “tailgate in a cooler” with all kinds of goodies until we were already on our way home from the game on Thursday night. And second, offering to cook me breakfast on Sunday but not extending the offer to his wife, who was sitting right next to me. However, since Brian already won a Bieber earlier this year, I’ll let him off the hook. Instead, this week’s Bieber goes to Kirby Smart, the UGA coach with one of the worst haircuts in the country and an extremely punchable face. During Georgia’s closer-than-expected game against Mississippi State, Smart was caught on camera shoving the Mississippi State quarterback after he ran out of bounds. Was it a mistake? Some will say he was not aware of his actions. I say no way. I’ve watched the video a dozen times—it was egregious. He should face repercussions for assaulting a minor. As someone on my Mount Rushmore of most hated coaches, it gives me great pleasure to award him this week’s infamous Bieber Award.

Ginger Award
Nothing “badass” jumps out this week, so the Ginger gets put back in the cupboard.

Next Week
I’m taking a long-overdue weekend off to hang with my family at the West Coast headquarters. In two weeks, I will be back in Boulder for my final family weekend not only for CU, but my last one as a parent forever.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 6 Recap: Upset Saturday

Did I Stay or Did I Go Now?

 As I mentioned last week, I was considering taking a break to get some rest and recovery this weekend. By Friday morning, however, I was itching to attend another game. So, I made the decision not to go to Gainesville but to head to Tallahassee to watch Clemson take on Florida State. In past years, this might have been billed as the ACC matchup of the year, as both teams have enjoyed long periods of success (with a few off years for FSU). This season, Clemson had one loss but was improving, while Florida State was struggling. I was joined by one of my college roommates, Skinny Gallagher, and his lovely wife, who live in Tallahassee.

We popped in and out of several tailgates, spending the most time at the DFNS tailgate, where we enjoyed Guthrie’s chicken tenders and cold Yuengling beer. What’s that? How much did I pay for my ticket to the game? $0, once again. I play the waiting game, and usually, good things happen. 

Tailgating and the Doak

Once inside the stadium (my third time at Doak Campbell), I noticed significant construction underway. The upper half of the west side of the stadium was devoid of seats due to ongoing renovations, part of a massive transformation that’s set to be completed before next season. The fans were fired up, and the Tomahawk Chop and chant were in full force. Chief Osceola threw the spear into the middle of the field before kickoff to a thunderous roar. As for the action on the field, the game was never in doubt. Clemson jumped out to an early lead and maintained control throughout all four quarters, despite Florida State’s attempts to narrow the gap. In my humble opinion, Clemson is good this year, but not one of their best teams (though they do it right, according to my friend Jack). Meanwhile, Florida State just isn’t very good. Although the game didn’t bring the same excitement I had witnessed at previous weekends’ matchups, I give FSU fans props for sticking with their team and staying for most of the game, even when it was clear they wouldn’t come away with the win. Clemson took the W behind an improved QB1, Cade Klubnik, and a stingy defense, with a final score of 29-13. 

Action inside the Doak

Upsets Around the Country Let’s start with the action in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Missouri, ranked No. 9 in the country, traveled to take on Texas A&M. While they were a slight underdog according to the oddsmakers, many expected Missouri to win. However, if you bet on Missouri, you’re not happy today, as they were waxed by the Aggies, 41-10, bringing their rabid fans back down to earth.

 In Seattle, in a rematch of last year’s national championship, the mighty Michigan Wolverines fell to the Huskies of Washington, 27-17. Dixon Street in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was rocking last night after the Hogs knocked off No. 4 Tennessee in a monumental upset. In Minneapolis, the Trojans from USC were knocked down by the Minnesota Gophers, 24-17. 

Two mild upsets also took place: SMU clipped the wings of the Louisville Cardinals in Louisville, and Boston College fell to the Wahoos of Virginia in Charlottesville. However, the biggest upset of all happened in Nashville, where Vanderbilt knocked off Alabama for the first time since 1984. In celebration, students carried the goalpost three miles from campus, down Broadway, and threw it into the Cumberland River. That’s just what you do in Nashville—or maybe throw chairs off rooftop bars for grins. I wouldn’t want to be Kaelan DeBoar today in Tuscaloosa. 

In other action, both Army and Navy remained perfect on the season, going 5-0 and defeating their respective combatants. In the late game featured on ABC, Miami once again slipped by an opponent they were supposed to beat—allegedly with the help of their friends in black and white stripes. ESPN College GameDay was in Berkeley for the first time ever, where it was reported there was a certain haze and smell in the air that had never been experienced at an ESPN GameDay before. In D2 action, the mighty Bobcats from Frostburg State improved to 5-0 by mauling West Virginia Wesleyan. 

Top L -clockwise - Mahoney's cheering on the U, Ziesings at the Blue, Andy Reid at Penn State, Buckleys at South Carolina

Bieber Award - In a week with good behavior and no Darwinism events, we have no awardee for the first time in a while. 

Ginger Award - This week’s Ginger Award goes to my buddy, Chris Desimone, one of the Dons of Danville. Last week, while Hurricane Helene was trashing the Southeast, Chris was the only one of my crew from California who made it in for the Alabama-Georgia game. As if that feat wasn’t impressive enough, I received a FaceTime from him yesterday morning, and he was at ESPN College GameDay in Berkeley at 7:00 a.m.! Mind you, if you’ve ever seen Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield, Chris was a dead ringer for Rodney, looking like the oldest student in the crowd. He even took a page out of my book, crashing a GameDay hospitality tent and rubbing elbows with some big names. When interviewed by local news and asked why he was there, Chris said he thought he was at an ANTIFA rally and was promised free donuts for participating. At Chris’s advanced age, he didn’t stick around for the night game but instead went home and took successive power naps throughout the day. Regardless, I’m proud he showed up to represent and teach the young kids how to stay vigorous. Next time I’m back in Cali, Chris, I’ll personally present you with your very own Ginger Award. Congratulations, old friend. 

"You my boy Blue"

Next Up - On Thursday night, I’ll head to Harrisonburg, VA, to watch the undefeated, “Group of Five” darling, James Madison, host Coastal Carolina. On Saturday, I’ll make my way to the Rust Belt city of Pittsburgh to watch the Pitt Panthers take on the Cal Bears. Happy Tailgating!