There’s been so much happening inside the world of college football since the end of last year that it can be hard to remember what we got so worked up about during the season (non Connor Stalions division)
Fortunately, we have plenty of evidence of schools, fans and commentators frolicking around and finding out. And, wow, was the 2023 campaign an absolute hater’s delight.
This is not a perfect list by any means — there are far too many grudges in college football to capture all of them — but they sure are some of our favorites.
Let’s remember some of last year’s pettiness to get you ready for kickoff next week.
Colorado stomping on the Oregon logo at midfield before their game
Oregon sure had the last laugh here — and who could’ve seen that coming !?
The Ducks won 42-6. The Buffaloes tallied 199 total yards. The most time Colorado spent at midfield during their trip to Oregon was during their walkthrough.
Ole Miss’ deep fried Brian Kelly meme after beating LSU
Good luck explaining this one to your fam-UH-ly.
Deion Sanders takes off his hat and glasses for Jay Norvell
Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
It’s hard to remember now, but for a moment there in the beginning of the 2023 season, it was really easy to love everything about Deion Sanders’ showmanship. He just knew how to play the game. Ahead of Week 3’s matchup with rival Colorado State, CSU coach Jay Norvell mocked Coach Prime by quipping “when I talk to grownups, I take my hat and glasses off, that’s what my mother taught me”.
Sanders couldn’t wait to respond — in multiple ways . He even went on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff show and mocked Norvell right back before an overtime victory in Boulder.
Oregon puts Michigan State game on jumbotron before kickoff against Oregon State amid Jonathan Smith-Spartans rumors
Coincidence? Not in college football.
Just before Oregon-Oregon State faced off for the final time as Pac 12 opponents, news began to break that Michigan State was preparing to poach Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith . So what did the fine folks at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium do? They put the Michigan State game on the the videoboard and then watched as the Ducks went out and won 31-7. Smith was officially named MSU head coach two days later. He’ll bring his new Spartans team back to Autzen this season on October 4.
Clemson’s long walk after losing to Duke
As if Duke needed any more reason to get amped up to face Clemson in the season opener, Dabo Swinney decided to complain about how far his team has to walk back to the visitor’s locker room. So what did Duke do? First they put a bunch of bounce houses in the way of Clemson’s path. Then the Blue Devils shutout the Tigers in the second half of a 28-7 victory. Dabo really should’ve just kept this one to himself.
Alabama returns the favor after Texas put the Crimson Tide band in the nosebleeds
The newest SEC rivalry is off to an amazing start.
After the Texas Longhorns put Alabama’s marching band in the highest, furtherest part of the stadium in 2022, the Crimson Tide did the exact same thing to the Longhorns when they came to Tuscaloosa to open the 2023 season.
Jordan Travis gets the final word on Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Alabama’s season — and little did we know then, Nick Saban’s coaching career — had barely come to an end when Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis fired off a single emoji tweet that summed up how the school’s fans felt after being left out of the College Football Playoffs in favor of a Crimson Tide team that lost to eventual-champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Jim Harbaugh’s bet pays off
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sure, Harbaugh would go onto ruin the phrase by trying to turn it into an acronym — the most football coach thing he could do, honestly — but after Michigan won the Big Ten title game following his three-game suspension , there was only one thing left for him to shout that wouldn’t end with more discipline from the conference.
That Harbaugh and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti successfully avoided each other after the game made it even better.
Dave Doeren goes off on Steve Smith Sr. after beating Clemson
Another reminder that college coaches hear every negative word said about them. Before North Carolina State toppled Clemson, 24-17, in late October, Smith went on ESPN’s College GameDay in Utah and proclaimed the Wolfpack were just waiting for basketball season to start .
NC State head coach Dave Doeren responded emphatically to that comment after the win, but, uh, NC State basketball truly got the last laugh when both men’s and women’s teams made the 2024 Final Four.
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