The College football Portal
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football first gained popularity in the United States.
Like gridiron football generally, college football is most popular in the United States and Canada. While no single governing body exists for college football in the United States, most schools, especially those at the highest levels of play, are members of the NCAA. In Canada, collegiate football competition is governed by U Sports for universities. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (for colleges) governs soccer and other sports but not gridiron football. Other countries, such as Mexico, Japan and South Korea, also host college football leagues with modest levels of support.
Unlike most other major sports in North America, no official minor league farm organizations exist for American football or Canadian football. Therefore, college football is generally considered to be the second tier of American and Canadian football; ahead of high school competition, but below professional competition. In some parts of the United States, especially the South and Midwest, college football is more popular than professional football. For much of the 20th century, college football was generally considered to be more prestigious than professional football.
As the second highest tier of gridiron football competition in the United States, many college football players later play professionally in the NFL or other leagues. The NFL draft each spring sees 224 players selected and offered a contract to play in the league, with the vast majority coming from the NCAA. Other professional leagues, such as the CFL and XFL, additionally hold their own drafts each year which see many college players selected. Players who are not selected can still attempt to obtain a professional roster spot as an undrafted free agent. Despite these opportunities, only around 1.6% of NCAA college football players end up playing professionally in the NFL. (Full article...)
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The 1994 Gator Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on December 30, 1994. The game was the final contest of the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 45–23 victory for Tennessee.
The 1994 Gator Bowl saw Tennessee face off against regional rival 17th-ranked Virginia Tech at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida. The game was moved to Gainesville in 1994 due to renovations to the Gator Bowl for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Tennessee Volunteers came entered the game with a regular-season record of 7–4 under head coach Phillip Fulmer that included a 5–3 record in Southeastern Conference competition. Virginia Tech came into the game with an 8–3 regular-season record that included a record of 5–2 in Big East Conference competition.
The game kicked off at 8:00 PM. From the start, Tennessee's high-scoring offense dominated. The Volunteers scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and three in the second, while Virginia Tech was able to muster a lone touchdown and field goal in the second quarter. At halftime, Tennessee had a commanding 35–10 lead, behind the strong play of Freshman QB Peyton Manning.
The Hokies struggled back in the third quarter, scoring six unanswered points to close the score to 35–16. In the fourth quarter, however, Tennessee answered Virginia Tech's effort with 10 points, putting the game out of reach for the Hokies, who managed only a single touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Hokies fumbled the ball five times—losing it once—and threw two interceptions, allowing Tennessee to cruise to an easy victory, 45–23. Tennessee running back James Stewart was named the game's most valuable player. (Full article...)
Quotes
- We need a playoff. — Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida who supported creating a play-off for NCAA Division I-A
- I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault. — former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Jack Tatum, on the fierce quality of his play
- If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you. — University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, on his motivational techniques
- When people used to see Wake Forest on the schedule, they used a pen to mark down a `W.' We're at the point now where we at least make them use a pencil. — Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe
Did you know...
- ... that the Harvard Crimson football team (home stadium pictured) has won 12 national championships and is the eighth winningest team in NCAA Division I football history?
- ... that American football running back Keith Elias graduated from Princeton University with 21 Princeton Tigers records and 4 National Collegiate Athletic Association I-AA records?
- ... that Vanderbilt's "Blonde Bear" supervised the ransacking of black households in the 1946 Columbia Race Riot?
- ... that Native American football player Peter Hauser has been credited with throwing the first spiral pass?
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- ... that the Yale Bulldogs football team (mascot pictured) has won 27 national championships and ranks second in wins in college football history?
- ... that Michigan's All-American 60-minute man Tom Johnson was the second African-American player for the Green Bay Packers?
- ... that Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough played for Hall of Fame football coach John Gagliardi at Saint John's University?
- ... that the Wittenberg Tigers from Springfield, Ohio, have won more games than any other Division III college football team?
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Third quarter of the game between the visiting No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 1 USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 13, 2008; USC would win, 35-3.
Calendar
| Dec 9 | Army–Navy Game | Army vs Navy |
| Dec 29 | Cotton Bowl Classic | #7 Ohio State vs #9 Missouri |
| Dec 30 | Peach Bowl | #10 Penn State vs #11 Ole Miss |
| Orange Bowl | #5 Florida State vs #6 Georgia | |
| Jan 1 | Fiesta Bowl | #8 Oregon vs #23 Liberty |
| Rose Bowl | #1 Michigan vs #4 Alabama | |
| Sugar Bowl | #2 Washington vs #3 Texas | |
| Jan 8 | College Football National Championship | #1 Michigan vs #2 Washington |
| 2023 season: FBS (Bowl games) • FCS • D-II • D-III | ||
|---|---|---|
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