The 125th Army-Navy college football rivalry game is next month, but we’ve already got a look at the custom uniforms both teams will be wearing for tha anticipated Dec. 14 clash.
Army will be honoring the 101st Airborne’s Rendezvous with Destiny at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge with “Screaming Eagles” jerseys.
Navy will be honoring the Jolly Rogers aviation unit with their custom uniforms.
Both of these designs do an excellent job with their commemorations while still nailing the aesthetics of what fans want out of custom jerseys.
It’s never a surprise to see Army and Navy rock some great customized uniforms for their annual rivalry game, and this year won’t be an exception.
The latest College Football Playoff rankings are out, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, chaos in the SEC has left some fan bases less than thrilled with how everything is shaking out.
Obviously, there are still multiple rankings left before the committee drops the final ones on Sunday, December 8 after conference championship weekend. But that’s never stopped college football fans from debating playoff resumes, quality wins and losses, who’s passing the eye test with style points and who’s just lucky to be considered.
Here’s For The Win’s super unserious take on how the many playoff contenders’ fan bases are feeling about the latest rankings, probably.
Oregon was prepared to hear Jump Around and it REALLY paid off.
Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning has continued to embarrass his opponents this season, now adding Wisconsin as a new target.
During the latest episode of “Ducks vs Them” released on Tuesday, fans got an inside look at how Lanning was able to rally Oregon during a comeback road victory against the Badgers on Saturday.
One of the main strategies was to use the song “Jump Around” as a primary motivator. Camp Randall Stadium, where Wisconsin plays home football games, has that song play between the third and fourth quarter like how the Ducks have “Shout” at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Lanning spoke to his players and said that “everybody know what time it is” when that “Jump Around” song comes on.
The video then took fans behind-the-scenes to practice on Monday, when Lanning walked into a team meeting blasting “Jump Around” by House of Pain.
Relating it back to Pavlov’s dog, while showing videos of Wisconsin fans dancing to the song, he said when when Wisconsin plays this song, it is meant to evoke a response from the opposing players. Lanning agreed, but he wanted to control what message it sent.
“In this game and throughout this week, you are going to hear this song. It’s going to release dopamine in your mind. It’s going to tell you that you’re hungry to go win. Whenever we hear this, I want our temperature to change. I want the temperature in the room to change. When we hear it at practice, it’s about to get serious. When that song comes on at practice, I want you to reset your mind for what you’re about to do.”
Fans then saw Oregon players dancing to “Jump Around” during practices before the game.
The coach wanted his players to “enjoy the moment” when it shows up and to “take advantage” of it. The video then cuts to the Ducks enjoying themselves on the field when “Jump Around” actually plays between the third and fourth quarter.
Not only did the players dance but The Duck mascot also jumped around on a pogo stick.
Oregon then went for it on fourth down as Dillon Gabriel competed a very difficult pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Ducks, who looked like the far better team following this sudden tonal change. Oregon eventually secured a pick to win the game with a much-needed interception by Matayo Uiagalelei.
Back in the locker room, Lanning chose to “crank that song” and play “Jump Around” to celebrate the win.
Everything Oregon had to say tonight about… jumping around during "Jump Around":
Lanning: "Kind of like Pavlov's Dog, when you hear that song it means it's time to go."
Boettcher: "We played that every single practice. We knew going into the 4th quarter that was going to be a… pic.twitter.com/SlJ0Zirbln
During postgame press conferences, several from the Ducks (including Lanning) explained their reasoning for the “Jump Around” celebration.
This was incredibly clever maneuvering from Lanning, who has shown boldness and creativity during Oregon’s first season in a new conference.
Oregon remains undefeated with one game left in the regular season and has earned a berth in the Big Ten Football Championship Game before the next College Football Playoff.
Here’s the CFP bracket after the committee’s third rankings.
The College Football Playoff selection committee released its third top-25 rankings of the season ahead of the first 12-team playoff, and unsurprisingly, the Oregon Ducks are still the No. 1 team.
Of course, there are still many games and a couple weeks before the season ends with conference championship weekend, and that means the rankings and playoff picture could change between now and then. After the conference title games, the CFP committee will announce the 12 playoff teams on Selection Sunday on December 8.
In a wild but not entirely unpredictable upset, Florida took down No. 22 LSU, 27-16, at home on Saturday, dealing the Tigers their third SEC loss and fourth loss overall. For the first time since 2018, the Gators topped LSU, and they have plenty of reasons to celebrate.
On the other side, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly was obviously not happy with how the game turned out, and sometimes when Kelly is furious, he slams his fist on the press conference table he’s behind. After LSU’s loss to USC earlier this season, Kelly’s angry table-slamming went viral.
So after the Gators’ upset win, their football Twitter account very politely trolled Kelly, asking him to refrain from damaging their tables.
Kelly reportedly complied, whether or not he was aware of this funny jab at his temper.
Update. No fireworks in Brian Kelly's press conference.
Major takeaways: They can't finish drives with points (as you saw). He says he's getting more involved. He says only players who want to fight will play the last two regular-season games. https://t.co/N5AwSFTo3O
There’s a clear reason why Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy favorite in Week 12.
Selecting the most outstanding college football player each season isn’t always easy, and there isn’t always a clear-cut favorite.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy race has been fascinating to watch all season with preseason favorite Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward making some truly standout plays and quintessential Heisman moments on the field.
But, as talented as they are, no one really compares with two-way player Travis Hunter, who entered Week 12 as the consensus Heisman favorite. And Saturday in Colorado’s 49-24 win over Utah, the Buffaloes wide receiver/defensive back reminded everyone why.
Against Utah, Hunter finished with 60 total offensive yards, which is actually a bit low for him. He earned his first rushing touchdown of the season, and on defense, he returned an interception for 21 yards and added three solo tackles and a pass breakup. On the season, he has 10 total touchdowns, 911 receiving yards, three interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble, as Fox Sports noted.
Hunter’s talent and skills are undeniable. Not only does he play almost every snap on both sides of the ball when he’s healthy, but he also often makes standout play after standout play, like this one:
With less than a month to go before Heisman voters make their selections, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs have been stumping hard for Hunter’s Heisman campaign. They’re right to support their player, of course, but they’re also right about no college player in the country being comparable to Hunter, a coveted future NFL Draft pick.
Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders praised Hunter after the game, calling him the best player in the country:
“He’s the best player in the country, hands down, no doubt. There’s not a lot of guys that can do what he do on offense and defense, so it’s really tough to compare him to anybody else because I feel like if he was at a different program — they don’t like us so much. They hate on us too. So it’s real hard, and it makes me sad that they don’t give a guy like him his credit because that’s generational. It ain’t gonna happen again for a long time.”
After the Buffs’ win against Utah, Deion was asked what his message to undecided Heisman voters would be. He echoed his quarterback son’s sentiments but implied he’s done stumping and said:
“I ain’t gonna sit up here and give no message to no Heisman voters who is undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player; I think that’s been a wrap since, what? Week 2?
“So, we ain’t petitioning for nobody. We ain’t doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and I think we’re on national television every week. If they can’t see it, something is a problem. Don’t allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids’ success. … Give the kids what they deserve.”
"Don't allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids' success… Get the kids what they deserve, man."
Deion Sanders when asked what his message would be to Heisman voters who were undecided about Travis Hunter ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/y2P1tX8bHT
Sanders may claim he’s not arguing for Hunter’s Heisman campaign, but he’s still making an argument that the two-way player is the best in college football this season. And he’s right, but at this point, the Sanders family and the rest of Colorado shouldn’t have to be convincing anyone of Hunter’s exceptionalism.
For Oregon, Gabriel makes his dominance look easy. With Miami, Ward is so poised making big plays it’s almost worrisome. And Boise State has the best running back in the country with Jeanty.
But Hunter is an extraordinary two-way player who’s on the field for the majority of games and is having an incredible season. Barring a catastrophic game for him or a couple truly elevated performances from his fellow contenders, the Heisman should be his come December.
Opposing players often clash at the end of a game or just after it’s ended when emotions and adrenaline are running high. But sometimes, things get heated during pregame when both teams are on the field warming up, like before Saturday’s Nebraska-USC game.
The Cornhuskers were on the road in Los Angeles on Saturday, and, as is tradition under head coach Matt Rhule, they huddled at midfield for a pregame prayer and meeting. Apparently, some USC players took exception to that and appeared to successfully interrupt the meeting.
As the Lincoln Star Journal noted, some Trojans were stretching and “involved themselves in the meeting,” which led to a small and brief scuffle, forcing members of both teams’ staffs to intervene.
Nebraska defensive line coach Terrance Knighton attempted to control the situation on one side of the huddle, while veteran leaders such as Ben Scott and Isaac Gifford exchanged words with USC’s Elijah Hughes.
A USC staffer eventually removed Hughes from the huddle, with a limited amount of pushing and shoving as Nebraska vacated the midfield area.
Good thing this situation didn’t escalate, especially before kickoff. But here are a couple other angles of the brief clash between players.
USC did not like Nebraska doing its pregame prayer at midfield of the Coliseum. Things got pretty chippy when the #Huskers were at midfield. Overhead a USC player walking up the Tunnel after saying, “The game hasn’t event started and they are starting sh**.”
Nebraska walked right onto USC’s logo and some USC players and analysts took exception. Bryson Allen-Williams and Sam Greene are involved. Lots of yelling and clapping. pic.twitter.com/imbXu4LIGY
Words being exchanged at midfield way before kickoff between USC and Nebraska. USC DL always huddles at midfield before games. Entire Nebraska team came out to do the same and things started to simmer. Stopped short of getting physical. pic.twitter.com/bBmzvWmAPY
The Panthers opened the fourth quarter with a 13-0 scoring run to take a 20-17 lead with 1:36 to play on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Getting the ball with the game tied up late, the Panthers largely played conservatively, capping off an eight-play, 26-yard drive that burned nearly three minutes off the clock with a 47-yard field goal from Ben Sauls.
Pitt had the lead, but there was still time for Clemson to respond.
And respond the Tigers did.
On the third play after the change of possession, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik saw a hole in the pocket, felt pressure and took off. He broke two tackles as he zig-zagged and sprinted up the field, running 50 yards untouched into the endzone for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and OC Garrett Riley sprinted toward each other and had a long embrace before jogging to the locker room postgame pic.twitter.com/4LFS2dBduM
Pitt got the ball back and nearly drove into Clemson’s redzone, but quarterback Nate Yarnell’s final pass on fourth-and-1 was picked off by Clemson’s Khalil Barnes to seal the game at the buzzer.
Clemson still needs help getting into the ACC title game, needing SMU to lose or Miami to falter once more, but this victory over Pitt keeps the Tigers’ chances alive.
Isaac Wilson has had to step up as Utah football’s starting QB this season.
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson has seen a bit more playing time than he probably expected during the 2024 college football season, filling in for the injury-plagued starter, Cam Rising.
Wilson has played several games as Utah’s starter, and so far this season, he’s thrown for more than 1,200 yards, plus 10 touchdowns. Utah isn’t the team it was expected to be this season without Rising, but Wilson is a decent backup passer.
His rise has led some fans to wonder: Is Utah’s Isaac Wilson related to Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson?
Yes! They’re brothers.
After playing for BYU, Zach Wilson is now in Denver after his first three NFL season were spent with the New York Jets.
Zach Wilson is 25 years old, while Isaac Wilson is a 19-year-old true freshman.
As we kick off the 2024 coaching carousel, here are the open jobs so far.
Few things remain recognizable in college football in 2024, but at least one thing remains constant: The coaching carousel is always spinning.
Inevitably, teams will choose to part ways with their current coaching staff and embark on a new, more exciting era while hoping they don’t find themselves back in the same spot just a few years later.
One coach was fired before the 2024 season even began, as Utah State’s Blake Anderson was let go in July for allegedly failing to follow his contractual obligations regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct allegations. And Fresno State’s Jeff Tedford resigned in July due to health reasons.
The timing of coaching searches in the sport will certainly change this season thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff. Coaches of teams participating in the 12-team field won’t be available until after the first round at least, which comes after early signing day the first week of December.
But that won’t stop athletics directors from making mid-season changes in an attempt to get a leg up in the coaching market. With that in mind, here’s every coach fired so far in 2024.
As of Nov. 19, 2024: There are 11 FBS head coach openings.
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State
BOISE, ID – DECEMBER 03: Head Coach Jeff Tedford of the Fresno State Bulldogs suffers through a Gatorade bath during the second-half of the game against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium on November 25, 2022 in Boise, Idaho. Fresno State won the game 28-16. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
At the age of 63, Tedford resigned from his post at Fresno State on July 15, paving the way for linebackers coach Tim Skipper to take the reins on an interim basis. Tedford, who was previously the coach at Cal for some of the Golden Bears’ best seasons, went 44-22 with three bowl wins at Fresno.
Blake Anderson, Utah State
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Anderson was fired ahead of the 2024 season in July after being placed on administrative leave, with Utah State writing in a press release that he “failed to manage the team in a manner that reflects USU’s academic values.” Defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling took over as interim coach for the 2024 season.
Anderson, who previously coached at Arkansas State from 2014-20, went 11-3 with a Mountain West title in his first season in 2021 but finished 6-7 with bowl losses in each of the last two seasons.
Will Hall, Southern Miss
Sep 16, 2023; Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles head coach Will Hall looks on from the bench in the second half against the Tulane Green Wave at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Southern Miss pulled the plug on the Will Hall era on Oct. 20, the morning after a 44-28 home loss to Arkansas State. Hall, a former offensive coordinator at Tulane and Louisiana, was 14-32 across four seasons. The lone bright spot was 2022, which featured a 7-6 finish after a win in the LendingTree Bowl.
Mike Houston, East Carolina
Sep 14, 2024; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates head coach Mike Houston looks on against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Houston had a ton of success as a coach before arriving in Greenville, North Carolina, taking Lenoir-Rhyne to the Division II national championship, taking The Citadel to the FCS Playoffs and winning an FCS title with James Madison in 2016.
He never quite replicated that sort of winning for the Pirates. ECU went 8-5 and won the Birmingham Bowl in 2022 but followed that up with a 2-10 finish in 2023. East Carolina got off to a 3-4 start before Houston was fired on Oct. 20 after losing 45-28 to Army. For fans of the ECU, Houston’s biggest sin was how the Pirates performed against in-state opponents, going a combined 0-7 against N.C. State, Appalachian State and Charlotte during his tenure.
Mike Bloomgren, Rice
Oct 26, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Rice Owls head coach Mike Bloomgren watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
It felt like Bloomgren lived on the hot seat for a few seasons at Rice, but the Owls finally cut him loose on Oct. 27 after a 17-10 loss at UConn. Bloomgren, a former understudy of David Shaw at Stanford, never had a winning season in seven years at Rice and went 24-52.
Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State
Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon on the sidelines during the football game against Middle Tennessee at MTSU, on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.
Kennesaw State announced on Nov. 10 that Bohannon resigned, but the coach said that he was fired. Nevertheless, he’s out after leading the Owls for 11 years, from the inception of the program to its transition to FBS. Bohannon led the Owls to three Big South Championships and a pair of appearances in the FCS quarterfinals, but never won at the same frequency at the FBS level. The Owls were 1-8 this season when Bohannon was let go.
Mike Neu, Ball State
Ball State head coach Mike Neu leads his team out to face Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
A former MAC MVP for Ball State, the Cardinals let Neu go after a 51-48 overtime loss to Buffalo that ensured a third straight bowl-less season. Neu went 40-63 in nine seasons leading Ball State.
Stan Drayton, Temple
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Stan Drayton of the Temple Owls looks on against the Miami Hurricanes in the first half at Lincoln Financial Field on September 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Owls beat FAU on Nov. 16, but Temple decided to fire Stan Drayton the next day anyway, beginning its third coaching search since 2018 when Geoff Collins left for Georgia Tech. Drayton, a longtime college and NFL running backs coach before getting the top job at Temple, went 9-25 in just under three seasons as a head coach.
Don Brown, UMass
Oct 14, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen head coach Don Brown looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Massachusetts 63-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Two days after a 35-34 overtime loss to Liberty, Don Brown’s second tenure as the head coach of the Minutemen came to an end. Brown led UMass to an FCS title game appearance back in 2006, but he nor the Minutemen have been able to recreate winning ways. UMass was 6-28 over the past three seasons under Brown, with just two wins against fellow FBS opponents.
Tom Herman, FAU
Nov 1, 2024; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Tom Herman on the sidelines during the second half against the South Florida Bulls at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Herman will continue to make a lot of money to not coach. Amidst a five-game losing streak and an 18-15 loss to Temple, FAU cut Herman loose on Nov. 18, less than two full seasons into his gig in Boca Raton. Herman was 6-16 over the past two seasons, never recreating the success he had at Texas or Houston, where he went 5-1 in bowl games.
More importantly, the firing of Herman means that every FBS program with Owls for a nickname has fired their coach this season (FAU, Kennesaw State, Rice and Temple).
Biff Poggi, Charlotte
Oct 19, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Charlotte 49ers head coach Biff Poggi looks on during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The Biff Poggi experiment has come to an end in Charlotte. Poggi, a 64-year-old Baltimore native with an affinity for sleeveless shirts, was previously a very successful high school coach in Maryland and an assistant at Michigan before the 49ers took a gamble on him less than two years ago. Aside from notching two wins against in-state foe East Carolina, there wasn’t much success for Charlotte under Poggi, who didn’t make life easier for himself as he publicly called out fans and media members. The 49ers went 6-16 in Poggi’s two seasons, and he was fired after a 59-24 loss to South Florida that eliminated Charlotte from bowl eligibility.
