Portal:College football

The College football Portal

College football (French: Football universitaire) 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 National Collegiate Athletic Association (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.

The overwhelming majority of professional football players in the National Football League (NFL) and other leagues previously played college football. 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 Canadian Football League (CFL) and United Football League (UFL), hold their own drafts each year which also see primarily 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 1981 Peach Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Hurricanes from the University of Miami at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on January 2, 1981. The game was the final contest of the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 20-10 victory for Miami. Another game by the same name followed the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season and was played in December, 1981.

Virginia Tech was awarded a bid to the Peach Bowl as a reward for finishing 8–3 during the regular season, a record that included wins over nationally ranked teams such as the Clemson Tigers and the Virginia Cavaliers. Facing Virginia Tech was a familiar post-season opponent—Miami—whom the Hokies had played in the 1966 Liberty Bowl, Tech's last bowl appearance prior to the Peach Bowl. Miami finished the regular season with an 8–3 record, including wins over Florida State and Florida.

The game kicked off at 3:00 p.m. EST under sunny skies and in temperatures of 46 °F (8 °C). Unlike the 1966 Liberty Bowl, in which Virginia Tech scored first, it was Miami who dominated the game's early going. The Hurricanes scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game and tacked on another touchdown early in the second quarter. Tech was held scoreless in the early going, thanks to two Miami interceptions at the goal line as Virginia Tech was threatening to score. Late in the second quarter, Tech was finally able to get on the scoreboard with a field goal, but at halftime, the Miami Hurricanes led 14–3. After halftime, the Hokies threatened Miami for the first time all game. Virginia Tech mounted an 80-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown, cutting Miami's lead to 14–10. But the Hurricanes' defense clamped down on any further offensive attempts by Virginia Tech and denied the Hokies more points. Miami added two field goals: one in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter that finally put the game out of reach for Virginia Tech. Miami's win was its first bowl victory since the 1966 Liberty Bowl, which also featured a Hurricane victory over Virginia Tech.

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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

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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?

... 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.

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Calendar

2023 season: FBS (Bowl games) • FCS • D-II • D-III
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
Dec 30	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