Ranking the three most unique tailgates in college football
From barbecues to trains to boats… college football fans love to get creative with their tailgate plans. Mackenzie Salmon highlights the three most unique experiences from across the country.
Georgia may not be the juggernaut that won back-to-back national championships.
There are defects. There is a running game that can disappear in the background. A passing game that has stayed afloat without star tight end Brock Bowers but may not be up to the challenge of carrying the entire load until Bowers returns, which may not be until after the season. There is a defense that is still dominant at times, but can also lose distance on the ground at times.
But the Bulldogs continue to win, continuing to resemble a group capable of topping the standings and making history by becoming the first team in modern Bowl Subdivision history to score three. Saturday’s 30-21 win over Missouri was the program’s 26th in a row and its first passed test in a November full of high-profile challenges.
It may be an exaggeration to say that Georgia’s chances of taking the three-peat were considered dead after Bowers’ ankle injury, but the questions and concerns that arose from that loss were understandable: Bowers was a big piece of the puzzle behind his back He won two consecutive championships and continued to help Georgia’s offense through the first two months of this season.
However, in two games, the Bulldogs have managed to largely allay these fears. Behind another strong performance from quarterback Carson Beck, who had 254 yards and two touchdowns, and a balanced passing game that saw seven receivers make at least one catch, Georgia was able to find enough through the air to avoid a devastating upset. Beck and the Bowers-less passing game have closed the gap to keep Georgia atop the SEC and Bowl Subdivision.
And that’s because the running game couldn’t gain momentum against Missouri, managing 131 yards on 33 carries. At the same time, the Tigers gained 151 yards on the ground, with most of the damage done by running back Cody Schrader, who had 112 yards on 22 carries and a score.
Among other things, the last two Georgia teams stood out for their individual excellence – at quarterback, tight end and at all levels of defense, the Bulldogs featured some of the best performers in program history.
This year’s team could be more than the sum of its parts. That will be enough to get Georgia back into the College Football Playoff and potentially secure a place in college football history.
The Bulldogs and Tigers are this weekend’s biggest winners and losers:
winner
Oklahoma State
The last scheduled meeting between rivals Oklahoma State and Oklahoma went to the Cowboys, who won 27-24 after another strong game from running back Ollie Gordon and are suddenly in position to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game and around to play a New Year Six sleeping places. Considering how things stood after the losses to South Alabama and Iowa State, even bringing Oklahoma State into this conversation in early November is one of the top coaching jobs of the Mike Gundy era. Gordon, one of the most productive prospects in the country, climbed further up the Heisman Trophy rankings with an additional 137 yards and two touchdowns. Combined with three Oklahoma turnovers, that was enough for a memorable win that sends the Sooners out of this rivalry on a sour note. And it gets worse: Oklahoma now has two losses and is out of playoff contention.
Texas
You won’t find any criticism of Kansas State’s fourth-down attempt near the end zone in overtime, when a field goal would have sent the game into a second extra frame; Aside from some issues with the Wildcats’ kicking game, as underdogs, it made more sense to end the game from three yards out than to extend it into more overtime. The fact that the attempt failed essentially saves the Longhorns’ season: Texas would not only have been eliminated from the playoffs with a second loss, but would also have had difficulty getting into the conference championship game without a direct tiebreaker against Oklahoma and Kansas State. Instead, the Longhorns may remain the team to beat in the Big 12 after passing by far this month’s biggest test, albeit just after the Wildcats’ fourth-quarter comeback.
Clemson
Clemson entered the weekend as a program in complete disarray, with mounting losses, dwindling confidence in the offense and even Dabo Swinney railing against members of the fan base on local radio and curious as to how he was going to reverse a very troubling decline. Aside from being one of the most surprising results of the day, the Tigers’ 31-23 win over the Fighting Irish could spark a November turnaround that carries over into the offseason and helps Clemson get back on track in 2024 legs to come. With running back Will Shipley out, the Tigers got a career day from backup Phil Mafah, who rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
loser
Notre Dame
Notre Dame faced Clemson after beating Southern California and Pittsburgh, presenting a picture of two national brands going in opposite directions: the Irish on the rise, the Tigers on the decline. Eliminated from the playoffs weeks ago, Notre Dame’s third loss of the season essentially ends Notre Dame’s hopes of reaching a New Year’s Six bowl and represents a major disappointment in coach Marcus Freeman’s second season. The Irish have improved under Freeman, but his tenure continues to be marked by inexplicably heavy losses.
Jimbo Fisher
The signs are on the wall, on the floor, on the ceiling, on the backs of hands and everywhere else when it comes to the Jimbo Fisher era that could have been saved if Texas A&M had made it out of one One of the most talented squads in the FBS to grab a top 25 spot. Coming off a 38-35 loss to Mississippi and a record of 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the SEC, the Aggies will need to top the table against Mississippi State, Abilene Christian and LSU – possible, not likely – to get eight wins regular season. Even then, there is enough record to come to a very solid conclusion: Fisher won’t make it in College Station.
Florida
Arkansas’ 39-36 overtime win at Florida marked the program’s first victory in the swamp in six tries and successfully relieved coach Sam Pittman, who had been under increased scrutiny given the Razorbacks’ winless start to SEC play . The loss is absolutely devastating for the Gators, who had taken care of weak teams in this year’s schedule to reach the threshold of bowl eligibility, but now could find themselves with less than six wins given what lies ahead: at LSU , in Missouri and at home State of Florida. After Billy Napier went 6-7 in his debut, missing the 2023 postseason entirely might be too much for his tenure.
air force
Air Force finished at No. 25 in the College Football Playoff debut rankings, one spot behind Tulane, despite being undefeated. After a 23-3 home loss as heavy favorites against rival Army, the Falcons’ path to the New Year’s Six as the top team in the Group of Five will require a clean run through the regular season and some help. Amazingly, Army allowed just 155 carries on 40 carries, well below Air Force’s season average, while the Falcons had to make 24 pass attempts in the second half to overcome a large deficit.