5th Down CFB

06/02/2026

SEC hype machine chewed up AOC 😂 “Time to roll up” — someone tell her CFB left NYC a long time ago (TikTok tag at the end)

06/01/2026

Stanford Stadium (1921-2005) was a weird ballpark

Stanford emulated the Yale Bowl, as did its rival California, but left a corner open to accommodate the running track

The ballpark’s high-water mark was Super Bowl XIX in 1985 when the hometown 49ers smoked the Dolphins, 38-16

05/22/2026

Ladies & Gentlemen: A college football book

Years of work & the first draft, (about the 5th draft on a per-chapter basis), is finished

Euphoric day. Now I cut it, proof it, & prepare it for publication

This is what 5th Down CFB has been all about 🙏🫡🇺🇸

05/14/2026

t’s halftime of a fine September afternoon at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City

Iowa is pummeling Iowa St, 26-0, en route to a 43-7 win, & Van Halen’s Diamond David Lee Roth is about to go berserk on the field w/the marching bands

Not all college football Saturdays are created equal

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day

There are videos of Bryant addressing his team as fall camp begins. They’re great

One of my favorites is when he tells his players to be sure to smile at people & be friendly: “I’m world’s champion frowner. I’ll do the frowning for all of us.”

03/28/2026

The mild-mannered, bookish gentleman known as Bill Snyder remains an under-appreciated legend

Here’s how Kansas State stood prior to kickoff at the 1998 Big XII Championship:

➡️ 30 seasons prior to Snyder’s arrival: 77 wins
➡️ 10 years w/Snyder in charge: 77 wins

03/26/2026

Eric Kresser got stuck behind Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel at Florida, so he transferred to Marshall, where Randy Moss was waiting

Kresser threw for 3,400 yds & 35 TDs (1,709 & 28 to Moss)

Thundering Herd went 15-0 & blew out Montana, 49-29, to win the 1AA national title

03/05/2026

Farewell to the great Lou Holtz 🙏

He was head coach of football at Notre Dame when I got to CFB and known as something of a magic man for his track record of big-game triumphs

He was a wise leader, a clever commentator, and the sport was better and more interesting w/him in it

02/28/2026

Where would you go?

02/25/2026