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FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, Week 5

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, News • Tags: ,

Week 5: games played through OCTOBER 2, 2021

TEAMPOINTSFIRST-PLACE VOTESLAST WEEK’S RANK
1.Alabama (5-0)819391
2.Georgia (5-0)793132
3.Iowa (5-0)697 4
4.Penn State (5-0)674 5
5.Cincinnati (4-0)605 7
6.Oklahoma (5-0)592 6
7.Michigan (5-0)452 13
8.Ohio State (4-1)440 11
9.Oregon (4-1)349 3
10.BYU (5-0)321 14
11.Michigan State (5-0)292 15
12.Kentucky (5-0)189 N/A
13.Oklahoma State (5-0)171 N/A
14.Notre Dame (4-1)153 8
15.Arkansas (4-1)144 10
16.Coastal Carolina (5-0)115 N/A

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Florida (58), Ole Miss (57), Auburn (40), Wake Forest (40), Texas(22), Fresno State (13), Stanford (8), Kansas State (6), SMU (5), NC State (4), Arizona State (4), USC (3), Mississippi State (2), Clemson (2), Appalachian State (1), Iowa State (1).

To see how individuals voted in the poll, CLICK HERE.

NOTES:
Alabama and Georgia remained 1-2, but Georgia, after shutting out Arkansas, picked up seven first-place votes on Alabama as the teams once again split the 52 first-place votes.

Oregon, No. 3 a week ago, dropped six places to No. 9 after losing to Stanford. Another big drop, from No. 8 to No. 14, occurred with Notre Dame after the Fighting Irish fell to Cincinnati. No. 3. Iowa and No. 4 Penn State each moved up a slot and will meet this Saturday in Iowa City in a Big Ten showdown of unbeatens. Michigan jumped up six spots to No. 7 after winning at Wisconsin.

Three SEC teams fell completely out of the poll after suffering losses to conference foes: Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Florida. They were replaced by Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Coastal Carolina–all first-time teams in the poll this season.

The Big Ten leads all conferences with five teams, followed by the SEC with four, the Big 12 and Independents with two each. The American, Pac-12 and Sun Belt had one each.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
No. 1 Alabama at Texas A&M
No. 2 Georgia at Auburn
No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa
Temple at No. 5 Cincinnati (Friday)
No.6 Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas)
No.. 7 Michigan at Nebraska
Maryland at No. 8 Ohio State
No. 9 Oregon is idle
Boise State at No.10 BYU
No. 11 Michigan State at Rutgers
LSU at No. 12 Kentucky
No. 13 Oklahoma State is idle
No. 14 Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
No. 15 Arkansas at Mississippi
No. 16 Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State (Thursday)

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com. 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, Week 4

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll • Tags: ,

Week 4: Games Played Through September 25, 2021

TEAMPOINTSFIRST-PLACE VOTESLAST WEEK’S RANK
1.Alabama (4-0)826461
2.Georgia (4-0)78362
3.Oregon (4-0)7113
4.Iowa (4-0)5955
5.Penn State (4-0)5906
6.Oklahoma (4-0)5424
7.Cincinnati (3-0)4389
8.Notre Dame (4-0)42812
9.Florida (3-1)42111
10.Arkansas (4-0)405N/A
11.Ohio State (3-1)36910
12.Ole Miss (3-0)29113
13.Michigan (4-0)16915
14.BYU (4-0)14116
15.Michigan State (4-0)104N/A
16.Texas A&M (3-1)817

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Coastal Carolina (46), Clemson (35), Wake Forest (23), Fresno State (14), Oklahoma State (13), Baylor (11), NC State (10), Texas (9), Boston College (5), North Carolina (5), UCLA (5), Auburn (3), Maryland (2), SMU (1).

To see how individuals voted in this week’s poll, CLICK HERE.

NOTES:
Alabama, Georgia and Oregon remained 1-3, with the Crimson Tide (46) and the Bulldogs (six) splitting the 52 first-place votes once again. Iowa and Penn State each moved up a slot to Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, as Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 6.

After losing at unranked North Carolina State, Clemson, No. 8 last week, fell completely out of the poll. Texas A&M, No. 7 last week, was upset by Arkansas in Arlington, TX  and dropped all the way to No. 16. With the victory, Arkansas jumped into the poll for the first time this season at No. 10. Michigan State was the other first-time team in the poll this season as Iowa State’s loss at Baylor dropped the Cyclones out of the poll.

The SEC (six teams) and Big Ten (five teams) accounted for 11 of the 16 spots in the poll. Independents had two teams. The American, Big 12 and Pac-12 had one team each. 

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
No. 12 Ole Miss at No. 1 Alabama
No. 10 Arkansas at No. 2 Georgia
No.3 Oregon at Stanford
No. 4 Iowa at Maryland (Friday)
Indiana at No. 5 Penn State
No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas State
No. 7 Cincinnati at No. 8 Notre Dame
No. 9 Florida at Kentucky
No. 11 Ohio State at Rutgers
No. 13 Michigan at Wisconsin
No. 14 BYU at Utah State (Friday)
Western Kentucky at No. 15 Michigan State
Mississippi State at No. 16 Texas A&M.

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com. 
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

Dave Matter named FWAA Beat Writer of the Year

Beat Writer of the Year, News • Tags: ,

Veteran Mizzou scribe is 11th recipient of the award

DALLAS — Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been named the FWAA Steve Ellis Beat Writer of the Year for his coverage of the University of Missouri football team during a pandemic-ravaged 2020-21.

The FWAA has named a Beat Writer of the Year since the 2011 season in honor of Steve Ellis, long-time Tallahassee Democrat writer who passed away in 2009. Democrat sports editor Jim Henry once wrote of Ellis: “Nobody covered Florida State athletics with the passion and ferocity that Ellis did for 30 years.”

Dave Matter

“As our industry evolves, I take more pride in being a newspaper beat writer in 2021 than ever before,” said Matter, who has covered the Missouri football beat for more than two decades. “To be recognized for that work is deeply appreciated, especially by my peers in the FWAA.

“Writers make our way with words, but I’ve struggled to find the best ones to describe how incredibly touched and honored I am to win this award,” Matter added. “Just to be mentioned with the past winners — some I know well and some only by their work and reputation — is the honor of a lifetime.”

Previous winners of the FWAA’s Beat Writer Award: Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (2011), Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe and Steve Wieberg of USA Today (2012), Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News (2013), Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch (2014), Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times (2015), Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman (2016), Mike Griffith of SEC Country (2017), Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com and Chris Vannini of The Athletic (2018), Brett McMurphy of Stadium Network (2019) and Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated (2020).

Matter has lived the Missouri beat — now on his fourth football coach (Larry Smith, Gary Pinkel, Barry Odom and the current head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz) — since the late 1990s when he still was a student at Missouri. He was a staple at the Columbia Daily Tribune until 2013 when he went to work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his current employer.

“Before he became such a fixture around Mizzou athletics that the Antlers (Missouri student group) started chanting his name at basketball games, Dave Matter made a name for himself by willing to stand in the sun longer than anyone else,” said Joe Walljasper, former Columbia Daily Tribune Sports Editor. “He watched every minute of every broiling preseason football practice, interviewed everyone who would speak to him, and then wrote long blog posts — thousands and thousands of words — that put the whole sweaty mess into context.

“I would prefer not to know how much unpaid overtime he worked, but he built a strong reader following and earned the respect of the people he covered,” Walljasper added. “Through the years, he’s developed sources, honed his writing style and accumulated the institutional knowledge that turns a good reporter into a great reporter. But he never lost the willingness to put in the work.”

Matter has won writing awards in the FWAA Best Writing Contest and others: Associated Press Sports Editors Top Ten twice and National Sports Media Association three times. He has had three books published, including “The 100-Yard Journey: A Life in Coaching and Battling for the Win” (Triumph Books), co-authored with former Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, whom he covered from 2001 to 2015.

He is a 2000s jack-of-all trades beat writer. In addition to writing game stories, features, analysis pieces, columns, blogs, he hosts weekly on-line chats, a podcast, a weekly TV show covering University of Missouri Athletics available statewide via cable and on-line.

To top that off, Matter is an adjunct instructor at the MU School of Journalism. He teaches an introduction to writing course, “instructing first-year undergraduates how to compose news stories and press releases in multiple formats and media, including print, online, TV/radio and podcasts.”

“He is relentless as a journalist, selfless as a teammate and totally on top of what is going on at Mizzou,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist BenFrederickson said. “Yes, sometimes even more so than the folks who work there. I’ve learned so much from watching Dave work, and his strengths truly set him apart when the pandemic’s challenge arrived. During a time when Zoom ruled and creativity suffered, Dave didn’t settle. He blazed his own path, rewarding his readers with quality coverage. He can hit you in the feels with a feature, teach you something about the sport in an analysis piece, and break big news. All in one day.”

Frederickson added that Matter had been instrumental in reviving the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s campus correspondent’s job, which “gives Mizzou students an opportunity to get valuable experience covering the Tigers while still in school. He (Matter) is an advocate for the next generation while providing a great example to follow every day.”

Matter summed up the FWAA award this way: “This award isn’t possible without the editors who have turned me loose on the Mizzou beat over the last two decades: Roger Hensley and Cameron Hollway at the Post-Dispatch and from the Columbia Tribune, Joe Walljasper and the late Kent Heitholt, who gave me my first paying job in journalism and someone we’ve dearly missed since we lost him 20 years ago this fall. I proudly dedicate this award to his memory.”

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, Week 3

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, News • Tags: ,

Week 3: Games Played Through Sept. 18, 2021

 TEAMPOINTSFIRST-PLACE VOTESLAST WEEK’S RANK
1.Alabama (3-0)826461
2.Georgia (3-0)78262
3.Oregon (3-0)699 4
4.Oklahoma (3-0)642 3
5.Iowa (3-0)594 6
6.Penn State (3-0)521 10
7.Texas A&M (3-0)486 7
8.Clemson (2-1)440 5
9.Cincinnati (3-0)416 8
10.Ohio State (2-1)337 9
11.Florida (2-1)327 11
12.Notre Dame (3-0)277 12
13.Ole Miss (3-0)214 15
14.Iowa State (2-1)119 14
15.Michigan (3-0)93 N/A
16.BYU (3-0)77 N/A

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Arkansas (60), Coastal Carolina (54), Michigan State (45), Wisconsin (27), North Carolina (10), UCLA (5), Virginia Tech (4), USC (3), Fresno State (2), West Virginia (2), Maryland (2), Auburn (2), TCU (2), Oklahoma State (1), Kansas State (1), Liberty (1), Wake Forest (1).

To see how individuals voted in this week’s poll, click here.

The Top 10 teams in the poll each won Saturday, and all remained among the top teams again. Even No. 11 Florida didn’t budge after losing by two points to No. 1 Alabama.

The Crimson Tide led the poll (46 first-place votes), followed by No. 2 Georgia (six first-place votes). Oregon moved into the third slot, past this week’s No. 4 Oklahoma. Penn State jumped from No. 10 to No. 6 after beating previously unbeaten Auburn in a SEC-Big Ten prime-time Saturday matchup.

UCLA and Virginia Tech dropped out of the poll after losses and were replaced by Michigan and BYU at No.15 and No. 16, respectively. The Wolverines and Cougars are in the poll for the first time this season.
 
The SEC led all conferences with five teams, followed by the Big Ten with four, the Big 12 with two and Independents with two. The ACC, American and Pac-12 had one each.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: 
Southern Mississippi at No. 1 Alabama
No. 2 Georgia at Vanderbilt
Arizona at No. 3 Oregon
West Virginia at No. 4 Oklahoma
Colorado State at No. 5 Iowa
Villanova at No. 6 Penn State
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Arlington, TX)
No. 8 Clemson at North Carolina State
No. 9 Cincinnati is idle.
Akron at No. 10 Ohio State
Tennessee at No. 11 Florida
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin (Chicago)
No. 13 Mississippi is idle. 
No. 14 Iowa State at Baylor
Rutgers at No. 15 Michigan
USF at No. 16 BYU

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at http://www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

2021 Best Writing Contest winners announced

2021 Best Writing Contest • Tags: ,

The results for the 29th Annual FWAA Best Writing Contest presented by collegepressbox include one writer who claimed two first places and a total of five double placers.

Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com won first place in both Column and Enterprise; Glenn Guilbeau of USA Today took the Game Story category, and Dave Wilson of ESPN.com was tops in Feature.

Other double placers were Travis Hines of the Des Moines Register (second place and an honorable mention); Ryan McGee of ESPN.com (second place and an honorable mention); Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports (third place and an honorable mention); Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com (two honorable mentions), and Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune (two honorable mentions). 

First-place winners will receive game balls from Big Game and collegepressbox.  Finishers 1-3 receive cash prizes and certificates. Honorable mentions receive certificates. The first-place entries will be displayed in The Fifth Down.

Click on each first-place winner’s name below to read their stories. To go to a page with all the first-place stories, CLICK HERE.

GAME

First Place — Glenn Guilbeau, USA TODAY

Second Place — Travis Hines, Des Moines Register

Third Place — Matt Baker, Tampa Bay Times

Honorable Mention — Ryan McGee, ESPN.com; Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune; Dick Friedman, Harvard Magazine; Michael Lev, Arizona Daily Star/Tucson.com

FEATURE

First Place — Dave Wilson, ESPN.com

Second Place — Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com

Third Place — David Jones, PennLive.com

Honorable Mention — Nate Mink, Syracuse Post-Standard; Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated; David Ubben,The Athletic

COLUMN

First Place — Alex Scarborough, ESPN.com

Second Place — Ryan McGee, ESPN.com

Third Place — Reese Becker, Fifth Quarter

Honorable Mention — Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Pete Thamel, Yahoo Sports

ENTERPRISE

First Place — Alex Scarborough, ESPN.com

Second Place — Audrey Snyder, The Athletic

Third Place — Pete Thamel, Yahoo Sports

Honorable Mention — Travis Hines, Des Moines Register; Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com; Matt Fortuna, The Athletic

2021 Best Enterprise: Alex Scarborough, ESPN.com

2021 Best Writing Contest • Tags: ,

By Alex Scarborough

ESPN.com

Nick Saban was a nobody then. His players’ first impression was that the ex-Houston Oilers assistant was kind of short. Truth be told, they got a Tony Danza vibe because of his deep tan, well-coiffed hair and wide-open shirt collar. But when Saban spoke in that first meeting — when he screamed about financial aid checks and threatened to kick players off the team — he had their attention. Soon, his training program would have them doubled over and dropping like flies.

“It reminded me of the Junction Boys,” said former tight end Vince Marrow. “I watched at least six or seven guys quit. They just couldn’t take it.”

Looking back 30 years on, Saban said he learned two important lessons during his one season at Toledo in 1990: motivation and game management. The latter was the hardest pill to swallow, though, as a mistake cost his team a win and the outright conference title. It’s something he carries with him today — one of those myriad details he pores over during every pregame meeting, before or after receiving scouting reports on the referees.

He learned, quite literally, which way the wind blows.

“We got the ball and went ‘two-minute’ down the field at the end,” Saban recalled of that game against Central Michigan, a 13-12 result on Oct. 20, 1990 — and his first career loss. “It was a one-point game and we lined up to kick a field goal of like 25 yards or something. We had a pretty good kicker, and the ball just got about 5 yards from the crossbar and just stopped in midair.”

He took a deep breath, reliving a loss that still haunts him, and continued.

“A lot of people remember the Bluegrass Miracle when I was at LSU. Well, we had the wind in the fourth quarter, and it was a significant 30 mph wind probably. And when we threw the Hail Mary, they couldn’t judge the ball because it just kept going and going and going, and that’s how we won.

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2021 Best Column: Alex Scarborough, ESPN.com

2021 Best Writing Contest • Tags: ,

By Alex Scarborough

ESPN.com

For going on 14 years, Alabama has beaten Tennessee every October, and every year coaches and players have enjoyed a traditional postgame cigar. You’ve probably seen the photos that pop up on social media around this time each year. The one of Derrick Henry puffing a stogie with his arm around Nick Saban is particularly memorable, the running back towering over his head coach.

Fans have gotten in on the action, too. Television cameras have often panned into the crowds in the fourth quarter to show plumes of smoke rising from the bleachers. And somewhere, whether in Bryant-Denny Stadium or at his home in town, Jimmy Tom Goostree has been watching it all with a smile on his face.

Jimmy Tom’s father, Jim Goostree, is the reason cigar shops in Tuscaloosa and Knoxville have a run of business the week of the rivalry that’s better known as the Third Saturday in October.

Jim was a longtime trainer at Alabama, but before that he was an assistant trainer at Tennessee. And like his boss, Paul “Bear” Bryant, he hated the Volunteers. So, the story goes, in the fall of 1961, Jim made a bet with the players on the team. Beat Tennessee for the first time in six years, he said, and he’ll dance around the locker room naked.

Whether by talent or precision or the promise of seeing Jim cut a rug, the Crimson Tide beat the Vols 34-3. And true to his word, Jim danced, albeit with a victory cigar pressed between his lips.

Thankfully, the stogie is the only part of the celebration that carried over.

“It’s a sense of pride for all of our family members,” Jimmy Tom said. “It means a lot that Dad is recognized this particular week.”

Bill Oliver was a senior on that 1961 team that started it all, and he remembers the elder Goostree as “a little short fella” and an excellent trainer. He had “a keen mind,” Oliver said, and he understood the rivalry with Tennessee better than almost anyone given his time with the program prior to coming to Alabama. Oliver said Goostree’s history paid off in that “the more knowledge you had, the more you could find out, the more we could smoke cigars.”

“Beating them was the ultimate,” Oliver recalled. “It really was.”

Jim Goostree died in 1999, and Jimmy Tom isn’t sure where all the time went. When he walks into his den, though, he’s reminded of his father. In a glass case, on the top shelf, is a football that’s nearly 50 years old. There are no markings on it to signify its importance, but Jimmy Tom knows.

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2021 Best Feature: Dave Wilson, ESPN.com

2021 Best Writing Contest • Tags: ,

By Dave Wilson

ESPN.com

In the late 1990s, at a benefit 30 miles away from his East Texas hometown of Tyler, Earl Campbell sat at a table while the party’s host, a colorful businessman and one of Campbell’s best friends, summoned sheepish onlookers to come say hello to the legend.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get on over here,” he said. “Earl don’t get up.”

Campbell wasn’t aloof, wasn’t too cool to get up, despite the darkened Wayfarers that made him look cool. “Earl don’t get up” because he couldn’t.

Campbell was once seen as the baddest man on the planet. He left tacklers and pieces of his tearaway jersey on the field behind him. Off the field, he wore Wranglers and giant belt buckles and did Skoal commercials. He was declared an official State Hero in 1981 by the Texas legislature, an honor previously bestowed upon only Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston and Davy Crockett.

As time went on and he was out of public view, Campbell broke down. At the Heisman Trophy ceremony, he remained in his seat while his fraternity brothers lined up on stage behind the winner. At Texas football games, he was always in a golf cart or riding on a scooter. Fans would pity him, muttering “Poor Earl,” as they tried to reconcile their love of football with Campbell being seen as a cautionary tale of its ravages.

But years later, he would discover through a decades-long medical odyssey, that was only part of the story.

“What happened over time is everybody just thinks I had football injuries,” says Campbell, who turned 65 in March. “They look at me and they think, ‘Oh, poor Earl.’ People really don’t know the truth about it.”

The truth came late to Campbell himself, which is why he hasn’t told this story in much detail before. Yet this year, he is deliberative as he relishes the biggest honor of a football life filled with so many of them. In July, the University of Texas announced it would immediately change the name of the football field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to Campbell-Williams Field to honor Campbell, who won the 1977 Heisman Trophy, and the Longhorns’ other Heisman winner, Ricky Williams (1998).

It is remarkable for several reasons. First, for how it happened: The field was previously named for Joe Jamail, a billionaire attorney and Texas mega-booster who was a close friend of Campbell’s. But amid a conversation about social justice led by Texas players on campus following George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis, Jamail’s three sons asked the university to remove their late father’s name and replace it with the names of the two Longhorns legends, replacing a wealthy booster’s name with two of the most prominent Black athletes in school history.

More…

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, Week 2 

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll • Tags: ,

Week 2: Games Played Through September 11, 2021

TEAMPOINTSFIRST-PLACE VOTESLAST WEEK’S RANK
1.Alabama (2-0)824461
2.Georgia (2-0)78062
3.Oklahoma (2-0)6854
4.Oregon (2-0)67012
5.Clemson (1-1)5926
6.Iowa (2-0)53113
7.Texas A&M (2-0)4905
8.Cincinnati (2-0)4288
9.Ohio State (1-1)4013
10.Penn State (2-0)35910
11.Florida (2-0)32711
12.Notre Dame (2-0)3137
13.UCLA (2-0)22515
14.Iowa State (1-1)819
T-15.Virginia Tech (2-0)76N/A
T-15.Ole Miss (2-0)76N/A

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Coastal Carolina (40), Wisconsin (38), Michigan (32), Arkansas (32), BYU (15), North Carolina (13), USC (7), UCF (7), Arizona State (6), Stanford (6), Auburn (4), TCU (4), Michigan State (3), Pittsburgh (2), Kentucky (2), Miami-FL (1), Liberty (1), Nevada (1).

Click here to see how individuals voted in this week’s poll.

NOTES:
Alabama and Georgia remained 1-2 in the second regular-season poll, but No. 3 Ohio State tumbled six places to No. 9 after suffering a home defeat to Oregon. The Ducks, No. 12 a week ago, jumped eight spots to No. 4 after notching an impressive 35-28 victory in Columbus.

After Ohio State’s defeat, Oklahoma moved into the third slot after dispatching Western Carolina. Iowa won an instate showdown against Iowa State and moved up seven spots to No. 6. Notre Dame dropped five spots to No. 12 after struggling to beat Toledo.

The rest of the poll had only minor changes, but two teams did drop out–USC and Texas. The Trojans were beaten by Stanford, and Texas lost on the road to Arkansas. Entering the poll for the first time this season are  Virginia Tech and  Ole Miss, tied at No. 15.

The SEC led all conferences with five teams, followed by the Big Ten with three and the Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC with two each. The American and Independents had one each.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: 

No. 1 Alabama at  No. 11 Florida
South Carolina at No. 2 Georgia
Nebraska at No. 3 Oklahoma
Stony Brook at No. 4 Oregon
Georgia Tech at No. 5 Clemson
Kent State at No. 6 Iowa
New Mexico at No. 7 Texas A&M
No, 8 Cincinnati at Indiana
Tulsa at No. 9 Ohio State
Auburn at No. 10 Penn State
Purdue at No. 12 Notre Dame
Fresno State at No.13 UCLA
No. 14 Iowa State at UNLV
No. 15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia
Tulane at No.15 Mississippi 

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com. 
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, Week 1

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll • Tags: ,

Week 1: Games Played Through September 6, 2021

TEAMPOINTSFIRST-PLACE VOTESLAST WEEK’S RANK
1.Alabama825461
2.Georgia77165
3.Ohio State7164
4.Oklahoma6403
5.Texas A&M5906
6.Clemson5662
7.Notre Dame4568
8.Cincinnati41210
9.Iowa State3567
10.Penn State296N/A
11.Florida29112
12.Oregon24811
13.Iowa243N/A
14.USC20315
15.UCLA202N/A
16.Texas89N/A

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Virginia Tech (39), Ole Miss (31), Wisconsin (20), Utah (18), North Carolina (18), NC State (9), TCU (8), UCF (4), Miami-FL (3), Coastal Carolina (3), Auburn (3), Oklahoma State (2), Boston College (2), Michigan (2), Arizona State (2), Liberty (1), Florida State (1), Nevada (1), Michigan State (1).

Click here to see how individuals voted in this week’s poll.

https://the5thdowndotcom.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/super-16-individual-votes-9-7-21.pdf

NOTES:
No. 1 Alabama remained atop the first-regular season poll after dismantling Miami (FL) last Saturday. Fellow Southeastern Conference power Georgia  jumped four spots to No. 2  after beating previous No. 2-ranked Clemson in a defensive struggle in Charlotte.

Alabama received 46 of the 52 first-place votes, and Georgia picked up the other six. Three of the top five teams in the poll are from the SEC, including No. 5 Texas A&M.  

The other major development was Penn State entering the poll at No. 10 after upsetting Wisconsin in Madison in a key early-season Big Ten matchup. North Carolina, No. 9 a week ago, dropped out of the poll after losing at unranked Virginia Tech.

Wisconsin, LSU (after falling at UCLA) and Miami (FL) also dropped out of the poll. Besides Penn State, other new teams in the poll are Iowa, UCLA and Texas.

The SEC led all conferences with four teams, followed by the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 with three each. The ACC, American and Independents had one apiece.

This Week’s Schedule:
Mercer at No. 1 Alabama
UAB at No. 2 Georgia
No.12 Oregon at No.3 Ohio State 
Western Carolina at No.4 Oklahoma
No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Colorado (Denver)
South Carolina State at No. 6 Clemson
Toledo at No. 7 Notre Dame
Murray State at No. 8 Cincinnati
No. 13 Iowa at No. 9 Iowa State
Ball State at No.10 Penn State
No. 11 Florida at USF
Stanford at No.14 USC
No. 15 UCLA is idle.
No. 16  Texas at Arkansas

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Sunday of the 2021 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 5. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings, and The JBoy Show is the official Media Partner of the poll.

ABOUT THE FWAA: Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com. 
.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.