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Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Author
Mid-January is all the time a interval of nice adjustment. That icy time once we hopefully have lastly began ending dates with ’25 as an alternative of ’24 and likewise lastly stopped awkwardly wishing folks “Glad New 12 months” even when the yr is not all that new.
Nevertheless, for faculty soccer followers, the doorway into 2025 has been extra of a problem than in years previous. Why? As a result of gone are the times when the nationwide champion was selected a single-digit January date. And as we formally start to look towards the first Faculty Soccer Playoff title recreation on the tail finish of the inaugural 12-team bracket, let’s pause to have a look again. As we seize a Pop-Tart, warmth up a mug of Scooter’s Espresso, relax within the dwelling we purchased by Union House Mortgage and earlier than firing up our TaxSlayer app on our Cricket Wi-fi telephone, why not spend a second reminiscing in regards to the video games these sponsors proudly backed?
For as a lot as was made in regards to the new CFP overshadowing and overrunning bowl season, for all of the sky-is-falling fear about opt-outs and groups not eager to make non-CFP postseason journeys, what we acquired was a month-long vacation present of gridiron greatness, goofiness and good instances.
So, earlier than we grow to be all-consumed with Notre Dame versus Ohio State for all the school soccer marbles, let’s make our annual journey by the Better of Bowl Season for 2024-25.
Finest efficiency by a recreation winner: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
McCord arrived on the Vacation Bowl because the nation’s main passer and he added to his Orange legend by throwing for 453 yards and 5 touchdowns in opposition to Pac-2 rep Washington State. On Syracuse’s first play of the second half, he launched a 50-yard go to Darrell Gill Jr., who made an incredible over-the-shoulder snag, a play that pushed McCord previous Deshaun Watson because the ACC’s all-time single-season passing chief, ending with 4,779 yards — achieved in 13 video games vs. Watson’s 15 in 2016. McCord is so superior that he has by no means been late to something, or at the very least he has everybody satisfied he has by no means been late to something …
Fran Brown: “This child has by no means been late to a category, by no means missed a category, by no means been late to the constructing…”
Kyle McCord’s face: 🤨 pic.twitter.com/Yjepmebw0Z
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) December 30, 2024
Finest efficiency in a dropping effort: Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington
The Huskies trailed Louisville by two touchdowns getting into the fourth quarter of the Tony the Tiger Solar Bowl, however Williams threw two landing passes on UW’s remaining two drives, the second coming with solely 9 seconds remaining. Alas, his would-be game-winning 2-point conversion toss was batted down and Washington misplaced 35-34. Williams completed the day 26-of-32 passing for 374 yards and 4 TDs after getting into the sport with solely two profession TDs. He is a freshman, so this would possibly not be the final time you examine him.
Finest bowl cut price: Free soccer
4 bowl video games reached time beyond regulation and every of these video games wasn’t determined within the first additional session. The headliner was the CFP Quarterfinal on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the place Texas superior after outlasting Arizona State (and outsmarting focusing on guidelines). However there have been few four-day bowl season stretches extra superb than Dec. 23 to Dec. 26.
It began when Northern Illinois defeated Fresno State in double OT within the Well-known Idaho Potato Bowl. That was adopted 24 hours later by a Christmas Eve 5-OT Hawai’i Bowl victory for South Florida, which traveled 4,682 miles to play San José State. Then, after a day without work to let Santa do his factor, Toledo received a de facto dwelling recreation, Detroit’s GameAbove Sports activities Bowl (the artist previously often known as the Motor Metropolis Bowl), however wanted a bowl-record six overtimes to do it … after the workforce stormed the sector considering it had already received. Twice. Not unhealthy for a recreation, performed subsequent door to the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark, that ended the primary quarter with a baseball rating (6-2).
Finish of the first pic.twitter.com/GUlaXm0SLi
— GameAbove Sports activities Bowl (@GameAboveBowl) December 26, 2024
Finest bowl coaches: Particular groups
From wacky kick return formations and abruptly various 2-point conversion playbooks to kickers making an attempt passes and punters whipping underhanded shuttle shoves, as a particular groups coordinator texted me in mid-December: “All that stuff we spend all season working towards and attempting to persuade the top coach to do, he’ll lastly say sure within the bowl recreation.”
FAKE PUNT ALERTTTTT
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/OFkticWO8j
— UNLV Soccer (@unlvfootball) December 19, 2024
Finest nuptials: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Bear in mind how horrifying the Purple Wedding ceremony was in “Recreation of Thrones”? Nicely, think about if we changed all of the knives with foam headwear, changed the blood with soda and combined in quite a lot of orange with all that pink. I used to be on the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to look at Illinois, South Carolina and, after all, the antics of Ched-Z the Cheez-It. However even the mascot being launched by the uprights like a paper desktop soccer took a backseat to what occurred throughout a first-half TV timeout.
That is when Erin Doolin and Erik Yakes had been wed in a “Two-Minute Drill” marital ceremony whereas driving atop a trailer being towed across the enjoying discipline as Ched-Z and 47,129 followers served as witnesses. After exchanging orange rings, they spent the rest of the sport holding their reception with household and buddies simply off a nook of one of many finish zones, full with a dance flooring and orange marriage ceremony cake.
This couple was simply married on a trailer doing laps across the Tenting World Stadium discipline with Ched-Z the Cheez-It as witness. Take that, communists. @CitrusBowl pic.twitter.com/KocDBAwoD6
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) December 31, 2024
Finest postgame meals bathtub: Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock
Stuff dumped on the heads of coaches this winter included iced espresso, eggnog and Frosted Flakes. While you beat CFP finalist Notre Dame, win eight video games, earn your second consecutive bowl victory and get a bucket of fries dumped in your head on the Well-known Idaho Potato Bowl, you may say no matter you need within the postgame interview.
Finest superstar postgame meals bathtub: Duke’s Mayo Bowl, BOI!!!!
We have all grown to like the postgame dumping of mayonnaise on the profitable coach’s head after the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, until you are Shane Beamer, who nonetheless is perhaps concussed from his celebratory second three years in the past. However even Minnesota’s coach P.J. Fleck, a person who by no means wants assist getting fired up, was despatched to a distinct degree of power when shock celeb Flava Flav emerged from behind the scenes to unleash this yr’s mayo mess.
All this was lacking was a bald eagle and Lee Greenwood. pic.twitter.com/IwoQq24mr3
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) January 4, 2025
Finest superstar every part else: (Insert Well-known Particular person) Bowl
Gronk hoisting wrestling belts. Matthew McConaughey carrying “Rusty,” his way-too-worn leather-based tassel jacket at Longhorns video games. Snoop Dogg not simply on the TV mic (“He stood over him as a result of it is enterprise he is standing on”) however together with his identify painted in big letters on the enjoying discipline. Who do these folks assume they’re, a Herbstreit canine?
Finest canine superstar: Hudson the Bahamas Bowl Racer
OK, everyone knows that Ben and Peter Herbstreit have been the Tail-or Swifts of school soccer. And it was wonderful to see Myrtle Seashore Bowl champs UTSA carry Fredo the Frenchie round like he was Sean Astin on the finish of “Rudy.” However Hudson the hound stole the present on the Bahamas Bowl when he raced a bunch of children on the monitor that surrounds the enjoying discipline the place Buffalo rolled over Liberty within the final non-CFP recreation of bowl season.
A race for the ages… @TheBahamasBowl | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/HfcnHhP3t6
— MACtion (@MACSports) January 4, 2025
Finest new development: The decline in highest-profile opt-outs
When their common seasons ended, Beamer and Deion Sanders grinned by their disappointment at not being a part of the CFP and pledged that their stars and seniors can be on the sector for his or her bowl video games. In the meantime, a number of gamers on different groups promised the identical, most notably at Ole Miss and Alabama. Had been there nonetheless quite a lot of opt-outs? Sure, most had been powered by the madness of getting switch portal deadlines in the midst of the postseason. However with an adjustment to that timetable seemingly inevitable, in addition to contracts tied to income sharing, the hope is that extra groups can be loaded for future bowl appearances.
🏆All 10 high @HeismanTrophy candidates opted into #BowlSeason this yr 🎳 Which participant had the most effective efficiency 🤔 pic.twitter.com/cfEEEBAJMN
— Bowl Season (@BowlSeason) January 7, 2025
Worst development: Opting out midgame (bonus class)
I wanted to incorporate one “worst” on this listing as a result of it is not proper to say the most effective development with out declaring the worst. Miami stated the plan was to have Cam Ward sit out the rest of the Pop-Tarts Bowl as soon as he threw three landing passes to interrupt the NCAA profession document at 158. Do I believe it was the worst crime within the historical past of the game? After all not. However the picture of the Heisman Trophy finalist standing on the sideline completely wholesome having achieved a person document and watching his workforce lose to Iowa State by one level was a horrible search for Ward, Miami and faculty soccer.
New Rule:
Gamers could also be topic to being nicknamed for all times for the bowl they decide out of.
Cam “Pop Tarts” Ward
— Carolina Disco Turkeys (@discoturkeys) December 29, 2024
Finest development that digs on the worst development: Cal Band belief fall
“You possibly can’t belief Fernando Mendoza [the Cal QB who transferred to Indiana]. However you may belief the Cal Band to be there on the LA Bowl tonight.”
Can we belief YOU to be on the LA Bowl?? 👀
Credit score for the thought: lbmb_pit @phantombands on IG#CalBand #UCBerkeley #CalFootball #LABowl #Cal #GoBears #BowlSeason #CollegeMarchingBand pic.twitter.com/VvVqygzEo4
— Cal Band (@CalBand) December 18, 2024
Finest postgame shoutout: Kansas State Satisfaction
Talking of bands, how about Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman acknowledging the Ok-State Satisfaction making the 20-hour bus trip to supply the soundtrack for the Wildcats’ win within the Price Bowl (aka what was once the Copper, Perception.com and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl)!
Finest pregame perk: Turning into Phil Knight
From NASCAR ride-alongs to present suites full of tech and bling, there has by no means been a scarcity of enjoyable and free stuff for bowl members, however the Las Vegas Bowl stepped issues up. USC and Texas A&M gamers obtained to customized design their very own Nike Air Drive 1s.
“Look Good, Really feel Good, Play Good.” 👟🎨#LVBowl | #FightOn | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/qjYbKISSmH
— SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (@LasVegasBowl) December 25, 2024
Finest pregame transfer: Boston Faculty honoring an Eagle hero
As quickly as BC coach Invoice O’Brien knew his workforce was going to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, he reached out to Alison Crowther, mom of BC alum Welles Crowther. Identified by many because the Man within the Purple Bandana, Welles was an equities dealer and a volunteer firefighter who helped first responders rescue victims of the 9/11 assaults on the World Commerce Middle earlier than dying when the towers collapsed. He saved as many as 18 folks. Members of the BC soccer workforce met Crowther’s mom on the 9/11 Memorial and Museum earlier than their recreation in opposition to Nebraska.
Boston Faculty Head Soccer Coach Invoice O’Brien and the Eagles soccer workforce can be joined by Alison Crowther, mom of Welles Crowther ’99, on the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, paying tribute to the fallen BC alumni previous to their Pin Stripe Bowl matchup this week. pic.twitter.com/eQJEAK1gbX
— Brett (@brettrid3r) December 24, 2024
Finest stadium characteristic dwelling as much as its identify: Pesky’s Pole
Talking of soccer performed in baseball stadiums, how two basketball colleges — North Carolina and UConn — enjoying soccer in a baseball stadium. And the way in regards to the well-known Fenway Park right-field foul pole, named for Purple Sox legend Johnny Pesky, being … nicely … pesky?
Nothing says bowl recreation like a foul pole in the best way of the digicam contained in the pink zone. pic.twitter.com/yObqpSYpfI
— Taylor Vippolis (@tvippolis) December 28, 2024
Finest wardrobe: Puffy pirate shirts
As Jerry Seinfeld will testify, it takes a sure degree of confidence to drag off a puffy shirt. Nicely, Andre Ware, who received a Heisman Trophy, and Anish Shroff, simply named North Carolina sportscaster of the yr, displayed that confidence within the broadcast sales space of the Gasparilla Bowl, which is called for a Tampa Bay pirate ship and competition. Whether or not they pulled it off is as much as you.
Who wore the puffy (or pirate) shirt higher??#CFB #BowlSeason #GasparillaBowl pic.twitter.com/V0mTOF3ZIq
— Brian Holland (@BHollandSports) December 20, 2024
One Pop-Tart taunted the again decide. All of the Pop-Tarts crashed the postgame discipline rush. Strawberry returned from the Nice Toasted Past, coming out of the highest of the large finish zone scoreboard like Michael Jackson at halftime of Tremendous Bowl XXVII on the Rose Bowl. Then, Cinnamon Roll made the final word sacrifice within the identify of soccer glory, being baked and devoured by Iowa State because the Cyclones hoisted their trophy, which can also be a working toaster. All the above was framed by a particular NCAA-approved sideline that was painted to seem like it was lined in sprinkles. God bless America.
“Are you not entertained?!” pic.twitter.com/OmrIZDNU2p
— Pop-Tarts Bowl (@PopTartsBowl) December 30, 2024
Finest season: Bowl season
At all times. See you subsequent yr.
Sorry I could not be there. However man, I like me some @MBBowlGame. pic.twitter.com/pYZOIJZyJ5
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) December 23, 2024
