It has become impossible to scroll through sports Twitter without seeing a million tweets pertaining to what the next great 30 For 30 will be. A lot of the proposed 30 For 30 stories are pretty hyperbolic. There are, however, plenty of great stories from this college football season that would make for captivating television.
Teams
UCF, Boise State & Beyond
UCF is the latest chapter in the annals of G5 lore. First it was Fresno State and Utah, then Boise State and Utah again. Then TCU and even that one magical season for Northern Illinois. Now, UCF has captured the hearts, minds and ire of college football fans everywhere.
Love ’em or hate ’em, UCF is here to stay (for the time being). But how they got to back-to-back undefeated seasons is the real story here. From NY6 party crasher in 2014, to the winless season all the way to their Fiesta Bowl appearance this season UCF has been polarizing to say the least.
The big difference between UCF’s run and those of previous party crashers is the age of social media. UCF has sparked an argument raging across the killing fields of sports twitter. Our very own Clemson Carl has fought the fight for the Knights all season.
This is a microcosm of the great UCF Twitter War. The elitists, the blue bloods pitted against the upstart Cinderella. When did we start hating these stories?
UAB
UAB football was dead. The Blazers came roaring back in 2017 and built on a strong welcome-back season by winning the Conference USA this year. The politics and bureaucracy behind the scenes alone would be interesting. If enough people involved with the program and decisions being made at the administrative level get in on this, it could get real juicy.
No scriptwriter would ever dare.
Alabama & Clemson
These two have separated themselves from the rest of the nation in the young playoff era. They’ve also given us some classic games along the way. People can say that they’re sick of the same teams winning an unbelievable amount of games and meeting up for the national title every year. People will also keep watching these two teams duke it out like prized heavyweight fighters.
They’ve now played each other four times in the College Football Playoff era. They’re 2-2 against each other with each winning two national titles. They are head and shoulders above the rest of the sport.
Moments
One Night in West Lafayette
For one night, all eyes were on a place in the Big Ten that generally doesn’t generate a ton of attention. Tyler Trent and an upstart Boilermaker football team were the best story in sports for one night.
A monumental upset of then #2 Ohio State is one of the biggest wins in Purdue football history and will be remembered for a long time by the Purdue faithful.
Tyler Trent’s battle with cancer has touched millions of college football fans. He’s been an inspiration to countless people struggling against this horrific disease. His story has been the best one in college football all season and will Kong be remembered by those who bore witness.
Jalen Hurts
The emergence of Tua Tagovailoa in last year’s national title game signaled the end of Jalen Hurts’ time at Alabama. Transfer speculation rose to a fever pitch in the weeks leading up to the 2018 season.As Tagovailoa orchestrated a brilliant offense en route to the SEC title game, Hurts quietly stuck with his teammates and his school. When Tagovailoa went down with an injury with Alabama trailing, it was Hurts’ time to shine again.
Jalen Hurts led an epic comeback that capped another Crimson Tide SEC title. Through all the speculation & outside noise, Hurts stayed true to what he knew was best for him. When the Tide needed a hero one more time, he was there.
Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer has been one of the most polarizing figures in sports over the last fifteen years. From his abrupt exit at Florida all the way to his somewhat surprising retirement from coaching, he has been one of the most talked about people in sports.Aside from Nick Saban, he has been the best coach in college football over the last fifteen years. His Ohio State teams were the scourge of the Big Ten. His astounding record speaks for itself. And of course, his three national titles (two at Florida, one with the Buckeyes) speak for themselves.
The real story here is what went on behind the scenes? What did he know? When was he telling the truth? Why did he choose the Zach Smith hill to die on? As it stands, there are far more questions than there are answers. The one thing I know for certain is that it’d be a captivating story. That is, if we get all the details.