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College football refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.

Unlike most other sports in North America, no official minor league farm organizations exists in American or Canadian football. Therefore, college football is generally considered to be the second tier of American and Canadian football; one step ahead of high school competition, and one step below professional competition (the NFL). In some areas of the US, especially the South and the Midwest, college football is more popular than professional football, and for much of the 20th-century college football was seen as more prestigious.

A player's performance in college football directly impacts his chances of playing professional football. The best collegiate players will typically declare for the professional draft after three to four years of collegiate competition, with the NFL holding its annual NFL draft every spring in which 256 players are selected annually. Those not selected can still attempt to land an NFL roster spot as an undrafted free agent. (Full article...)

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The 2002 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 1, 2002. The game was the final contest of the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 30-17 victory for Florida State.

Virginia Tech was selected to play in the 2002 Gator Bowl with an 8–3 regular-season record despite having just played in Jacksonville at the end of the previous year. The selection of Virginia Tech over the Syracuse Orangemen (now just the "Orange") despite losing head-to-head and Syracuse having better conference and overall records was controversial. Florida State, who had failed to win at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title for the first time since joining the league in 1992, and who had played in all three BCS National Championship games held to that point, was selected as the opponent.

The 2002 Gator Bowl kicked off on January 1, 2002 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, exactly one year since the Hokies had last played in the game. The game's early going seemed promising for the defense-minded Hokies. In the first quarter, Tech held Florida State scoreless despite only managing a single field goal on offense. In the third quarter, however, Florida State began to find gaps in the Hokie defense and scored 10 points. At halftime, Florida State held a 10–3 lead.

In the third quarter, Tech struck back. The Hokies scored 14 points in the quarter, while Florida State managed just a field goal. The Hokies' All-American tailback Lee Suggs had suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the season, but freshman Kevin Jones had carried the offense for the season, and continued to perform well in the post-season Gator Bowl game. With a 5-yard run from Jones and a 55-yard pass from Grant Noel to André Davis, Tech took a 17–13 lead going into the fourth quarter. But the lead quickly evaporated on a 77-yard catch and run from Chris Rix to Javon Walker.

Florida State added ten more points after the long touchdown pass, and the Seminoles went on to win the game, 30–17.

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Quotes

We need a playoff. — Bernie Machen, president of the University of Florida who supported creating a play-off for NCAA Division I-A
I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault. — former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Jack Tatum, on the fierce quality of his play
If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you. — University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, on his motivational techniques
When people used to see Wake Forest on the schedule, they used a pen to mark down a `W.' We're at the point now where we at least make them use a pencil. — Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe

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Did you know...

... that the Harvard Crimson football team (home stadium pictured) has won 12 national championships and is the eighth winningest team in NCAA Division I football history?
... that American football running back Keith Elias graduated from Princeton University with 21 Princeton Tigers records and 4 National Collegiate Athletic Association I-AA records?
... that Vanderbilt's "Blonde Bear" supervised the ransacking of black households in the 1946 Columbia Race Riot?
... that Native American football player Peter Hauser has been credited with throwing the first spiral pass?

... that the Yale Bulldogs football team (mascot pictured) has won 27 national championships and ranks second in wins in college football history?
... that Michigan's All-American 60-minute man Tom Johnson was the second African-American player for the Green Bay Packers?
... that Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough played for Hall of Fame football coach John Gagliardi at Saint John's University?
... that the Wittenberg Tigers from Springfield, Ohio, have won more games than any other Division III college football team?

College Football DYK Archive

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Third quarter of the game between the visiting No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 1 USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 13, 2008; USC would win, 35-3.

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Calendar

2021 season: FBS (Bowl games) • FCS • D-II • D-III
Dec 11	Army–Navy Game	Army vs Navy
Dec 18	Independence Bowl	#3 BYU vs UAB
Dec 29	Alamo Bowl	#16 Oklahoma vs #14 Oregon
Dec 30	Peach Bowl	#10 Michigan State vs #12 Pittsburgh
Dec 31	Cotton Bowl Classic	#1 Alabama vs #4 Cincinnati
Dec 31	Orange Bowl	#2 Michigan vs #3 Georgia
Jan 1	Fiesta Bowl	#5 Notre Dame vs #9 Oklahoma State
	Rose Bowl	#11 Utah vs #6 Ohio State
	Sugar Bowl	#7 Baylor Bears vs #8 Ole Miss
Jan 10	College Football National Championship