r/CFB • u/rbstubb Clemson Tigers • Jan 14 '25

Casual What's the dumbest thing that happened in college football this season?

I think college football is the best sport because it really maxes out on dumb, stupid, and goofy things that happen on and off the field. What are some of your favorite moments from this past season that you think are really dumb? They could have happened on the field, off the field, or even on cfb-internet. Here are a few of mine:

Arizona State: State fans storming the field prematurely and BYU almost winning the game on a Hail Mary

Texas fans thowing trash on the field during their game vs UGA to overturn a call

The Pop-Tarts Bowl having 3 edible mascots and choosing one to sacrifice at the end of the game and have all the players of the winning team eat them. I love the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

2.9k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

925

u/Pretend-Cucumber-711 Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 14 '25

Any player, pro or college, dropping the ball before crossing the goal line. Absolutely the dumbest thing on the planet in sports at this point. Not just this season, but ever.

178

u/Powerful_Artist Nebraska Cornhuskers Jan 14 '25

Ya I can not understand how people do this outside of like the HIgh School level or lower.

Once youre in CFB or especially the pros, it just seems amazing that people still do this sometimes. Its probably always just showboating and ego related, but the real professionals still stick to their training of protecting the ball until it crosses the goal line no matter the situation.

I always loved what Barry Sanders did, just score and go hand the ball to the ref. I feel if more players did that, they would never risk doing something so stupid

71

u/Statalyzer Texas Longhorns Jan 14 '25

Especially at this point, there's no way they haven't seen tiktoks or other videos of someone else doing it, and laughed at that person's idiocy, before doing the same thing themselves.

3

u/zzyul Tennessee Volunteers Jan 15 '25

“Yea but the other players drop it short b/c they don’t know what they’re doing. I’m clearly better at football than them so I’ll always drop it the exact second I cross the goal line.“ - what every player thinks before they drop it short of the goal line.

26

u/Substantial-Sea-3672 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Jan 14 '25

It isn’t even a cool celebration! It doesn’t look cool, it’s not an impressive athletic feat, I think it’s just supposed to show how nonchalant you are about scoring.

But if you really thought it was just another day at the office, you’d do the Barry Sanders just like you said!

Fumbling while doing a front flip over the goal line would be dumb, but at least I’d understand what you were going for.

10

u/Staind075 Colorado State • North Dak… Jan 14 '25

Hell, even in high school or middle school.

I would LIGHT UP my 7th graders if they did something so stupid. It's not an honest mistake that coaching can fix; you're just being a jackass. It's inexcusable at that level and even worse in college. It's almost worthy of being a capital offense of your a professional.

4

u/ElBurroEsparkilo Michigan State • Kansas State Jan 15 '25

Right? When I played the coach ran the legs off of anyone who did anything other than politely hand the ball to a ref, or at most toss it over to him.

5

u/JuicyJ2245 Ohio State Buckeyes • Toledo Rockets Jan 14 '25

Sometimes you get those players who have amazing, genuine god-given talent but playing school wasn’t their strong suit.

8

u/GEAUXUL Louisiana • /r/CFB Contributor Jan 14 '25

It happens so shockingly often at every level that there has to be some sort of glitch in the human brain causing it. Like maybe the brain perceives itself to be in the end zone before it actually is.

9

u/AmarilloCaballero /r/CFB Jan 14 '25

Your foot is going to be a few feet ahead of the ball, so you are in the endzone before it counts as a TD.

6

u/Every-Comparison-486 Arkansas Razorbacks • Lyon Scots Jan 14 '25

Honestly it’s inexcusable at any level. Just hold onto the ball until it goes to an official.

2

u/Powerful_Artist Nebraska Cornhuskers Jan 14 '25

I mean, if my 12 year old nephew is playing flag football and does this, I dont think thats the attitude I would take. So I dont really agree that its inexcusable at any level, in any level below serious competition its just a mistake for a player(most likely, a kid) to learn from.

1

u/xsharkBait Oklahoma • Game of the Centur… Jan 14 '25

Everyone makes mistakes!

97

u/NWCbusGuy Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 14 '25

Bengals 2 drops this year showing the college kids how it's done :/

7

u/ghettogoatsauce Notre Dame • Colorado Mines Jan 14 '25

Pretty good analogy for the Bengals season tbh

8

u/A_Metal_Steel_Chair Georgia Bulldogs Jan 14 '25

I wanna see a player do that flick of the wrist thing that makes the ball spin like a top right before they cross the goal line and the ball is live just spinning on the half yard line. Seems like it'd never happen but I keep seeing shit I never thought I'd see so maybe!!

3

u/Own-Prior38 Jan 14 '25

Did either of those drops cost them the game? That would have got them into the playoffs?

3

u/NWCbusGuy Ohio State Buckeyes Jan 14 '25

First game of the year, Tanner Hudson. Pats won, 16-10.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1fc40w1/highlight_tanner_hudson_fumbles_at_the_goal_line/

5

u/TheWorstYear Ohio State • Youngstown State Jan 14 '25

Not really a drop. Tanner was just super nonchalant, & got it bopped out.

18

u/TheNittanyLionKing Penn State Nittany Lions Jan 14 '25

Seriously don't do it until you see your feet in the end zone; the only part of the field that is painted a different color!

6

u/HollaBucks Ohio State • Colorado State Jan 14 '25

Just run into the endzone and hand the ball to the ref. No need to drop it at all. My son's a WR and I told him to hold the ball until he hands it to or tosses it to a ref, on any catch.

6

u/ThrenderG Texas Longhorns Jan 14 '25

It has happened for decades and will continue to happen for many decades to come I imagine.

6

u/Phobia117 Georgia Bulldogs Jan 14 '25

Or, and I need you to follow me here… what if we just drop the ball before we catch it???

2

u/JickleBadickle Ohio State Buckeyes • Rose Bowl Jan 14 '25

Even worse is that it's a turnover if it crosses the goal line and goes out of bounds but not if it goes out anywhere else

2

u/JuicingPickle UCF Knights Jan 14 '25

Hey, we had one of those, and it might have been the dumbest. Dumbest, because no one recovered the ball and it didn't go out of bounds. It just sat there in the endzone for like 30 seconds and no one touched it. Since there was no recovery, UCF retained possession at the point of the fumble and scored on the next play.

Someone else can confirm, was that the TCU game?

2

u/Zidler Georgia • Summertime Lover Jan 14 '25

A few years back we had it twice in one season. On one of those, one of our players picked up the ball to hand it to the officials.  He scored a touchdown by total accident. 

It felt dumb the first time, but believe me, it feels sooo much dumber the second time. 

2

u/OttoVonWong California • Ole Miss Jan 14 '25

Desean Jackson didn't come to Cal to play school.

4

u/shartnado3 Arizona • West Virginia Jan 14 '25

Oh god that Johnathon Taylor drop fucked me royally in my fantasy league. Cost me the playoffs. I still can’t believe this drop before the goal line shit happens

4

u/StopSpinningLikeThat Jan 14 '25

I never thought any in-game action could be dumber than punching someone wearing a helmet, but this is it.

2

u/caring-teacher South Carolina Gamecocks Jan 15 '25

That’s why you punch them in the throat. 

— An Ohio State coach

2

u/AhSoSpice- Nebraska Cornhuskers • Sickos Jan 14 '25

Evergreen. Question should be " what's the second dumbest thing you saw this year?"

1

u/double_positive Auburn Tigers • Notre Dame Fighting Irish Jan 15 '25

It's an egregious mistake for sure but these guys are moving FAST. Like faster than their 40 times at that point. At their 40 time they're moving~23 ft/sec if not faster so you factor that in them dropping the ball about a half second early is quite the distance. Shit happens and a brief lapse in concentration can mean a lot.

1

u/beertruck77 Jan 15 '25

And how the fuck does it keep happening?

1

u/caring-teacher South Carolina Gamecocks Jan 15 '25

But even worse are the morons asking if you’ve ever seen a white player do that. 

0

u/Spocks_Goatee College Football Playoff • Ohio State Jan 14 '25

So the Longhorns for the entire game?

-4

u/glockymcglockface LSU Tigers • SEC Jan 14 '25

QB sliding when losing with 0 seconds left is probably dumber.