It seems it was just yesterday that I was settling in for some Week Zero action. Now, I’m typing up a recap article of the 2023 college football season. It was certainly one for the ages on and off the field, but only the best of the best rose to the top. It was a very difficult decision-making process, but after hard deliberation, here are the best from college football this season.
Game of the Year: Washington vs. Oregon: Part I
It felt like a 12-round heavyweight fight in Seattle as No. 7 Washington beat No. 8 Oregon 36-33 as the Ducks’ game-tying field goal attempt drifted wide. All game long, each team hit each other with jabs and haymakers. No one watching wanted the game to end. There were Oregon’s three failed fourth-down attempts that got plenty of debate going. But if one had been converted, the game result would have easily flipped.
What gave this game extra juice was that it would be the last time this rivalry would be contested as a regular season, non-neutral site Pac-12 game. It carried the weight of a conference on its last legs with two of its strongest pillars battling it out for a chance to contend for a title. As the sea of purple roared and stormed the field after the missed field goal, it was a bittersweet moment made possible by the two elite teams that had just faced off.
Just missed the cut: Stagg Bowl, North Dakota State vs. Montana State, Montana vs. North Dakota State, Washington vs. Oregon Part II, Virginia State vs. Norfolk State, Utah vs. USC, plenty of Colorado games, Red River, Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, Bedlam, Iowa State vs. Kansas State aka “Snowy Farmageddon,” Ole Miss vs. LSU, plenty of CW broadcasted games, Hawai’i vs. Colorado State, Austin Peay vs. Southern Utah, Johns Hopkins vs. Muhlenberg, a bunch of Week 11 Ivy League games, the LIGA Mayor ONEFA championship, Montana vs. Furman, the Famous Toastery Bowl, the Sugar Bowl
Player of the Year: Jayden Daniels
This is not just handing the award to the Heisman Trophy winner. It is about celebrating the journey Jayden Daniels has taken. I wrote about it here in more detail, but to quickly summarize, one can look at the discussions around his transfer from Arizona State to LSU. Unless someone was the ultimate Daniels stan, no one pictured him becoming even an above average college quarterback. Now, he leaves the Tigers as a legend who made defenses fear his electric arm or game plan-shattering running ability.
Just missed the cut: Noah Fifita, Ollie Gordon II, Mike Hollins, Michael Penix Jr., Cody Schrader, Tory Taylor
Coach of the Year: New Mexico State Head Coach Jerry Kill
Jerry Kill led New Mexico State to back-to-back bowl appearances (the Aggies had previously been to four bowls in 88 years), its second best season by win total (10) and an appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game. This job had been a barren wasteland, filled with plenty of names with plenty of losses attached to them. But then in came Kill who immediately flipped things around. It will be interesting to see if the coach to follow him (Tony Sanchez) will be able to continue the momentum Kill built up in the program.
Just missed the cut: David Braun, Kalen DeBoer, Sean Lewis, Ryan Silverfield, Connor Stalions (technically not a coach, but worth a mention)
Team of the Year: Florida State
Florida State was an absolutely messy, fun team. With Jordan Travis leading an offense with giant receiving threats and a dangerous rushing attack along with a suffocating defense, the Seminoles went 13-0 after beating Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. Was it a smooth ride along the way? Not even close, as Florida State barely snuck past Boston College, Clemson, Miami and Florida and had some uneasy first three quarters against Virginia Tech, Duke and Louisville. Then there was of course the devastating season-ending injury to Travis on Senior Night. But the Noles just kept winning in so many ways. There was the complete masterclass from the entire team against LSU in a 45-24 win. Against Boston College and Clemson, it took some gutty plays to pull those games out. Sometimes it was the overwhelming offensive firepower. Other times it was the defense stepping up to the plate.
What happened with the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision to leave Florida State out of the playoff will be debated about until the end of time. But it should not take away from the incredible season the team put forth.
Just missed the cut: Idaho, James Madison, Michigan, New Mexico State, Northwestern, South Dakota State, Texas State, Washington
Play of the Year (TIE): Gravedigger and Hail Haynes
My editor is going to hate that I chose a tie (sorry Dylan), but these two last-second touchdowns are a combination of brilliant playmaking and brilliant displays of coaching ineptitude.
If I had to lean one way, the fact that Alabama’s play is called “Gravedigger” might give it the edge. But at the same time, the fact that Miami had the game won and as close to literally fumbled the bag as possible was outstanding theater.
Just missed the cut: Wyoming’s game-winning blocked field goal touchdown against Appalachian State, Wyoming’s tying touchdown against Texas Tech in double overtime, almost everything Zachariah Branch and Caleb Williams did, Missouri’s Harrison Mevis’ 61-yard yard game-winning field goal to beat Kansas State, Ohio State’s last-second touchdown against Notre Dame (which is the drive of the year), Hawai’i with a fire drill game-winning field goal from long distance, Houston and Colorado State’s Hail Marys in the same week, Cooper DeJean’s punt return touchdown that never was, Army’s goal line stand against Navy, Junior Bergen taking over against Furman
Meme of the Year: Pop-Tart Mania
Only in college football:
Just missed the cut: Jalen Mayden unintentionally throwing a football at an official’s head, the Texas Tech opossum, Mississippi State’s interim head coach riding into the Egg Bowl on a four-by-four, anything Iowa related in terms of trying to score or punts, Connor Stalions, I’m stopping here or I could list of enough memes to fill Lake Michigan.
About the author
I’m a Washington Huskies fan who is still amazed but not surprised that we didn’t have more success under Chris Petersen (I blame Jake Browning). Sports are my life. I know nothing else. I graduated from Bethany Lutheran College with a degree in Communication. I’ve been a part of a newspaper since 8th grade, including my college’s official newspaper where I was co-copy editor.
