In January, Nick Saban sent shock waves through the college football landscape when he announced he would step away from the sidelines. Shortly after the legendary coach retired, Saban officially joined ESPN. 

While Saban works primarily as an analyst for the network's long-running and popular pregame program, "College GameDay," he also contributes to NFL Draft coverage and makes appearances on other ESPN shows and platforms. The last segment of an episode of "College GameDay" typically features a celebrity guest who offers their picks for some of the upcoming games.

On Friday, comedian Shane Gillis was tapped as the guest picker. But at one point during his appearance, one of the funnyman's jokes seemed to irritate Saban.

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During a discussion about the state of college football, Gillis cited the relatively new "parity" that exists in the sport. But during his remarks, Gillis also seemed to assert that either Saban or perhaps the Alabama football program as a whole orchestrated or turned a blind eye if players received improper payments.

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"This feels different, it feels like we can win it," Gillis said. "There’s a parity, now that everybody can pay their players, Notre Dame has a shot. It’s not just the SEC, it’s not Coach Saban." The seven-time national championship winning coach was not present when Gillis made the comments.

However, fellow ESPN college football analyst Pat McAfee eventually reminded Gillis about what he said.

"You called him a cheater earlier," McAfee noted.

While Gillis said he made the comments in jest, Saban appeared to take offense to the suggestion that players were inappropriately compensated under his watch. 

"I was just joking around," Gillis said. "I don’t think the SEC paid players. Ever. I’m joking. Is this not a fun show?"

Gillis eventually turned his attention to Saban's attire, particularly the retired coach's hat.

"Ol' Alabama Jones is being serious," Gillis joked in an apparent reference to the hat that has become synonymous with the fictional character Indiana Jones.

Saban then offered a straightforward response to Gillis' joke concerning how he ran the Alabama program during his 17-year run.

"I do believe in integrity. I always tried to run the program that way so players had a better chance to be successful in life," Saban said. "We make more money in the NFL than any other school, 61 players in the league. That was how we cheated. We developed players."

Saban won six national titles during his storied tenure in Tuscaloosa. Before taking the head coaching job at Alabama, Saban led the LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game after the 2003 regular season.

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It seems like the Texas Longhorns got rid of the sour taste from a SEC title game loss.

The Longhorns dropped the conference championship two weeks ago, while their opponent, 12-seeded Clemson, was riding high after winning the ACC.

The fifth-seeded Longhorns came away with a 38-24 victory to advance past the first round of the College Football Playoff.

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It was the Tigers who struck first with a touchdown, but the Longhorns outscored them 31-3 heading into the fourth quarter. But, Clemson did not go quietly. 

The Tigers scored 14 unanswered points during a span that included its defense stopping Texas on a fourth and 2 from the Clemson 36. Suddenly, it was a seven-point Texas lead with 11:43 to go.

Just as Clemson was getting back into the game, though, Jaydon Blue scampered for a 77-yard touchdown to put Texas back up by two touchdowns.

Clemson drove down the field to continue its attempt at a comeback, but the Tigers were stuffed on a fourth and goal from the 1.

The Tigers got the ball back again with 1:43 to go but were unable to keep a drive alive, and the Longhorns ran out the clock.

Quinn Ewers finished with 202 passing yards, going 17-for-24 through the air. Blue and Quintrevion Wisner combined for 256 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries.

Clemson's Cade Klubnik threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, completing 26 of his 43 passes. T.J. Moore led all players with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

The Longhorns will now face Arizona State, which earned a first-round bye by winning the Big 12, in the Peach Bowl New Year's Day.

Home teams are 3-0 in the first three games of the new 12-team format. Each winning team has covered the spread. 

The first-round finale between Tennessee and Ohio State in Columbus kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Quinn Ewers made his political support clear ahead of one of the biggest games of his life.

Ewers' Texas Longhorns are hosting the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and members of Texas' football team arrived dressed to impress.

Ewers rocked a navy blue suit with white pinstripes, a red tie and a gold tie clip.

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The clip had "Trump" engraved on it.

Ewers seemed to show support for the president-elect when he shared a picture of Trump holding his fist in the air shortly after the assassination attempt on Trump's life in Butler, Pa.

After Trump won the presidential election, Ewers also shared a graphic of Trump and JD Vance on his Instagram story, captioning it "Legendary."

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Athletes have shown support for Trump since he won the election. Perhaps the most notable tribute to Trump has been players mimicking the president-elect's YMCA dance.

San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa wore a "Make America Great Again" hat after a game in October, a move that cost him an $11,000 fine.

Trump attended the Army-Navy game last week, and it could be argued his attendance led to the game's highest viewership of all time. Over 9 million people watched the Midshipmen's 31-13 victory over the Black Knights.

The president-elect has also attended NFL games and UFC events this year.

The Longhorns led Clemson, 28-10, at the half. The winner has a date with Arizona State in the Peach Bowl New Year's Day.

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Travis Hunter wants to become the NFL’s Shohei Ohtani, and, if it's up to his head coach, he just may become that player.

The two-way Colorado star parlayed his offensive and defensive skills into becoming the Heisman Trophy winner, playing well over 1,000 snaps this season.

He also won both the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver and the Bednarik Award as the defensive player of the year.

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Experts have him playing cornerback in the NFL. But after Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on offense, Deion Sanders says whoever drafts him better let him put his abilities to full use.

"He’s gonna do that, or they shouldn’t draft him. Don’t do that," Sanders told "The Rich Eisen Show" this week.

"And I’m gonna make sure of that. Don’t draft him if you’re not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball."

CHIEFS ARE MOTIVATED BY DOUBTERS WHO SAY RECORD IS A FLUKE, STAR SAYS: 'WE'LL JUST KEEP SHOWING UP'

Sanders said a team could be "creative" with Hunter.

"He don’t have to do what we did with him here and play every snap," Sanders added.

Hunter played 670 snaps on offense and 686 snaps on defense while also playing 24 special teams snaps. As a corner, Hunter had 31 tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions, anchoring Colorado’s defense.

Despite projecting as a cornerback in the NFL, he might have actually been better on offense this year.

Hunter is expected to be an early selection in April's NFL Draft, and there's a chance his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, could be the top pick.

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It was a proud moment for Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida when his son, Anthony Rubio, scored his first collegiate touchdown in the Florida Gators’ blowout victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday night. 

Anthony Rubio, a walk-on to the team, scored on a late nine-yard run with just over a minute remaining to extend Florida’s lopsided lead to 33-8 in what marked the Gator’s fourth straight victory. 

"Great to finish the right way," Florida coach Billy Napier said of the play. 

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The game was already decided at that point, but Rubio’s teammates rushed to crowd around him and celebrate his first score in his first college football game.

"It was insane," he told Florida beat writer Jesse Simmons of his teammate's celebration. "First, I want to thank God for that, it wouldn’t have happened [without] Him." 

INDIANA’S CURT CIGNETTI EXPLAINS HEAD-SCRATCHING CALL TO PUNT IN LOSS TO NOTRE DAME: ‘DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT’

As any proud parent would, Senator Rubio took to social media to praise his son’s accomplishments. 

"Happy my son scored," he wrote in a post on X. "But what I am truly proud of is the joy from his teammates and that he gave all the glory to God." 

Rubio joined the Gators’ football program as a walk-on running back in 2023. He redshirted his first year and didn’t see any action until Friday’s game. He wrapped up the game with 32 rushing yards and one score on the ground. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Sometimes it’s best to save the trash talking until after the game’s been won. 

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti learned that lesson in primetime after the coach suffered a crushing loss to the Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night.

Cignetti had plenty to say during his pregame appearance on ESPN’s "College GameDay," noting that the Hoosiers "don’t just beat top-25 teams, we beat the s--- out of them."

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That was not evident in Friday’s 27-17 loss to Notre Dame. But perhaps more mystifying than the loss was Cignetti’s controversial decision to punt in the fourth quarter. 

Trailing by 17 points with just over 10 minutes remaining, Indiana found itself at fourth-and-11 at the Notre Dame 48-yard line. All things considered, Indiana was expected to go for it. But that’s not what happened. 

Instead, punter James Evans ran out on the field. 

After the game, a deflated Cignetti was asked to explain his decision. 

NOTRE DAME ROUTS INDIANA IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TO SET UP SUGAR BOWL DATE WITH GEORGIA

"I didn’t want to punt, but we were doing nothing on offense, and our defense was fighting. That was the only positive, really, that I could draw, is our defense was still fighting, because offense was doing nothing," he said. 

"And I didn’t want to go fourth-and-10 – it’s like you’re just wishing and hoping. You have nothing to base it on that you can convert fourth-and-10 at that point, right? And there’s still time if you punt to win the game. So, that was the reason why. I didn’t want to do it, but I felt like it was the best move." 

But the plan quickly backfired, and Notre Dame would extend their lead on the ensuing drive. 

Notre Dame moves on to face SEC champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 

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Notre Dame is the answer to trivia forever.

The Fighting Irish became the first team to win a home College Football Playoff game with their 27-17 victory over Indiana in the first round of the new 12-team playoff.

The big blow came early with Jeremiyah Love scampering for a 98-yard touchdown. On Notre Dame’s next drive, Riley Leonard found Jayden Thomas to make it a 14-0 game, and all Indiana could muster up was a field goal, which was immediately matched by the Fighting Irish.

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Indiana’s offense continued to struggle out of the locker room, punting on both of their third quarter drives and their first of the final quarter.

Leonard ran in for a score to make it a 27-3 Indiana lead, but the Hoosiers wound up scoring two more touchdowns. On their second one, with 25 seconds left, they went for two to make it a one-possession game, but it was unsuccessful, all but icing the ball game for the Irish.

The Hoosiers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late.

Leonard completed 23 of his 32 passes for 201 yards – Jordan Faison led the Irish with seven receptions for 89 yards.

The three other first-round games will be played throughout Saturday.

Notre Dame now has a date with Georgia for the Sugar Bowl, which will be played in New Orleans on New Year's Day.

During his storied coaching career, Nick Saban rarely shied away from an opportunity to share his thoughts on college football-centric hot topics.

Saban and the rest of ESPN's "College GameDay" crew were in Indiana ahead of the 12-team College Football Playoff opener between Notre Dame and the Hoosiers. While the high-stakes game was the main topic during the pregame show, embattled Ohio State coach Ryan Day was also discussed.

Saban came to Day's defense and directed his ire at Buckeyes fans, suggesting they shoulder at least some of the blame for the cloud of negativity circling the program.

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Saban said the noise surrounding the program is a distraction to the coaches and players and also made it clear he respects Day and his program.

DEION SANDERS ADAMANT HIS SON SHEDEUR WILL BE THE NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT

"I think every coach has gotta define how he wants to do it, and I have a lot of respect for Ryan Day and how he’s tried to do it," Saban said. "For me, I always wanted to get every player in the organization to reach their full potential. It wasn't so much about the outcome, it was what you had to do to make everybody better.

"But a big part of that was insulating the players from external factors — criticism, internet. I used to tell the players all the time, ‘Why do you care about what some guy puts on the internet who’s a fat guy in his underwear living in his mother’s basement? Why do you care? Why does that mean anything to you? Why does that affect you in any way, shape or form? We should be focused on what we control and what we can do.’

"It’s the same thing for the fans. I would tell the fans the same thing. If Ohio State wants to beat Michigan, they need to be positive about their coach and their players. There’s nobody that wants to beat them worse than the players and the coaches. That's No. 1. No. 2, they have an opportunity to win the national championship. Everybody ought to be supporting the hell out of them so that they have the best opportunity to do it and quit all this negative bulls---."

While Day has compiled a 66-10 record at Ohio State, his Buckeyes have lost four straight to the Michigan Wolverines.

Day's underwhelming results against Michigan have drawn criticism and raised concerns about the coach's job security. Day's focus is on the Buckeyes' upcoming game against Tennessee in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes host the Volunteers Saturday.

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Georgia is reportedly preparing for life without starting quarterback Carson Beck in the College Football Playoff.

Beck is reportedly exploring surgery options to repair an injury to the elbow on his throwing arm and is unlikely to return this season, sources told ESPN Thursday. 

On the last play before halftime in the SEC Championship game, Beck went to throw a Hail Mary, but the Texas defender hit his arm as he threw. 

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The Bulldogs quarterback went down to the ground in pain and was replaced by sophomore Gunner Stockton in the third quarter. 

Stockton was 12-16 with 71 yards and one interception, replacing Beck in the second half. In overtime, the sophomore quarterback had to leave the game because he took a massive hit to the head area.

So, Beck, while hurt, re-entered the game to hand the ball off to running back Trevor Etienne, who scored the game-winning touchdown. 

After the game, Beck talked about not having had a good grip on the ball during the play, according to On3.

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Because Georgia beat Texas 22-19 in overtime to win the SEC Championship where Beck got hurt, they secured a first round-bye as the No. 2 seed. They play the winner of No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana.

Stockton is in line to make his first career start in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Stockton is 25-32 passing for 206 yards in limited action across three games this season. 

While Beck may not start in the College Football Playoffs, the senior quarterback’s Georgia career is not necessarily over as he has one more year of eligibility. 

Beck could declare for the NFL Draft anyway, forgoing his last year of eligibility. The senior quarterback could also stay at Georgia for another season, or enter the transfer portal to try and boost his stock. 

This season, Beck has completed 64.7% of his passes, throwing for 3,485 yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading Georgia to an 11-2 record. 

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is adamant that his son Shedeur Sanders will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Deion was asked about Shedeur’s NFL future during an appearance on "The Pacman Jones Show."

Adam "Pacman" Jones, a 12-year NFL veteran, asked Sanders where he thought "God" was going to take Shedeur and Travis Hunter.

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"Oh, that’s a good one. I have no idea. It depends on who is consistently losing --" Deion started before being cut off.

The conversation then changed to who currently has the No. 1 overall pick, the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders, with Jones posing a question to Deion. 

"The Giants' pick number one, who’s the number-one pick?" Jones asked.

"Shedeur is going to be the number-one pick," Deion responded. 

The Colorado head coach believes the Giants will not trade out of the top pick in the draft, should they end up with it. 

"The Giants are not going to give up their pick. They’re not going to give up their pick. The Giants are not giving up their pick. I know that for a fact," Sanders stated.

Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen and assistant general manager Brandon Brown were seen in a video posted to X attending a Colorado practice, presumably scouting Shedeur and Hunter. 

DEION SANDERS HAS 'EVERY INTENTION' OF STAYING WITH COLORADO AMID NFL COACHING RUMORS: 'I LOVE WHERE I AM'

Whether the Giants or Raiders have the top pick, both teams need a franchise quarterback.

The Giants cut Daniel Jones in November, and neither Tommy DeVito nor Drew Lock is under contract for next season.

The Raiders have Aidan O’Connell and Garnder Minshew under contract for multiple seasons, but neither of those players would stop the team from drafting Shedeur Sanders or Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

The Raiders and Giants are both 2-12, and if both teams lose out, the tiebreaker deciding which team receives the number-one overall pick comes down to their strength of schedule.

A win for either team down the stretch would send each team tumbling down the draft board, as five teams currently have three wins and, due to strength of schedule, would pick ahead of the Raiders and Giants. 

This season, Sanders has completed 69.3% of his passes while throwing for 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The star quarterback helped lead Colorado to a 9-3 record this season, a big improvement after finishing 4-8 last season.

Sanders won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to the nation’s top quarterback who best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.

Sanders also was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Colorado is playing BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, where Sanders and Hunter are both expected to play.

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James Madison Dukes defensive lineman Eric O’Neill picked up a key sack in a win against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl.

O’Neill then celebrated the sack by emptying the quiver on Hilltoppers quarterback Caden Veltkamp. It was not the only time he performed the celebration either, and college football fans on social media noticed.

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O’Neill had three tackles, including one sack, as James Madison won the game 27-17.

"It’s surreal. It’s probably the best moment of my life," he told ESPN after the win. "We got a bunch of (Football Bowl Championship) guys nobody wanted out of high school. Now, finished the season 9-4, winning bowl games at JMU. You can’t even dream of this."

He was asked about the celebrations after the game as well.

"It was just working hard, getting there and the celebration, I’m a big UFC fan so it was one of those," he said, via The Breeze. "I don’t blame them if they … if I’m an offensive lineman and someone did that to my quarterback, I’d probably want to push them."

It was the Dukes’ first bowl win as a Football Bowl Subdivision team. They moved up from the FCS prior to the 2022 season. Curt Cignetti, who is now the coach at Indiana, was James Madison’s head coach for their first two years at the highest level of college football.

TRAVIS, JASON KELCE CRITICAL OF OHIO LAWMAKER'S BILL OUTLAWING FLAG PLANTING ON BUCKEYES' FIELD: 'FEELS SOFT'

Bob Chesney took over after Cignetti left the team for the Hoosiers and guided the team to the bowl win.

O’Neill, a redshirt-junior from New York, transferred from Long Island University before the start of the 2024 season. He played in his first bowl game with a bunch of other teammates.

He wrapped up his first season at James Madison as a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference defensive lineman. He had 13 tackles and 52 total tackles. He also returned an interception for a touchdown.

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Alabama Crimson Tide Athletic Director Greg Byrne called on fans to donate to the school’s name, image and likeness (NIL) fund in a message on Wednesday.

Byrne posted his message to fans on social media.

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"Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics. We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama," Byrne’s message read. "But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.

"Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.

"Under the new model of college athletics, which is the result of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, a university can succeed if their fans purchase authentic NIL from student-athletes. The good news is when @yea_ala was created last year, the focus was on providing our fans with a legitimate product rather than booster inducements. @yea_ala delivers exclusive content and access you cannot get anywhere else. We also have a plan to grow @yea_ala’s offerings with more videos, features and news in 2025."

TRAVIS, JASON KELCE CRITICAL OF OHIO LAWMAKER'S BILL OUTLAWING FLAG PLANTING ON BUCKEYES' FIELD: 'FEELS SOFT'

Byrne said donating to the fund was about keeping stars with the Crimson Tide so they do not go elsewhere for a better deal.

"At Alabama, we’ve not measured ourselves against our competition," he added. "We are the standard, and that measurement is against the mirror and against a rich and proud history, but it’s impossible to ignore what is taking place in college athletics. Hungry fan bases are acting decisively to give their respective programs competitive advantages. We must respond."

More than a dozen football players entered the transfer portal when it opened on Tuesday, including wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe.

However, the team received a few commitments through their own endeavors into the transfer portal. The school signed Florida defensive lineman Kelby Collins and Utah cornerback Cameron Calhoun.

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Michael Vick's recent reported hiring as the Norfolk State head football coach has prompted a response about his criminal past by the animal rights group PETA. Norfolk State has not confirmed Vick's hiring, but it was reported on Tuesday by the Virginian-Pilot.

President Ingrid Newkirk provided a statement to Fox News Digital, recounting her experience with Vick during his sentencing for participating in illegal dog fighting in 2007. 

"After interviewing him at PETA’s office in Norfolk, Virginia while his sentence was under consideration, and hearing him tell me bold-faced lies about his poor dogs, I came to believe that he’s a charming, charismatic, psychopath, but since I believe he won’t fight dogs ever again, PETA is focusing on working with law enforcement to bust those who still do," Ingrid said. 

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Vick's dog fighting scandal came to light in 2007 when his father Michael Boddi told The Atlanta Constitution-Journal that the former star quarterback was staging dogfights in the garage of the family's home in Newport News, Virginia. Boddie also said Vick kept fighting dogs in the family's backyard, including injured ones that the father would help nurse back to health. 

In April of that year, a search warrant for a drug investigation of Vick's cousin Davon Boddie, resulted in authorities discovering evidence of unlawful dog fighting at one of Vick's properties in Virginia. Vick was indicted in July 2007 for running an unlawful interstate dog fighting venture known as "Bad Newz Kennels" alongside three other men. 

Vick ultimately pleaded guilty to "Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture." He also confessed to taking part in the killings of 6–8 dogs, by hanging, beating, and drowning.

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The crimes resulted in Vick spending 21 months in federal prison, which proved to be a transformative gap in his NFL career and reputation. While he returned to the NFL after serving his sentence, joining the Philadelphia Eagles, his public persona was forever tainted and overshadowed by the crimes. 

The backlash against Vick was particularly perpetuated by animal rights groups like PETA. PETA put out multiple statements about Vick following his 2007 indictment, and the organization even hosted him in September of that year for its "Developing Empathy for Animals" course. 

In a 2009 blog post titled "The Day I Spent With Michael Vick," the organization expressed skepticism about his stated intention to become an "ally" in the fight against dog fighting. 

"Michael and his camp have done little more than mouth assurances that he’s learned his lesson. Since this meeting, they have only surfaced when Michael has been scheduled for court appearances—until now, when he is asking to get his old job back," the blog read. 

At that time, Vick was attempting to launch an NFL comeback, which he successfully did in Philadelphia in 2009, where he played until 2013. 

He then joined the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He last played in the NFL in 2015. 

Fox News Digital has reach out to Norfolk State University for comment. 

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Ohio state Rep. Josh Williams introduced the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act after the brawl that took place after Michigan’s 13-10 victory over Ohio State in December.

Both Travis and Jason Kelce expressed their displeasure with Williams’ new bill. 

"We have the Ohio State anti-flag planting law officially put into effect. Ohio State representative Josh Williams introduced the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act on Tuesday in an attempt to curb flag planting attempts, or also an attempt to be petty as f---," Jason said during a recent episode of "New Heights."

"The bill would prohibit planting a flagpole and flag in the center of the Ohio State football field on the day of a college football game and to name this act the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act. I don’t like it. I’m not gonna lie."

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Travis added, "When I think of the Ohio State Buckeyes, I think of just toughness. Man, I think it’s just — I just don’t think this is a toughness type move."

While Travis was gentle with his criticism, Jason was not. 

"Feels soft," Jason said. 

The former Philadelphia Eagles star doesn’t think it was Williams' place to do anything about the fight that took place between the bitter rivals. 

"That’s for the NCAA to determine, not an Ohio state representative. Get the f--- out of here, Josh," Jason said. 

"What are you going to do arrest him? Is that what you’re saying? You are going to arrest the guy." Travis said.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end may not like the bill, but he understands its premise.

OHIO LAWMAKER LOOKS TO OUTLAW FLAG PLANTING AT BUCKEYES’ STADIUM AFTER MICHIGAN BRAWL

"I get it, you want to have sportsmanship. You want to have all that, but I don’t want to s--- on anybody. It is what it is," Travis said.

"We don’t need fist fights, and this antagonizes that, but at the same time, this is just doing a lot. It’s doing a lot, but shout out to the Buckeyes. Shout out to the Wolverines."

Jason agreed with his brother, saying there is no place for fist fights or anything of that ilk, but he doesn’t want the bill to take away from the best parts of college football’s rivalries. 

"This is all just posture, and it’s just petty, and I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s cool. I think it’s stupid. Some of the best parts about the rivalries are when dumb things happen like this. Obviously, it was over the top, and there was full-on fist fights and tear gas," Jason said.

In the melee, "multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray," leaving multiple Michigan players rubbing their eyes, according to a statement from Ohio State police. 

In a social media post, Williams said he was "proud" to introduce the bill, saying that "behavior that incites violent brawls and puts our law enforcement officers in danger has no place on the football field."

Planting a flag at midfield at Ohio State is now a felony. 

Both schools were fined $100,000 by the Big Ten Conference for violating its sportsmanship policy.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report. 

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The Army-Navy game Saturday was watched by an unprecedented number of viewers.

The Midshipmen pulled off the upset in Landover, Maryland, 31-13, to increase their all-time series lead, 63-55-7, and end a two-game losing streak to the Black Knights.

For the first time since 2020, Donald Trump attended the game, this time as president-elect.

President Biden has not attended the rivalry game since being elected, but he did take in the contest in 2011 and 2012.

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Trump took in the game with Vice President-elect JD Vance, Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, Daniel Penny and others from a luxury suite. And it may be fair to say that many tuned in to get a glimpse of the soon-to-be 47th president.

In fact, with Trump in attendance, the game had its highest viewership on record.

The game drew an average of 9.4 million viewers, the most since at least 1990. Its previous high was 8.45 million in 1992, and this year's figure is a 31% increase over last year's audience of 7.2 million. 

It's undoubtedly the most-watched Army-Navy game since CBS took over airing rights in 1996. In fact, it was the most-watched game on CBS this year, behind only the Big Ten title game.

It now ranks as the 11th most-watched college football game this season, ranking ahead of three conference championship games, including the Big 12, and is the most-watched game that did not involve the Big Ten or SEC.

Viewers of the game have increased since the game moved to the week after conference championship weekend in 2009. It is now the lone college game of the day. This year, both teams were ranked for the first time since 1960. This year's game was also the highest-scoring Army-Navy affair since 2011.

Navy got out to a 14-0 lead, and despite Army cutting its deficit to four, the Midshipmen never looked back, scoring a 52-yard touchdown and then finding the end zone again shortly after a fake punt. With the victory, Navy earned the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, having also beaten Air Force earlier this year.

Army had won six of the previous eight meetings after Navy rode a hot streak of winning 16 of 17 meetings. The Midshipmen are 9-3 on the season, while Army fell to 11-2. 

Both teams now focus on their respective bowl games. Navy will face Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl, and Army will face Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.

Michael Vick is reportedly going to be a college football head coach. 

The former star NFL quarterback will take over as head coach of Norfolk State's football program, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Vick told the outlet Monday he was having conversations about potentially taking over the program. 

"I know how to lead, and I know what it takes," he told the newspaper. 

Vick had also been linked to another college head coach opening at Sacramento State, according to ESPN.

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"He has expressed interest in the position, and, yes, I did meet with him about his interest in Sac State football and our athletic rise. As you can imagine, given the success of our athletic programs, our football head coach job is an attractive role," Sacramento State President Luke Wood said in a statement to ESPN.

The Sacramento Bee reported that Sacramento State officials said the reports of Vick being considered for the job are "premature at best."

Vick played his college career at Virginia Tech from 1998-2000, earning first-team All-American honors in 1999. Vick was then drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he became one of the top young stars in the sport. 

BILL BELICHICK EXPLAINS WHY RECRUITING FOR UNC HAS ‘VERY SIMILAR’ FEEL TO NFL: ‘IT’S EXCITING'

Vick was the cover athlete of EA Sports' Madden NFL 2004. That year's version of the video game made Vick one of the fastest players in the game and one of the fastest quarterbacks in the history of the series. 

But Vick's career and reputation took a dark turn in 2007.

Vick infamously spent nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty to financing a dog-fighting operation, forcing him to miss the 2006 and 2007 seasons. 

Vick had to rehab his image, and the NFL allowed him to play with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent five seasons after being released from prison in 2009. He also joined the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in 2015. 

Vick ventured into coaching in the summer of 2017, when he joined the Kansas City Chiefs and his former Eagles head coach, Andy Reid, as a coaching intern. He joined the NFL on FOX as an analyst after training camp concluded that year.

In April 2018, Vick was hired as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football. However, shortly before the season began, head coach Kevin Coyle announced Vick wouldn't serve as offensive coordinator but would remain with the team as a consultant.

Vick has never coached at the college level, but he now gets a chance to help turn a program around after a 4-8 season in 2024.

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Deion Sanders will not be following his son to the NFL. In fact, the Colorado Buffaloes head football coach confirmed Tuesday that he has no plans on leaving Boulder for the foreseeable future. 

As the coaching carousel continues to turn in the NFL, Sanders has been a name floated around with some proposing him as a good potential candidate for his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Sanders has shot these rumors down in the past, but during a recent appearance on "The Pacman Jones Show," he doubled down on his commitment. 

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"I love where I am. I’m elated [about] where I am. I’m happy where I am. I can’t wait to see what the future holds with where I am, and I love Boulder, Colorado," Sanders said. 

"I have every intention, every plan in the world to be coaching for the Colorado Buffs from here on. I want to finish here. I want to put the flag — I want my name on the mountains out there. I want to put my flag down in Colorado."

Sanders has already etched his name in the Colorado history books. 

COLORADO STAR TRAVIS HUNTER SAYS COACH DEION SANDERS ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE

In his second season with the team, he coached the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record and the program's first bowl game since 2020. He coached two-way star Travis Hunter on to win the Heisman Trophy and his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, is expected to be a top pick in this year’s draft. 

"He ain’t going nowhere," Hunter said of Sanders' future on Friday. "He’s going to be right where he's at right now." 

Colorado will face BYU in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas on Dec. 28. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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While teams are vying for a national championship against 11 others, many college football players, including those in the College Football Playoff, are on the hunt for new schools.

The transfer portal opened up last week, several days before the 12-team College Football Playoff, and the timing has led to skepticism.

Earlier this week, Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula said he was put in an "impossible" situation to enter the portal, following Drew Allar's announcement to return next season, when the team has bigger things to focus on. Even head coach James Franklin said the quarterback was in a "no-win" situation.

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Well, the head coach that will be opposite Franklin in Rhett Lashlee took it a step further, calling the timing "terrible."

"I feel so awful for our kids and kids around the country," the SMU head coach said on Tuesday, via ESPN. "There's no other sport at all that has free agency in the season. It's sad. It's terrible. You hear the story about their backup quarterback saying, 'I don't have a choice.' That's wrong. That's unacceptable. That's not OK. He shouldn't have to make that decision.'"

PENN STATE'S JAMES FRANKLIN POINTS OUT BIG TRANSFER PORTAL PROBLEM AS PLAYER ENTERS DESPITE UPCOMING CFP GAME

"The real easy thing is you don't have a transfer portal in December. That's the real easy answer, and it solves all the problems," Lashlee added. "Why in the world would we put kids in a position where they've got to decide, ‘Do I transfer or play in the playoff? Do I transfer or play my bowl game?…' People are bombarding our roster, trying to pick people off our roster, and we're trying to focus on the playoff. So yeah, it's real easy – don't have a transfer portal in December. Go to the spring."

Lashlee, who defended NIL money and transferring, finds himself in a similar scenario with his backup quarterback in Preston Stone, admitting it's a "juggling act" at the moment. Stone entered the portal last week, but will stay with the team through their playoff run.

The Mustangs will head to Happy Valley for a noon contest on Saturday, with the winner facing third-seeded Boise State and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty.

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The fiancée of Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter broke her silence amid a wave of criticism she has received over the last week for her interactions with the football player.

Leanna Lenee received the brunt of wild online criticism as of late for her reactions at specific moments. She posted a video on her TikTok account to try and quell the outpouring of negativity.

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"I’m tired, emotionally and mentally. I’ve seen people trying to make me out to be a person that I am not," Lenee said in the near 8-minute clip. "But what’s a testimony without a test of faith?"

Lenee went over her relationship with Hunter from the beginning and addressed each moment of criticism she received from clips posted online.

She explained that after Colorado’s last win over Oklahoma State, security was afraid of fans storming the field and would not let fans, or even family, go down with the players. Lenee said that was what she was upset about then.

"It was not deeper than anyone made it out to be," she said.

At the Adidas event where she was accused of saying, "What am I supposed to do just sit here?," she said she was asking Hunter whether she should stay with him or go with his family. She said the clips that surfaced online were of Hunter taking photos with Adidas reps for social posts.

NFL LEGEND MIKE VICK CAUGHT IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHING RUMOR MILL

"The things that I see people make up is truly crazy because that’s not what happened. I just think people are finding every single little thing and making it something it’s not," she said of the criticism. "Bird-brained individuals are just accepting what they see online."

Finally, she addressed the negativity around her response to Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy in the frazzled moment his name was called. Lenee got teary-eyed as she said that Hunter was "perfect" in her eyes.

"When his name was called, I instantly was going to get up — if you watch the video, his mom didn’t get up, so I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I don’t get up, I just sit here,’" she said. "… As soon as I seen Travis get up, then I thought it was appropriate to stand up, greet him, congratulate him. 

"But then, there was a camera right in front of Coach Prime and I knew they were going to film that moment and, because of how people are online, I was like, I don’t want to be in that shot, so I sat down.

"I got out of the camera, purposefully, so they can have their moment. That’s all it was. No one told me to stand up, no one had to tell me to celebrate with him. I was just sitting there crying, I wanted to take it in — I was super excited for him. But I wanted the moment to be about him and his family."

Hunter and Lenee got engaged in February.

The Colorado two-way star defended Lenee on Twitch.

"You ain’t never had no girl so why are y’all talking about me," he said. "Find someone else to talk about. … Go talk about your girl. Go find a girl. Go find a life. Stop worrying about what I got going on. I know what I got.

"My girl been with me for five years. y’all are just now starting to talk about me… y’all go do something else with y’all life. Clickbait pages stop, y’all better stop I’m telling y’all. Something bad is gonna happen to y’all [if you] keep doing that. Y’all better stop that. I ain’t playing."

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Bill Belichick has already shocked the college football world by accepting the North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coaching job, and there’s been reports of another shocking hire potentially on the horizon. 

However, unlike Belichick’s situation, there are some conflicting reports going on. 

Vick has had discussions with Sacramento State to become their next head coach, ESPN reported Monday. 

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The Hornets are making moves as they head to the FBS next year, while also having over $50 million in NIL resources, and they’re building a new stadium for the football team as well, according to ESPN.

Vick also told The Virginian-Pilot he's had conversations about possibly getting the Norfolk State job.

"I know how to lead and I know what it takes," he told The Virginian-Pilot.

BILL BELICHICK EXPLAINS WHY RECRUITING FOR UNC HAS ‘VERY SIMILAR’ FEEL TO NFL: ‘IT’S EXCITING'

The Sacramento Bee, however, reported Vick wasn't a candidate for the Sacramento State job, citing an unnamed "member of the school’s athletic department" who told the paper ESPN’s report was a rumor.

Sacramento State president Luke Wood released a statement to ESPN about the Vick rumor. 

"He has expressed interest in the position, and yes, I did meet with him about his interest in Sac State football and our athletic rise. As you can imagine, given the success of our athletic programs that our football head coach job is an attractive role," Wood said. 

If Vick were to accept a head coaching job, it would be his first since retiring from the NFL. He has worked as an NFL analyst with Fox Sports after retiring. 

Vick infamously spent nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty to financing a dog-fighting operation, forcing him to miss the 2006 and 2007 seasons. 

Vick had to rehab his image, and the NFL ultimately allowed him to play with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent five seasons after being released from prison in 2009. He would spend short times with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in 2015. 

Sacramento State is hoping for a better season in 2025, as they finished 3-9 on the season in the Big Sky. 

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