Good in the Game 11/12

Good morning, football fans! The National Football Foundation is pleased to announce that Charles Davis, the highly-regarded CBS Sports announcer, will emcee the 66th Annual NFF Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10!

And in case you missed it, Davis joined LaVar Arrington on the Good in the Game Podcast back on Oct. 28. Listen here!

Justin Blackmon was a cheat code

In many ways, Justin Blackmon changed the Oklahoma State football program. The Pokes had not posted a double-digit win season in the 22 seasons prior before doing so in 2010, when Blackmon caught 111 passes for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Cowboys have had six 10-win seasons since then, and have become synonymous with elite wide receiver play. That legacy is one Blackmon will carry with him into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame next month.

Click here to read more about Blackmon’s legacy in his 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Spotlight!

Let the Hatchell Cup commence

Nomination forms have been sent out for the 2024-25 NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation!

The awards recognize the top high school football teams from each level of play in participating states for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The initiative is designed to inspire and foster a culture of academic excellence in high school football teams throughout the nation.

Click here to read more about the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards and the Hatchell Cup

How many All-American caliber linebackers can you fit into one podcast?

Good in the Game Podcast host LaVar Arrington was joined this week on the show by a pair of William V. Campbell Trophy finalist linebackers, Notre Dame’s Jack Kiser and UNLV’s Jackson Woodard. LaVar chats with each about their play on the field, the achievements in the classroom and what the Campbell Trophy means to them.

Upward movement in this week’s FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll!

Three new teams entered the Top 10 in this week’s FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll!

🏈 Week 11 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll

COME JOIN US IN LAS VEGAS!

The 66th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas will be here before we know it, and tickets are going fast — buy yours now to ensure you get the NFF discounted rate!

🏈 Buy your tickets now

Learn more about the game with CFO’s Steve Shaw

The NFF works with College Football Officiating (CFO) throughout the year to make the game better and safer. As part of the relationship, the NFF is pleased to share with our readers the most recent CFO-NCAA Media Video, explaining some of the recent play calls in college football.

With the addition of four schools on the West Coast — Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA — the Big Ten Network’s viewership has seen a big bump this season.

📰: West Coast push lifting Big Ten Network football audience numbers
^{Sports Business Journal}

Forbes has taken a look at college football turnarounds, looking first at College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State before diving into current turnarounds, including NFF Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders at Colorado and Curt Cignetti at Indiana.

📰: Turnaround In College Football: A Transformational Approach
^Forbes

Don “Bull” Bosseler, a 1990 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who was a four-year starter at fullback for the Miami Hurricanes from 1953-56, has passed away. He was 88.

Playing for College Football Hall of Fame coach Andy Gustafson, Bosseler gained 1,642 yards rushing in his UM career, which at the time ranked second all-time in school history and places him 21^st in UM annals today. He led the team in rushing both in 1956 with 723 yards (4.5-yard average) and in 1955 with 435 yards (4.2-yard average).

In his senior year, 1956, he helped the team to an 8-1-1 record, was named All-America by the Associated Press, and was MVP in the Senior Bowl. Miami placed sixth nationally, its highest ranking until the 1983 national championship season. Bosseler was not only an All-American, but he was the team captain, voted the outstanding player in Florida, the Senior Bowl MVP and picked for the College All-Star game.

Coach John Robinson, a 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who headed programs at Southern California and UNLV, passed away Nov. 11 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of complications from pneumonia. He was 89.

Robinson amassed a 104–35–4 record during two coaching stints at USC (1976-82 and 1993-97) and a 28-42 record at UNLV from 1999-2004, winning 61.9% of his games as a head coach. He ranks third among USC coaches for wins behind only Hall of Fame coaches John McKay and Howard Jones, and he ranks second at UNLV.

During his tenure as Trojan head coach, Robinson led Southern California to five Pac-10 titles during two separate coaching stints (1976-82; 1993-97). His Trojans made eight bowl appearances, posting a 7-1 record with four Rose Bowl victories.

The NFF would like to congratulate 2020 College Football Hall of Fame coach Andy Talley on his induction into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame!

Talley, who is Villanova’s all-time winningest coach with 258 wins during his 37-year career, was inducted on Nov. 7.

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