Good in the Game Presented by the National Football Foundation - 10/1

Good morning, football fans! If you want one thing to point at to signify the health of college football, look no further than the record number of 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalists!

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame have announced the semifinalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, and a record has been set — 2023 college football players have been named semifinalists, eclipsing the 201 nominees in 2023!

Celebrating its 35th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

To learn more about the Campbell Trophy and to see the list of semifinalists, CLICK HERE.

Steve Hutchinson was a blue-chip prospect
before the term was so widespread

Steve Hutchinson’s college football career began during the 1997 season, when he helped lead Michigan to the national championship as a redshirt freshman.

In total, Hutchinson started 46 games for the Wolverines, won four bowl games, served as team captain twice and did not allow a single sack across his final two seasons. He was a member of three Big Ten championship teams and was a First-Team All-Big Ten member in four consecutive seasons.

That career that started in 1997 has now come full-circle in 2024, as Hutchinson is set to become a NFF College Football Hall of Famer in the same year his Wolverines brought home another national championship.

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

Frank Solich made the smart choice jumping
from high school football to the college ranks

Frank Solich was enjoying his position as head coach at Lincoln Southeast High, and hadn’t given much thought to coaching college football. That is, until Tom Osborne called and asked if he would join his staff at Nebraska.

The decision to take Coach Osborne up on his offer eventually led to six seasons as head coach for the Cornhuskers for Solich, and 16 seasons at Ohio after that. He led the Huskers to three top-10 finishes in six seasons, and his 115 wins with the Bobcats are the most in Mid-American Conference history.

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

Roll Tide rolls in this week’s FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll!

Alabama’s big home win over Georgia has earned the Tide the top spot in this week’s FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll!

🏈 Week 5 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll

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.

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

Mark Dantonio — Head Coach, Cincinnati, Michigan State

Danny Hale — Head Coach, West Chester (Pa.), Bloomsburg (Pa.)

More people are watching ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ this season than ever before.

One of the most popular shows In the sports world, ESPN’s Saturday road show was averaging more than 2.2 million viewers per week through four weeks of the college football calendar.

📰: ‘College GameDay' Off to Best Ratings Start in Show’s History
^{Sports Illustrated}

Michigan State defensive back Armorion Smith is shouldering a heavier load than he deserves.

The 21-year-old lost his mother to breast cancer a month ago, and without a father in the family’s life, Smith has become the legal guardian to his five siblings on top of the responsibilities that come with being a Division I student-athlete.

📰: Michigan State football’s Armorion Smith is raising 5 siblings since his mother’s death
^{Associated Press}

Kris Kristofferson, who played football at Pomona College in the 1950s before becoming famous all around the world as a singer-songwriter and actor, has passed away. He was 88.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame lost family member Joe Schmidt in September at the age of 92.

Take a look below at the video that was shown at Schmidt’s NFF College Football Hall of Fame induction back in 2000.

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