December is the silly time of year in college football. Coaches switch jobs, players transfer, and the season isn’t even over yet. But when it comes to silliness, nothing is more appropriately ridiculous than TheComeback.com Bowl.
Congratulations Colorado (1-11) and South Florida (1-11)! You are cordially invited to participate in our seventh annual event. TheComeback.com Bowl is a premiere showcase to determine the worst team in the FBS. The schools will meet at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma next Saturday.
So much attention is focused on the College Football Playoff. Who’s No. 1? Georgia, Michigan, TCU, or Ohio State? But what about who is No. 131? Colorado and South Florida could use some love, and TheComeback.com Bowl is here to help.
For the winner:
- 11 extra scholarships for next season
- [New] A one-time waiver for an NCAA major infraction
- [New] Immediate entry in 2023 to the conference of your choice (SEC, Big Ten, Sun Belt— wherever you want to go)
- [New] The opportunity to discuss name, image, likeness (NIL) deals with TheComeback.com
For the loser:
• Relegated to the FCS*
(*Vacated FBS spot to be filled by the 2022 FCS champion.)
Here’s how we arrived at this year’s matchup:
Four schools tied for the worst record: Colorado, South Florida, Northwestern, and Massachusetts. Colorado was an automatic qualifier since it had the nation’s worst average scoring margin (-29.1). After that, it was a judgment call. UMass has been invited before, and it was time for new blood. So, it came down between Northwestern and South Florida, and the Bulls were selected based on scoring margin (-16.4 vs. -15.3).
Colorado and South Florida have new coaches. However, Deion Sanders and Alex Golesh will not participate in TheComeback.com Bowl.
Here’s what you need to know:
Colorado (1-11)
Utah leads Colorado 42-0 at halftime. The Buffs have 18 yards of offense.
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) November 26, 2022
Good luck, Coach Prime.
Colorado was the worst Power Five school in America. You could make the argument that this was the worst Colorado team ever. The 2012 edition also went 1-11, but that squad was more competitive with three defeats by one score.
The 2022 Colorado team came close to being winless. It avoided that fate with a 20-13 overtime home victory over California (4-8) in October. That score was an outlier because all but one of their losses were by double digits. After hanging tough with Arizona State, falling 42-34, the team imploded. The Buffaloes’ last four defeats were by a combined score of 221-55. They trailed 42-0 at halftime in the regular-season finale to Utah before falling 63-21.
Colorado gave up the most points (44.50) and second-most total yards (516.6) in the country. The administration didn’t wait for Karl Dorrell to close out his third season. He was fired after starting 0-5, and interim coach Mike Sanford (1-6) didn’t do much better.
Maybe Sanders can save the program. He has a low bar to clear. The program has had just three winning seasons since 2005. And one of those was the 2020-pandemic-shortened year when it finished 4-2.
South Florida (1-11)
USF drops to 1-20 vs. FBS opponents under Jeff Scott after gut wrenching 31-28 loss at Florida
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 18, 2022
Unlike Colorado, it wasn’t that long ago that South Florida was one of the better programs in the nation. The Bulls finished in the AP Top 25 poll in back-to-back years (2016 and 2017) under two different coaches: Willie Taggart and Charlie Strong. But everything unraveled in Strong’s final season in 2019, and the school hasn’t been able to recapture the magic.
The administration pulled the plug on Jeff Scott last month after his 1-8 start. South Florida has not beaten an FBS opponent since Oct. 23, 2021, when it topped Temple 34-14. Its lone victory this year was against FCS Howard 42-20. That’s 16 straight losses against major conference competition.
With a little luck, Scott might have survived. The Bulls had a 28-24 lead at then-No. 18 Florida in the fourth quarter before falling 31-28. They also had a 24-21 lead at then-No. 24 Cincinnati in the fourth quarter before falling 28-24.
Moral victories weren’t enough because the defense allowed over 40 points in each of the final six games. South Florida allowed the second-most points in the nation (41.17) and the most total yards (516.6). Can Golesh turn the program around? The former Tennessee offensive coordinator helped rejuvenate the Volunteers. It should be easier in the American Athletic Conference.
There you have it: Colorado vs. South Florida! Admission and parking are always free at TheComeback.com Bowl. As a bonus, we have partnered with Duke’s Mayo. One lucky fan will get to be doused with mayonnaise. Awesome.
Enjoy the game. Enjoy the halftime musical act: Walker Hayes!
