Nov. 6, 2026, marks the 157th anniversary of the first recognized collegiate football game.
Happy Birthday, College Football
On this date 157 years ago, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defeated the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) 6-4 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, paving the way for today’s wonderful world of college football.
With about 100 people in attendance and not being able to run the football, the Scarlet Knights got the win in a game that featured several notable players who saw the field.
Rutgers player George Large went on to become the president of the New Jersey Senate, and William S. Gummere went on to serve as the chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Of course, in today’s game, you won’t find either the Scarlet Knights or Princeton doing much on the football field, with Rutgers not seeing a Top 25 ranking since the 2012 AP poll, when they peaked at No. 21. Across town, the Tigers are in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and haven’t seen a Top 25 ranking since 2018.
This weekend, the College Football Playoff rankings feature Top 25 CFP teams in must-win Week 10 matchups.
No. 23 Oregon vs. No. 12 Ohio State
The Buckeyes will be looking to demolish the Ducks to blow off some steam after their Week 9 loss to USC. Although Oregon is not ranked in the AP’s Top 25, they are ranked No. 23 in the playoff rankings and will be looking to ride the arm of their quarterback, Dylan Raiola, who had a massive game in the win against the then-No. 20-ranked Northwestern Wildcats, who find themselves sitting at No. 23 also, but in the Coaches Poll. The Wildcats fell out of the AP’s Top 25 and failed to crack the College Football Playoff rankings.
On the flip side, Ohio State is hoping to keep its playoff hopes alive after losing its second game of the season against the Trojans. The loss to USC saw the Buckeyes drop nine spots in the AP Top 25 and completely out of the Top 10 altogether, falling to No. 11, while debuting at No. 12 in the CFP rankings.
Game of the Week
Top-ranked Miami heads to South Bend to play No. 11, Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are the toughest opponent the Fighting Irish have and will face all season. With what many consider to be a cupcake schedule for the Irish, especially with their only loss of the season coming to a top 10 BYU team, Notre Dame looks to keep its playoff hopes alive on Saturday.
Teams like No. 16 Wake Forest are looking to secure an at-large bid if they don’t manage to win the ACC championship. The Demon Deacons are on a collision course with the Hurricanes for a rematch in the ACC title game after losing to Miami 33-20 in Week 3. If Wake Forest does not secure an ACC title and finishes the season a two-loss team, they’ll need help this week from their division rival.
The Last Word
The entity that is college football picked a great weekend to celebrate its 157th birthday, giving fans the gift of playoff-quality matchups well before the season is over.
Considering the College Football Playoff rankings, if No. 7 Texas beats No. 18 Missouri, and No. 11 Notre Dame falls to No. 1 Miami, teams like the No. 16 Demon Deacons stand to benefit from a college football season that has seen chaos in the rankings from the beginning.
Main Image: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
