Fans of college football’s recent history knew that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ Week 1 matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes wasn’t just a Friday night showdown between Power 4 foes — it was also a rekindling of a unique chapter in the sport’s history.
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Colorado and Georgia Tech split the 1990 national championship — an arrangement neither team is particularly pleased with to this day. So it was only natural that when the Yellow Jackets won the first-ever head-to-head matchup between the two teams, they referenced their shared history.
The 1990 National Championship program won tonight 🏆👑#StingEm🐝
— Georgia Tech (@GeorgiaTech) August 30, 2025
It doesn’t take a discerning eye to notice the lack of “co-” in front of that national championship boast.
Georgia Tech wasn’t the only team to get in a jab at its opponent after a season-opening win. Here are the best trolls from Week 1 around the college football world.
USF 34, Boise State 7
The South Florida Bulls delivered one of the first major upsets of the 2025 college football season on Thursday, scoring 34 consecutive points to bury the No. 25 Boise State Broncos at Raymond James Stadium. Quarterback Byrum Brown threw for 210 yards and rushed for 43 more (with two scores) in the win.
After the game, South Florida referenced the Broncos’ nickname and long return trip to Boise, Idaho, with a graphic showing the school’s Rocky the Bull mascot posing next to a trailer of horses graffiti-tagged “back to Boise.”
LOAD ‘EM UP & SEND ‘EM PACKING!!!#ComeToTheBay | #StayInTheBay pic.twitter.com/k0G8adYQLR
— USF Football (@USFFootball) August 29, 2025
Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26
In a neutral-site meeting of two schools with similar color schemes, it was the No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers who came out on top over the Syracuse Orange. Tennessee raced out to a 17-0 first quarter lead early in the game and never looked back, with new Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar finishing the day with 247 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns.
Following the win, Tennessee seemingly took a shot at Syracuse’s citrus-tinted mascot, referencing the popular cocktail orange crush.
orange crush. pic.twitter.com/RCTPfJdC2A
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 30, 2025
UConn 59, Central Connecticut State 13
Central Connecticut State struck first in an intra-Nutmeg State Week 1 clash, but it was all UConn Huskies afterward. Thanks to 638 total yards of offense, UConn turned an early 7-0 Blue Devils lead into a 59-13 final score.
Once the rout was complete, the Huskies kept things simple with their postgame troll, bidding their in-state foe farewell with a play on Central Connecticut State’s CCSU initials.
CC See U later! 👋 pic.twitter.com/4MuK0xMqNo
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) August 30, 2025
Florida State 31, Alabama 17
The Florida State Seminoles may have already set back the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide’s title hopes with a stunning upset in Week 1. FSU dominated on the ground, with 230 total rushing yards and four touchdowns, while their defense held Alabama to just 328 yards of total offense in a 31-17 win. Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who defeated Alabama three times while head coach of the Auburn Tigers (twice when they were No. 1 and once when they were No. 5) got in a dig at the Crimson Tide postgame.
Felt like old times tonight!! 🍢
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) August 30, 2025
LSU 17, Clemson 10
Both the LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers lay claim to the nickname “Death Valley” for their respective stadiums. No. 9 LSU traveled to No. 4 Clemson’s version of Death Valley for the highest-ranked matchup in Week 1, and came out with a 17-10 victory behind Garrett Nussmeier’s 230 yards passing with a touchdown.
After the game, LSU made sure to let Clemson know that they were now the proud owners of both Death Valleys.
Battle Won
Conquered THAT Death Valley pic.twitter.com/7ei129Upzl
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 31, 2025
