College football’s top 21 moments of the 2021 regular season

The college football regular season just ended, but before diving into bowl season, let’s look back at a memorable season that reminded us all why we love the sport.

We saw a return to stadiums for fans across the country, and the action on the field matched the pageantry of the stands. The season featured an undefeated Group of 5 team, multiple underdog stories and a Heisman-clinching drive. And that was just in the last few weeks.

The unpredictable rivalries and eccentric traditions were back in full force, there was a run of major upsets in the first half of the season, then the College Football Playoff contenders kept us guessing who the last four teams standing would be right up to the end.

Now that we have some time to catch our breath before the games pick up again, our reporters reflect on the top 21 moments of the 2021 season.

Cincinnati makes history

When Cincinnati Bearcats fans stormed the field at Nippert Stadium after beating Houston in the AAC championship game, it became clear to me this was no ordinary field storm. This was not about one game, but about one giant glass ceiling being shattered, with the knowledge that the Bearcats would become the first Group of 5 team to make the College Football Playoff. People cheered and they cried, as their euphoria engulfed everyone around them.

Cincinnati had gone undefeated the season before, but never got a chance at the playoff. UCF never got a chance in 2017 and 2018. We all just told ourselves it would never happen. So to see history made, in person, in a sea of black and red — I will never forget that moment. — Andrea Adelson

Michigan beats the Buckeyes in the snow

We could look back at Nov. 27, 2021, as the turning point for Michigan football. The program hadn’t beaten Ohio State in a decade, and had been largely noncompetitive in recent losses. But on a…