Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

College Football

Sad fans are sad: Bowl edition

Talal Elmasry

By Talal Elmasry

Published:

We bring you the best of sad fan shots from the bowl season. Be sure to tweet the best ones as they happen on Saturdays to @SDS.

Strap in for the sadness, everyone. This is the most monumental collection of the bummed, the shocked, the helpless and the dumbfounded. Speaking of that last adjective, let’s get it started with the Cotton Bowl …

ALABAMA vs. MICHIGAN STATE

Alabama ran, and passed, through Michigan State like Bruce Lee through a bunch of bad guys. Or I guess very similar to how it did in its 49-7 win over the Spartans on New Year’s Day in 2011. The Crimson Tide was expected to win, but to dominate the way it did made this MSU fan and those everywhere want to ask a higher power a simple question: “Really?” Or pass out standing up? That’s up to interpretation.

Calvin Ridley’s 50-yard touchdown from Jake Coker put Alabama up 30-0, prompting Lane Kiffin to mouth “boring” to his players. It was anything but boring for Michigan State fans who felt the need to cover their mouths, the top fan out of horror, the second fan probably to prevent yelling an obscenity.

All jokes aside, the reason you see so many Michigan State fans looking up in a lot of these shots is due to the hypnotizing effect that “Jerry World” and its huge video screen has on those in AT&T Stadium. Watching the game up there probably made some of the fans feel like they were watching it at home as opposed to dishing out all that money to attend it. Meanwhile, the Alabama fan to the left is texting all her buddies, telling them how not sad she is while sitting around a bunch of MSU fans.

https://twitter.com/HLNEditor/status/682809249408286720

CLEMSON vs. OKLAHOMA

Before Clemson clobbered Oklahoma 37-17 in the Orange Bowl, the Sooners had gotten on the scoreboard first with a touchdown less than five minutes into the game. That prompted a rather premature Surrender Cobra if I may say so myself.

https://twitter.com/NifMuhammad/status/682695413875478528

Oh, but it was the Sooners that would be surrendering later on, including this young fan in the third quarter.

His sadness was temporarily replaced by surprise when his sadness had been caught on camera. Interesting.

Clemson fans weren’t the only ones showing emotion early in the game. After all, it’s the College Football Playoff. This one wielded an imaginary sledgehammer to let off some steam.

https://twitter.com/TheCauldron/status/682683838468898816

This fan was in the midst of wrapping his head around the blowout defeat. Literally.

FLORIDA vs. MICHIGAN

Florida was thrashed by Michigan 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl. The Gators fans in attendance were victim to what I call “paralyzing sadness,” which usually comes when nothing goes right at all for long stretches. Other than a touchdown to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter, nothing else went right.

https://twitter.com/SECstagram/status/683292210981400577

OLE MISS vs. OKLAHOMA STATE

The Associated Press took these shots of sad Oklahoma State fans in the 48-20 Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss. The first thing that came to mind when I saw the young lady on the right was that it reminded me of the sort of sadness you see in an old classical movie. Maybe I’m alone on that one.

LSU vs. TEXAS TECH

You better believe there was some sadness from Texas Tech fans in their 56-27 loss to LSU. First of all, it was in Texas. Second of all, the Tigers went for 638 yards of offense and looked a lot like the Red Raiders offense was supposed to look.

Yet another very premature Surrender Cobra.

No no no. Don’t hold back the tears.

How can you look sad when you’re decked out like that in purple and gold?

GEORGIA vs. PENN STATE

Penn State lost 24-17 to Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl, and the Nittany Lions didn’t have a prayer in this one with star quarterback Christian Hackenberg missing more than half the game with an injury.

BAYLOR vs. NORTH CAROLINA

No cheering in the band box.

STANFORD vs. IOWA

Stanford crushed Iowa 45-16 in the Rose Bowl behind Christian McCaffrey’s 368 all-purpose yards. As we’ve said before, some fans aren’t “sad.” Sometimes they’re just sad.

https://twitter.com/SBNationCFB/status/683141109275557893

TENNESSEE vs. NORTHWESTERN

That also applies to this fan. A bowl game among tens of thousands of fans while your team loses 45-6 is no time to study, my friend.

Talal Elmasry

Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.

You might also like...

2025 RANKINGS

presented by rankings