College Football Meme Madness, Elite Eight: Vote for the sport’s best viral images of all time

The Meme Madness bracket storms into round two as half of our iconic moments have been wiped from the blackboard. The people spoke decisively; Each matchup was decided by at least 10 percentage points.

While three No. 1 seeds have retired from the NCAA tournament, the top seeds in Meme Madness are still alive. However, there were three upsets in the Sweet 16, including a crucial 6v3 match in the Players & Coaches region. Now eight moments remain in the quest for meme supremacy. Michigan’s surrender cobra, Hugh Freeze’s hospital bed and Urban Meyer’s golf cart pizza are among the powerhouses still willing to fight another day.

Each year, dozens of images quickly become cultural touchstones in sport, going viral on social media and countless group chats. However, there are a select few who survive longer and enter the college football universe permanently.

Now we want you to help us choose the best ones.

To narrow it down, our staff curated 16 memorable memes from the Twitter era and divided them into two sections: Fans and Coaches & Players. The bracket includes everything from Heisman Trophy winners and angry fans to unforgettable managerial reactions. But most of all, it contains the moments that make college football so unique.

Check out the updated bracket and vote in Meme Madness’ Elite Eight round below.

Meme madness bracket

Graphic by Mike Meredith

Voting for each round takes place via tweets from our Cover 3 Podcast account, as embedded below.

fan region

(1) Michigan Surrender Cobra vs. (5) Creepy Tennessee Starer

(1) Michigan Surrender Cobra: The devastated reaction matched the insane moment: Michigan State recovered a fumbled punt snap in 2015 and returned it for a shocking, game-winning touchdown in the big house (mention the legendary Sean McDonough call). The picture slammed Eminem’s odd trip to the dressing room during the 2013 Notre Dame-Michigan game to follow up.

(5) Creepy Tennessee Star: Vols fans have seen losses before. But after giving up 34 unanswered points to Ole Miss after four turnovers in 2014, this Tennessee fan could only stand motionless and grin for the broadcast camera. It was a moment that quickly became emblematic of the Vols’ ineptitude. This Tennessee meme surpassed the image of Sad Red Raider in a first-round excitement.

(2) Shirtless, twirling NC State guy vs. (3) Annoyed LSU girl

(2) Shirtless, Twirling NC State Dude: Coming back from a 16-0 deficit in 2012 to defeat third-biggest state Florida is one of NC’s finest highlights of the past decade. One Wolfpack fan hugged a pole, ripped his shirt off and turned it around to make sure we’d never forget it. The full GIF is iconic. The oft-used gif beat the disappointed Florida State dad in a landslide to advance to the second round.

(3) Annoyed LSU Girl: The Tigers’ matchup against Alabama in 2018 didn’t quite go to plan with a 29-0 loss. During the outbreak, the CBS show caught an angry fan coolly staring at the camera and immediately went viral. The GIF with the camera zoom creates impact. A year later, the same fan posted a GIF of her smiling as her Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide en route to a national title. The disgruntled LSU girl beat the slumped Virginia subway man in a close 3-6 bout.

Players & Coaches Region

(1) Urban’s golf cart pizza vs. (5) Freeze’s hospital bed approval

(1) Urban Meyers Golf Cart Pizza: Meyer is notoriously one of football’s worst losers, and he was caught eating a sad, probably cold, stadium pizza while looking devastated in the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium after losing the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan State would have. Meyer’s moment garnered 60% of the vote against Jameis Winston’s cross-eyed meme.

(5) Hugh Freeze’s Hospital Bed Admission: Most people would use a herniated disc and a life-threatening staph infection as a good excuse to take a few days off work. Do not freeze. The Liberty coach arrived in a wheelchair and lay in a hospital bed to train in a 24-0 loss to Syracuse. The most iconic image came from the post-game “handshake” as Freeze waved to Dino Babers from his perch above the stadium. Freeze pulled off an Ole Miss-on-Ole Miss flurry as the hospital bed beat Elijah Moore, who “marked his place” in the Egg Bowl to move on.

(2) Beamer’s 0-0 celebration vs. (6) Petrino’s neck brace presser

(2) Frank Beamer’s 0-0 celebration: Former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer was known for his physical defense and comfortable play in unorthodox games. When cameras caught him celebrating the end of a goalless rule against Wake Forest, it was a high point for Beamer (and ACC football). Beamer hit the famous image of Derrick Henry towering over Mark Ingram to continue.

(6) Bobby Petrino’s Ruff Presser: It was an odd moment when the now-former Arkansas coach showed up to a news conference wearing a neck brace and flayed face after a motorcycle accident in 2012. Ultimately, the accident revealed that Petrino had an improper relationship with a co-worker, and the ruff image became the ultimate image of his downfall with the Hogs. Petrino provided by far the biggest surprise in the industry, not only beating the Stanford “Heisman!” Fan deafening Christian McCaffrey, but win the 6-3 matchup with 79% of the vote.