Given football’s rich traditions dating all the way back to 1869, it should come as no surprise that there are some quirky, nerdy parts to its history. My favourite of all time has to be the College Football MacGuffin. It’s one of my favourite quirky parts of football and something I’ve kept a close eye on since I heard CFBudge talk about it on TikTok in the 2024 off-season.
Now, you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about. The MacGuffin, while really interesting, isn’t very well known. To explain the College Football MacGuffin, I have to explain what a MacGuffin is.
What Is a MacGuffin?
Originally popularised by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930s, the concept finds its origins in the film & TV world. Most movies you’ve watched have one, but it’s likely you may not have even heard of it. MacGuffin simply refers to an object, event or character that serves to move the storyline along. It could be something completely inconsequential, or central to the story but it exists almost solely to move the story along.
Examples of a MacGuffin could be, the Horcruxes in Harry Potter, the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones, the Golden Ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the briefcase in Pulp Fiction or the Titanic in The Titanic.
You: “Fletch, this is very interesting and all, but what does this have to do with football?”. Week, allow me introduce you to…
The College Football MacGuffin
On the 6th of November 1869, Rutgers beat Princeton 6-4 in New Jersey in the first-ever game of college football. After the game, Princeton awared Rutgers with a little wooden box, believed to hold the ‘formula for winning’. A week later, Princton beat Rutgers, winning 8-0. The small wooden box changed hands and thus, the college football MacGuffin was born.
Originally, the small, wooden box (sometimes referred to as the Rutgers trophy) was the MacGuffin. It was the small, generally inconsequential object that existed to drive the story forward. It provided that extra bit of motivation to beat whoever happened to be the holder.
The box itself was destroyed in the early 1900s, but some individuals have taken it upon themselves to track its supposed location.
Where Is It Now?
Despite a rough couple of years under Billy Napier, the CFB MacGuffin resides in Gainesville, Florida. Ohio State may hold the Natty, but it’s the Gators who hold the real trophy. Albeit an invisible trophy that they probably don’t even know they own. They took it off Ole Miss in week 11 and after 2 games, have yet to relinquish it. Florida State were the first to try, but failed miserably in rivalry weekend. Then, the Gators demolished Tulane in the Gasparilla bowl to ensure their off-season hold.
Given their struggles in recent years and a tough 2025 schedule, I’m sure it’ll change hands at some point. Their first ‘real’ test will be in week 3 when they travel to face LSU in Baton Rouge. Having said that, who knows what will happen?
Are There Any Other Football MacGuffins?
Believe it or not, yes there are. Since the College Football MacGuffin was tracked, others have taken it upon themselves to track the same in both the NFL and the UFL. I’m yet to see a Britball MacGuffin, but I’m not holding my breath, unfortunately. If I get bored one day, I may look into it myself. However, here are the holders of the other two;
NFL: Seattle Seahawks
UFL: DC Defenders
UPDATES (2025)
6th September: USF beat Florida (College Football MacGuffin)
7th September: 49ers beat Seahawks (NFL MacGuffin)
13th September: Miami beat USF (College Football MacGuffin)
28th September: Jaguars beat 49ers (NFL MacGuffin)
12th October: Seahawks beat Jaguars (NFL MacGuffin)
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