Gridiron Time Travel: Red Grange, Ivy League Chaos, and Heisman History
The week leading up to Thanksgiving 2025 was a wild blend of honoring football’s past and watching history unfold in the present. Darin Hayes of Pigskin Dispatch dives into the biggest stories from the weekend, from a 100-year-old anniversary to the emergence of a new Heisman frontrunner.
Here is a look at the history that was made, and the history that keeps on giving.
🏈 100 Years Ago: The Power of the College Game
This weekend marked a significant anniversary: 100 years since the legendary Red Grange finished his college career and instantly redefined the professional game.
- November 21, 1925:Grange played his final college game for Illinois, defeating Ohio State 14–9. The game was a massive draw, pulling in an estimated80,000fans.
- The Next Day:Grange signed with the professional Chicago Bears, owned by George Halas.
- Thanksgiving Day 1925:Grange played his first professional game for the Bears, a scoreless tie against the Chicago Cardinals.
The most striking detail is the crowd size for his first pro contest: only 39,000 fans attended. The fact that the same superstar drew less than half the crowd in the much larger city of Chicago—just four days after his college finale—perfectly illustrates the overwhelming dominance of college football over the professional game a century ago.
(To commemorate this milestone, check out Chris Willis's new book, Red Grange Into Chicago Bears: The 100th Anniversary Scrapbook, available via Amazon and the Pigskin Dispatch store.)
🏛️ Modern History: The Game Finally Leads to the Postseason
The 141st edition of "The Game" between Harvard and Yale was about more than just rivalry this year. It was a winner-take-all battle for the Ivy League's first-ever automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, a monumental change after four decades of the league prohibiting football postseason play.
The stage was set for an upset:
- Undefeated Harvard(9-0 overall, 6-0 in Ivy play) traveled to take onYale(7-2 overall).
- Yale dominated the contest, winning45-28. The Bulldogs scored immediately after recovering a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back.
The victory created a virtual tie in the league standings, but the head-to-head win gives Yale the coveted automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Harvard (9-1) is now waiting anxiously to see if they will receive an at-large bid. After years of demanding change, the student-athletes and coaches of the Ivy League now have their chance to prove themselves against the nation's best.
🌟 Heisman History: Jeremiah Love's Unstoppable Day
Notre Dame delivered a performance that rewrote the record books this weekend, largely powered by the sensational play of Heisman frontrunner Jeremiah Love.
The Fighting Irish pummeled Syracuse 70-7, in a game that was historic for both sides:
Notre Dame (8-2) Statistic Syracuse (3-7) 35 points
Points scored in the 1st Quarter (ND record since the 1930s)70 points allowed70 pointsTotal points scored (Most since 1932 vs. Haskell)70 points allowed (Most since 75-0 loss to Union College in 1891)
Jeremiah Love's dominant day—which was largely confined to the first half—only solidified his Heisman candidacy:
- 3 Touchdowns
- 171 Yards Rushing
- On just8 Carries(an average of over 21 yards per...
More episodes from "Pigskin Dispatch"
Don't miss an episode of “Pigskin Dispatch” and subscribe to it in the GetPodcast app.
