By: Jathan Gentry (@Jathan)
The CFSL is entering its 18th season. Hundreds of players have taken the field in hundreds of games played. A lucky few teams were able to do the thing that every player dreams of; winning a CFSL National Championship. If you’ve been there, you know there is nothing more exciting than taking the field for a game when a trophy is at stake.
But what would you say if I told you there was another CFSL trophy? A trophy that has existed since the very first game here in the College Football Sim League. Well, ladies and gentlemen, today I’m going to share with you just that.
Introducing: the CFSL MacGuffin Trophy. This isn’t a league-recognized title, but the idea of this title is very real. I cannot take credit for this idea; @CFBudge on TikTok deserves props (go check out his channel!). Today, I will introduce you to the CFSL MacGuffin and take you on a journey through its long, storied history.
So what is the CFSL MacGuffin? It’s simple: Starting in the very first game in league history, the winner received the MacGuffin Trophy. If that team won, they kept the trophy. If they lost, they passed the trophy to the team that beat them. Most simply, the only way to lose the MacGuffin is to lose. The only way to get the MacGuffin is to beat the team who has it. For our league MacGuffin, the trophy only moves during the regular season. This is so the playoffs don’t interfere, and so the MacGuffin doesn’t take away from the league playoffs. Whoever finishes the regular season with the trophy is crowned that season’s MacGuffin Champion. They start with the trophy in the next season, and the game continues.
Whether you’ve been here since season one, or you just joined, follow along as I share with you every season of the MacGuffin history. I apologize in advance, this story could get quite long. Stay with me, it will be very worth it.
Season 1
The first game in league history was played between Auburn and Iowa on May 24, 2018. Auburn won 17 to 16 and became the first-ever team to hold the MacGuffin Trophy. The very next week, they would lose to Hawaii, giving them the trophy. Throughout the season, Auburn would get the trophy back, and Ohio State would also hold the MacGuffin. But in the final week of the regular season, Iowa would beat Ohio State and finish the regular season becoming the first-ever MacGuffin Champion.
Season 1 MacGuffin Champion: Iowa Hawkeyes
Season 2
In week one, Hawaii defeated Iowa to take the MacGuffin. In season 2, a record nine teams would hold the title at some point in the long season, including Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Michigan. However, Ohio State would defend the title successfully in both of the last two weeks of the season and take home the trophy for the offseason.
Season 2 MacGuffin Champion: Ohio State Buckeyes
Season 3
Texas took the MacGuffin from OSU in blowout fashion during week one of Season 3. Again, the MacGuffin changed hands many times during the weeks of Season 3, with Notre Dame holding the title for the first time. However, in the final week of the season, Oregon would defeat Washington 42 to 35, stealing the MacGuffin while only holding it for one week all season long.
Season 3 MacGuffin Champion: Oregon Ducks
Season 4
This season would see a couple of teams hold the MacGuffin for the first time. The first-timers were Clemson and Penn State. Penn State held the MacGuffin for three total weeks and had it heading into their final game of the season against Iowa. The Hawkeyes spoiled the newcomer’s party and took the trophy in a 34-24 victory. This made them the first-ever Two-Time CFSL MacGuffin Champion.
Season 4 MacGuffin Champion: Iowa Hawkeyes
Season 5
Iowa, the reigning champion, did not return in season 5. For this reason, the first and only reset of the trophy takes place here. In the very first game of Season 5, the MacGuffin was up for grabs, and it was taken by the Clemson Tigers. Clemson would defend the MacGuffin for seven straight weeks, a record at the time. However, in the final game of the season, the Texas Longhorns would stun the Tigers, and steal the MacGuffin. Clemson held the trophy for every single week except the last one.
Season 5 MacGuffin Champion: Texas Longhorns
Season 6
Auburn would win over Texas to take the MacGuffin in week one. Ohio State would have a brief stint with the title, but the Longhorns beat them to take it right back. The Texas Longhorns would win five straight games, defeating Clemson in the final game of the regular season. This made them the first CFSL MacGuffin back-to-back Champions.
Season 6 MacGuffin Champion: Texas Longhorns
Season 7
Season 7 introduces a new team to MacGuffin history: the LSU Tigers. In week two, the Tigers would defeat the back-to-back MacGuffin-winning Longhorns to take the trophy. Florida and Auburn would both have MacGuffin runs in Season 7, but LSU would persevere. The Tigers would beat Auburn in Week 7 to take the MacGuffin and went on to defeat Florida State in the final week of the season to take home the trophy in their first season in the CFSL.
Season 7 MacGuffin Champion: LSU Tigers
Season 8
LSU would lose the trophy to Texas in Week One of Season 8. Texas held the trophy in five straight games before losing it to newcomer USC. In the final game of their season, one of the fiercest rivalries in CFSL history would take place: Notre Dame vs. USC. The Trojans fought hard, but lost a close game to the Fighting Irish, giving them their first MacGuffin Title.
Season 8 MacGuffin Champion: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Season 9
Two teams would hold the MacGuffin for the first time in Season 9: Oklahoma State and Nebraska. Together, they would hold the MacGuffin for five weeks of the season. But the MacGuffin would go home with a team who hadn’t held it in four seasons. Oregon hugely defeated Nebraska, 56 to 16 to steal the title in Week Eight and take the MacGuffin home to Eugene.
Season 9 MacGuffin Champion: Oregon Ducks
Season 10
Season 10 Introduced a whole new crop of talent to the battle for the MacGuffin: The MAC Conference. This talented conference would not disappoint. In Week Two, Bowling Green would defeat Oregon to become the first MAC team ever to hold the MacGuffin. The Trophy would stay in the MAC for the remainder of the season, and the Falcons would eventually finish the season with a win, making MacGuffin history. To this day, they are the only MAC team to win the MacGuffin Championship.
Season 10 MacGuffin Champion: Bowling Green State Falcons
Season 11
In a shortened Season 11, Kent State would take the MacGuffin from their MAC counterparts to open the year. However, the very next week, the MacGuffin would leave the MAC for good. The LSU Tigers would take the trophy, and hold it for the entire remainder of Season 11. This was one of the most confident MacGuffin runs ever.
Season 11 MacGuffin Champion: LSU Tigers
Season 12
USC would steal the MacGuffin from LSU in Week One and would lose it to Oklahoma State just a couple of weeks later. The Pokes held the MacGuffin confidently for three weeks until they met an opponent with a storied MacGuffin past. The Longhorns of Texas proved too much for Oklahoma State. Texas proved itself the MacGuffin King, becoming the first team to hold the Championship in three separate seasons.
Season 12 MacGuffin Champion: Texas Longhorns
Season 13
If we know anything about the MacGuffin, we know that just because you hold the trophy for a long time, doesn’t mean you get the glory of the offseason (shoutout to Season 5 Clemson). In Season 13, Notre Dame would take the trophy from Texas in Week One and hold it for six weeks. In week 7, a new team would take the MacGuffin from the Irish: the Wisconsin Badgers. Not only would they keep the trophy for the first time in school history, they would finish the season with it.
Season 13 MacGuffin Champion: Wisconsin Badgers
Season 14
Unlike Season 13, this season saw five separate teams hold the MacGuffin trophy. Alabama would take the trophy in Week One, lose it in Week Four to Florida, and take it back in Week Six by defeating Kentucky. However, the Crimson Tide’s impressive MacGuffin season would end when the Florida State Seminoles would beat them in Week Seven. Florida State would win in the season’s final week to take home the MacGuffin championship. Thus began the greatest run in CFSL MacGuffin history.
Season 14 MacGuffin Champion: Florida State Seminoles
Season 15
The Seminoles would start the season defending their MacGuffin against Oklahoma. They would go on to successfully defend the MacGuffin eight weeks in a row. An undefeated regular season for the Seminoles meant the title would stay in Tallahassee. This historic MacGuffin run is the greatest of all time. They defended the title ten straight times by the season’s end.
Season 15 MacGuffin Champion: Florida State Seminoles
Season 16
Michigan would end the amazing run of Florida State in Week One of Season 16. Alabama would take it from them a week later. Alabama had tasted the MacGuffin trophy but had never been able to retain it to become the champion. In week five, Alabama would defend the trophy against Georgia, a team who had only been in the CFSL for one full season and had never held the MacGuffin. But the Bulldogs were ready to shock the world. They would go on to defeat Alabama, and three other opponents to take home the MacGuffin championship in just their second season in the league.
Season 16 MacGuffin Champion: Georgia Bulldogs
Season 17
This past season, Georgia held the MacGuffin for one week before losing it to Boise State. Surprisingly, this is the only time In their long CFSL history that Boise would hold the MacGuffin (Step up your MacGuffin game, Clutch). The Broncos wouldn’t keep it for long either: just two weeks later, the trophy would be lost to none other than the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. If you watched last season’s action, you know exactly what happens next. Five straight wins gave Oklahoma State a great run, and they finished the regular season with their first MacGuffin Championship.
Season 17 and Reigning, Defending MacGuffin Champion: Oklahoma State Cowboys
There have been so many amazing MacGuffin moments in these 18 seasons. Iowa won the first MacGuffin championship, Texas became the only team to win three times, Bowling Green was the only MAC winner, and Florida State held the trophy for ten straight weeks. All of these moments have come together to create a storied history for this coveted trophy.
Who will be the team to take the MacGuffin from Oklahoma State? Who will finish Season 18 with the trophy? Discuss in League Chat, and make sure to tag me (@Jathan) on Discord with questions, or for more information on the history of the CFSL MacGuffin.
