The college football games donning your televisions on Saturdays are things of beauty. For those initiated, college football Saturdays are the best time of year. But if you’re new to the sport, you may be wondering about some of the differences between the NFL and the college game.
Explaining College Football Quarters
Though there are differences in the game clock operations between college football and the NFL, each level of the sport has the same number of quarters in their contest. College football games consist of four quarters like the NFL, but if it goes to overtime, it’s a completely different ball game.
College football’s overtime rules changed drastically in 2023 and mirrored that new rule period in 2024 and beyond. An overtime period will consist of matching possessions for each team, and if the score is different following a singular possession from each team, that team is the winner.
MORE: College Football Overtime Rules Explained
Each team will be given possession at the 25-yard line to score a touchdown or field goal. Normal scoring rules are in play for the first period; however, in the second overtime period, a team must go for a 2-point conversion if they score a touchdown.
From the third overtime period on, each team will take turns attempting 2-point conversion plays from the 3-yard line. Each team will receive one possession per overtime period, in an attempt to match or outscore their opponent. The winner is only declared after the culmination of each overtime period if the scoring is different.
Yes, overtime is weird and wacky in college football. But in a way, it’s significantly better than that of the NFL because, unlike days of old, there can be no tie ballgames. College football games end with one victor and one loser, much to the chagrin of old-timers, but certainly making the records look much more respectable than before.
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