Top 10 college football stories from 2020

With the calendar ready to turn to 2021, here's a look at the top 10 stories in College Football from 2020:

10. The success of the Sun Belt

The Sun Belt probably made a bigger statement on the field this year than any other conference in the country. The once plucky outfit strewn across the southern United States showed why the nation should take it seriously early on in the 2020 campaign. Three road wins over Big 12 schools on the same day in September started the conversation and Coastal Carolina's incredible win over BYU cemented that talk. The Chanticleers and Louisiana combined for a 21-2 record on the year, both finishing in the top 25. But perhaps most importantly, both schools inked their coaches to long-term extensions.

9. Shoe tossing in the Swamp

"Unsportsmanlike conduct, throwing the LSU player's shoe 20 yards down the field."

With that announcement from official James Carter, the wildest ending to the 2020 season was underway. Following a third-down stop in the dying minutes of the regular-season finale between LSU and Florida, Gators' defensive back Marco Wilson celebrated by throwing his opponent's shoe. Wilson's action resulted in a 15-yard penalty that kept the Tigers' drive alive. Six plays later, Cade York smashed a 57-yard field goal through in dense fog to give LSU the shocking upset victory and essentially end Florida's playoff hopes.

8. Lane Kiffin is back

Having Lane Kiffin back in Power 5 football means every Ole Miss game is now must-watch television. Kiffin has been a constant newsmaker while also turning the team around in his first season as Rebels head coach. Here are some of his highlights from 2020.

• Wore a 'Merry Flipmas' shirt at a presser after flipping recruit's commitment
• Improved the offense from scoring 26 points per game to over 40 - ranking 8th among all Power 5 teams
• Instantly became the best head coach follow on Twitter
• Absolutely LAUNCHED his play-sheet in the air in celebration during an Ole Miss touchdown

The Lane Train is rolling in Oxford and that's good news for almost everyone associated with college football.

7. Gus Malzahn finally out at Auburn

Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Gus Malzahn firing watch at Auburn became an annual tradition observed in November and December. After years of chatter surrounding his job status - usually inexplicably resulting in a contract extension - the Tigers finally cut the veteran sideline boss loose this time around. The decision marks a rare case where strong arguments exist on either side.

The pro-Malzahn crowd will point to the Tigers' 68-35 record under his watch, including three wins over bitter rival Alabama. The anti-Malzahn crowd will point to how the former offensive guru's attack ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in two of the last three seasons and fell further behind the Crimson Tide.

With the dust settled, it's former Boise State boss Bryan Harsin's job in Auburn and now Malzahn is left to enjoy his $21.5 million buyout to no longer coach the Tigers.

6. Powerhouse programs hit historic lows

There was once a time Tennessee and Penn State were among the titans of the sport. While that hasn't been the case for a while, 2020 saw both of these former national powerhouses reach a new low.

Penn State has been playing football for 127 years, but the Nittany Lions had never started a season 0-5 ... until 2020. Blowout defeats to Ohio State, Maryland, and Iowa and a tight contest versus Nebraska quickly followed a controversial loss in the opener to Indiana. James Franklin's outfit would eventually reverse course and actually win the final four games but would still finish with its worst record since 2004.

Tennessee's season got off to a hot start with two wins, but things quickly went downhill from there as the Volunteers lost their next six games - all by double digits. That marked the first time such a streak happened since the program's founding in 1891. Tennessee would end the season at 3-7 with every single defeat coming by at least 10 points. Based on winning percentage alone, the Volunteers finished with their worst showing since 1909.

5. Kylin Hill speaks out

With one tweet, Mississippi State star Kylin Hill got the ball rolling towards a massive change in the state. Hill brought significant publicity and support to the movement to remove the Confederate symbol from Mississippi's state flag. Lawmakers decided to change the flag roughly a week after Hill made his stand. The young running back's hometown would eventually present him with a key to the city and he now heads to the NFL after an incredible collegiate career, both on and off the field.

4. Alabama offense

Some of the names may have changed, but Alabama's offense remains one of the most electrifying things to watch in the sport. Tua Tagovailoa, Henry Ruggs, and Jerry Jeudy were all first-round picks in April's NFL draft, but their departures didn't affect the Crimson Tide's performance one bit.

Mac Jones more than admirably filled in for Tagovailoa, ranking second in the country in passing and throwing 32 touchdowns on the season. Jones' performance was strong enough to earn him a spot as a Heisman finalist, with teammate DeVonta Smith joining that list. The standout receiver led the nation in both receiving yards and touchdowns while also adding a score on a punt return. Najee Harris didn't get a Heisman invite, but the star running back piled up a whopping 27 total touchdowns on the season.

The Crimson Tide's offense has now averaged at least 45 points per game in three straight seasons, output that has coordinator Steve Sarkisian a hot name for any coaching vacancy.

3. Sarah Fuller

COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on Vanderbilt's kicking unit and the men's soccer team wasn't at the school, so Commodores head coach Derek Mason turned to the women's program and star goalkeeper Sarah Fuller. Fuller aced her tryout with the team and made the trip to Missouri to make history. With a perfectly-executed squib kick to open the second half, she became the first female to appear in a Power 5 game. A couple weeks later, the Texas native would become the first female to score points in a Power 5 game after nailing a pair of extra points. Vanderbilt finished the season 0-9 and fired Mason, but Fuller's breakthrough will forever put a positive spin on a dismal campaign.

2. LSU

LSU did most of its damage in 2019, but the program started 2020 with a bang in January's national championship game. The Tigers' high-powered attack - behind Heisman winner Joe Burrow - put 42 on Clemson for a 17-point victory. Burrow, in his last game before being drafted No. 1 overall, would throw for 463 yards and five touchdowns, capping one of the most impressive offensive seasons in college football history.

The exodus came shortly after the victory, with offensive assistant Joe Brady leaving for the Carolina Panthers and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda taking the Baylor job. The coaching turnover, combined with several players opting out, was too much for LSU to overcome in an attempt to repeat this season.

The national champions finished 5-5 on the campaign, the program's worst record since 1999. Bo Pelini's hire proved to be an expensive mistake and the team fired the defensive coordinator following his first season. Offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger retired and numerous other assistants will not be back. Ed Orgeron certainly bought himself some time in Baton Rouge with last year's national title, but positive results need to come fast in 2021 for the head coach.

1. Big Ten flip-flops, changes rules for Ohio State

The Big Ten became the first Power 5 conference to postpone its season on August 11, initially announcing plans to attempt a schedule in the spring. Just over a month later on Sept. 16, the conference would backtrack on that plan and announce a schedule to start on Oct. 24. Intense public pressure, including from the President of the United States, and advanced testing protocols were part of the reason for the flip.

The Big Ten put in very strict protocols that would eventually see 12 games canceled over the season, leaving powerhouse Ohio State one matchup short of the six-game eligibility requirement to make the conference title game and effectively ending their shot at the CFP semis. So the Big Ten changed its rules on the fly and allowed the 5-0 Buckeyes into the game to play Northwestern. A hard-fought victory over the Wildcats has set Ohio State up to play Clemson in the semis as the No. 3 team in the country. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney showed his thoughts about the Buckeyes being in the playoff despite the program not playing six games, ranking them 11th in his final ballot for the Coaches Poll.

Is Ohio State one of the four most talented teams in the country? Absolutely. Is it fair a team with such a limited resume is in the CFP? Probably not.