BERKELEY, Calif. — Speckled throughout the mass of overjoyed fans scrunched together at the epicenter of the Cal Berkeley campus Saturday morning were the ambassadors who played specific parts in making this once inconceivable scene materialize.

They raised their phones high, capturing a 360-degree view of the madness of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” and hit record. They embraced the emotion of the moment as the sun began to peek over the Berkeley hills.

Without them, Nick Saban isn’t tearing off his crimson tie at the behest of the fans who couldn’t bear seeing even a tinge of something close to Stanford Cardinal red in front of the sea of exultant California blue and gold. Without them, program legend Marshawn Lynch isn’t flown in to be the celebrity guest picker, taking his rightful place in a golf cart and later placing Kirk Herbstreit in a very friendly headlock.

And without them, the seats inside California Memorial Stadium aren’t packed more than 12 hours later to digest an agonizing last-minute 39-38 loss to No. 8 Miami.

Behold, the ballooning cultural clout of the Calgorithm, a guerilla-like social media movement that leans into sarcasm, stereotypes and self-awareness through photoshopped and AI-generated memes that embrace the absurdity of perception.

On Saturday, as GameDay’s Pat McAfee constantly roused the crowd, it was clear the Calgorithm had achieved its objective: to prove that Cal, associated with one of the most liberal communities in America, does, in fact, have a beloved fan base happily obsessed with Golden Bears football.

Punch in the hashtag online, and you’ll be awash in memes of grizzly bears wearing masks and stepping off an airplane called “Stop Climate Change Airlines” in Florida prior to Cal’s game earlier this season at Florida State. Or grizzly bears welcoming Miami Hurricanes on the tarmac with a “Critical Race Theory” book in hand.

“There’s a certain joy and a certain absurdity,” said Nam Le, who graduated from Cal in 2012. “It’s a fun story from a fan base that is traditionally ignored.”

At this point there are too many memes to count — and new attempts at their own brand of self-deprecation nearly every minute.

From within, they’ve cultivated a very obscure sports moment that has resonated not only within the online reaches of the Cal fan base, but among college football followers of other teams nationwide. A routine response from a random follower after diving deep into the Calgorithm is that “Cal is now my second favorite team,” members of the Calgorithm say.

When it pertains to actual membership, some are known publicly, some aren’t. Some are transparent about their real lives on social media, some aren’t.

Known commodities include a teacher, data analyst, political coordinator and someone who hawks hot dogs at minor-league baseball games. The others exist in the realm of anonymity and are referred to as “the burners.” They are known by random social media handles for their participation in the online discourse that has brought a disarming nature to platforms often inundated with volatility.

They’ve made themselves seen online but also within the walls of the Cal football facility. Some members of Cal’s football support staff have a group text thread carved out specifically for new memes to share.

“The burners are hilarious, man,” said Marshall Cherrington, Cal’s director of player personnel. “We all love them inside this building.”

Linebacker Cade Uluave specifically thanked “the burners” during a news conference appearance last week for helping bring more attention to the program and game against the Hurricanes. Special teams coordinator Vic So’oto shared on X that defensive lineman Xavier Carlton and linebacker Ryan McCullough were “keeping the pocket hot like Cal burners” followed by some flame emojis.

The reach the Calgorithm has achieved over the course of the season is apropos for the school and its locale. At a university in a city long known for its involvement in social movements dating back to the 1960s, this movement just played out on social media.

And the people, the fans, took matters into their own hands. GameDay producer Matthew Garrett said prior to making the call to Cal last week to gauge interest in hosting, he was flooded with questions by fans of what they could do to get the show to Berkeley for the first time. Prior to Saturday, Cal was one of six Power 4 schools to have never hosted.

When it got its chance, of course it was in typical cognizant Calgorithm fun. Signs held high compared Cal’s list of Nobel laureates produced at Berkeley compared with Miami. (The score is currently 61-4.) One read: “I thought this was a protest!”

The Calgorithm really seemed to take off after Cal upset Auburn 21-14 on Sept. 7 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The meme by Don Grizzel, Ph.D (@golDonBear on X) featured cutouts of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, whose parents met in Berkeley in the early 1960s, Oski, Cal’s bear mascot, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a rainbow, and an obtusely stretched out photo of President Joe Biden and the caption read: “You Just Lost to the Woke Agenda.” The post has received 5 million impressions.

https://t.co/hskIyGbkH2 pic.twitter.com/cPIfI1FXRW

— Don Grizzell, Ph.D. (@golDonbear) September 7, 2024

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The scope of the Calgorithm is immeasurable, members say, due to always churning conference realignment in college football. As the previously constituted Pac-12 imploded, Cal, alongside its rival Stanford, was forced to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, a league on the opposite coast but a home in a power conference. With that, came an opportunity for Cal fans to introduce themselves to a portion of the country that may have only known of Berkeley through various long-perpetuated stereotypes.

“They already believe these stereotypes about us,” said burner Callie, also known as @WokeMobFootball. “Why don’t we just turn it up to 12 and just absolutely make fun of it for how absurd they sound when it’s thrown back at them?”

Mike Davie says Cal fans have come armed for any sort of perception lobbed their way by fans online. But they say they always try to do it with a smile knowing that college football is what they all love and that it doesn’t need to be another well poisoned online.

“Yeah, we tell them the ‘DEI’ defense is here killing it,” Davie said. “And when people say, ‘Don’t make fun of Cal fans. They police pronouns.’ And we were like, ‘Here comes the pronoun punt team!’ And it makes them laugh.”

The Calgorithm is also perpetually one step ahead. They’ve also helped raise funds for Cal’s NIL collective, Cal Legends. People donating are leaving comments thanking the Calgorithm for activating attention.

“That’s the kind of person Cal produces into the real world, people who want to help do things in smart, simple and efficient ways,” Cherrington said. “And we want to always have our doors open to them. This is the people’s program.”

Four hours before kickoff against Miami, a small parking lot on the southeast side of campus hosted a Calgorithm tailgate. Exhausted already from a day that began before sun-up, they shared highlights and beers. They were still amped that Lynch drove the golf cart. Together, they watched Vanderbilt upset No. 1 Alabama.

They introduced themselves to one another as their online handles. Some burners geeked out over meeting others. One burner thanked Callie for remixing Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” hit song for Cal running back Jaydn Ott. “Ott to Go” was played at GameDay, which Callie could not get over, and probably never will.

O-T-T-T-O-G-O
We’ve got Jaydn Ott to go!#Calgorithm #FightForCalGameday #H1M #WhyNotCal pic.twitter.com/8D68f8pnjH

— The Liberal Calgorithm (@wokemobfootball) September 28, 2024

Fellow Cal fans crowded around an exhausted Avinash Kunnath, a Cal grad and one of the godfathers of popular fan blog site, Write for California. Kunnath wore a Calgorithm meme T-shirt, jean jacket and a fuzzy bear hat. Saturday doesn’t happen without him, and basically everyone else in that tailgate lot, they said.

The group passed around shots of Malört, a tradition at the burner tailgate that dates back to the 2021 season. It was an ode to a past too often filled with disappointment, one which made a vengeful reappearance Saturday night. But it was also a salute to a future so swiftly reshaped by the community of devotees who took matters into their own hands and made the joke at their own expense before anyone else could.

“I like to tell people that we almost died as a program,” Le said. “We can’t really afford to be realistic about it anymore. This program deserves to and can only survive with a love and an ambition and a spirit that’s larger.”

(Top image: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; Bob Kupbens / Icon Sportswire)

Two top-five college football teams fell to their lesser opponents on Saturday, only adding to the intrigue that the season has brought so far.

No. 1 Alabama went down at the hands of Vanderbilt while No. 4 Tennessee fell to Arkansas. The results came one week after the Crimson Tide defeated Georgia in a wild matchup. No. 25 Texas A&M also defeated No. 9 Missouri.

Elsewhere, Washington defeated No. 10 Michigan, Minnesota upset No. 11 USC and SMU stunned No. 22 Louisville.

Read below for the winners and losers of the week that was.

Winners

Vanderbilt: What a monster win for the Commodores football program. Clark Lea has his players bought into what he’s building in Nashville, and it paid off in a massive way on Saturday night against Alabama. Quarterback Diego Pavia is a problem, and he plays like Johnny Manziel. Also, shoutout to the Vandy fans for that celebration in downtown Nashville. Those folks deserved to have a win like this. 

Vanderbilt fans: Vanderbilt fans understood the assignment. After the Commodores beat the Crimson Tide, fans stormed the field to celebrate the historic win. A goalpost quickly came down, and fans managed to get it out of FirstBank Stadium where they would parade it around Nashville before eventually tossing it into the Cumberland River.

Indiana: The Hoosiers are 6-0 on the season, which is the first time this has happened since 1967. I’m fascinated by head coach Curt Cignetti, who has this Indiana program thriving. After beating Northwestern on Saturday, this squad has the chance to be 9-0 when the Ohio State game comes around. The Hoosiers are certainly making noise in the Big Ten, and it’s well deserved. 

Arkansas: How about those Hogs? There were thoughts that this would be the final season for Sam Pittman in Fayetteville, but his squad just beat No.4 Tennessee for a program-changing win. They beat the Vols while starting QB Taylen Green was hobbling in the fourth quarter. Credit goes to the Razorbacks defense for holding the Vols offense to just 14 points.

Ashton Jeanty: It’s been tons of fun watching Jeanty go off every week, and he didn’t disappoint in the 62-30 win. He had 186 yards with three more touchdowns to add to his resume for the year. Jeanty has played just five games and he’s already over 1,000 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. Just think about that.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs away from Utah State safety Malik McConico (21) on a 75-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)

Army and Navy: While we can still focus on all the upsets, let’s give props to two teams of the armed forces as Army and Navy remain undefeated to start the season. Both teams are 5-0 for the first time since 1945, as Navy rolled through Air Force, 34-7, and Army took down Tulsa 49-7. While all the focus is usually on their rivalry game, both of these teams have a chance to compete for an AAC title.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes schedule has been relatively light so far this season. But in Week 6, Ohio State faced arguably their toughest test to date. While the Buckeyes got off to somewhat of a sluggish start against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the offense jump-started in the second half as Ohio State cruised to a 35-7 victory. Ohio State ultimately did not do anything to hurt themselves and will likely remain one of the top teams in the nation heading into next week’s highly anticipated matchup with Oregon.

Texas A&M: After losing their first game of the season to Notre Dame, the Aggies have been rolling. Saturday’s 41-10 win over ninth-ranked Missouri is their most impressive win of the season and should vault them up the rankings. Running back Le’Veon Moss led the way for the Aggies with 138 yards on 12 carries while scoring three touchdowns.

Washington: Washington went from losing to one of the historically worst teams in the Big 10 to defeating the class of the conference and avenging its national championship loss with a 27-17 win over Michigan. It just goes to show how much chaos the Big 10 might be in for later in the year in the first season of the new West Coast expansion.

Losers

Tennessee: While Vanderbilt had the upset of the week against No. 1-ranked Alabama, the Volunteers were 4-0 entering their game against Arkansas and expected to get the job done. Instead, fans stormed the field just like they did in Vanderbilt with a 19-14 upset. The offense has some things to answer here as quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his group were only able to find the end one twice. Their CFP chances are not at all done, but this was supposed to be an elite offense, and it’s not shown the last two weeks.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava drops back to pass against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Michigan: The reigning national champions fell short in a rematch of last season’s title game, losing to Washington, 27-17, on Saturday. Huskies quarterback Will Rogers put on a show while Michigan’s offense struggled in the first half. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore turned to backup quarterback Jack Tuttle after Alex Orji completed just 3 of 7 for 15 yards, but Tuttle committed two costly turnovers in the fourth quarter to seal their fate. The loss marked Michigan’s first Big Ten loss since 2021.

SEC: We have no idea what type of game plan Alabama and Tennessee put together entering their respective games. But the Tide were run through by Vanderbilt, and Tennessee’s offense looked nothing like what was advertised. Now, both teams are sitting with a loss, and we’ve got a long ways to go in the season. A brutal day for the 1st and 4th ranked teams in the country. 

USC: The Trojans spiral continues after dropping their second game of the season, this time coming at the hands of Minnesota. The Gophers went for a fourth down inside the Trojans 2-yard line, when they could’ve just kicked the FG to take the late lead. But head coach PJ Fleck is a mad man and had Lincoln Riley looking like a fool postgame. The Trojans are probably once again out of playoff contention in October. 

UAB: After losing 71-20 to Tulane, it might be time for the Blazers to move on from head coach Trent Dilfer. This whole experiment has blown up in the face of the folks that thought Dilfer would be some type of “splash” hire that would attract recruits. This program was shut down only to rise from the ashes. Unfortunately, Dilfer has put this football team in a horrible spot, and the athletic director should go as well.

Missouri: Ninth-ranked Missouri no longer has an unblemished record after the Texas A&M Aggies routed the Tigers this past Saturday. Texas A&M’s 41-10 win over Missouri prompted questions about whether the Tigers were College Football Playoff contenders or pretenders. While it’s reasonable to argue that Missouri was not viewed as one of the teams in the SEC that had a legitimate chance of winning the conference title in December, the expanded playoff format opened the door for the Tigers to grab one of the 12 postseason spots. But, this lost will likely result in Missouri being removed from the playoff conversation.

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman runs for a first down against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Louisville: It’s never a good thing to be upset at home. Louisville had a chance to bounce back after losing a close one to Notre Dame last week, but unranked SMU beat No. 22 Louisville 34-27. This is Louisville’s second straight loss as they drop to 3-2 on the year. It is not going to get any easier for the Cardinals as they have Miami and Clemson coming up in the next month.

Temple: Not that Temple is a program that should regularly be subject to national scrutiny, but one of the biggest end-game blunders and an epic viral embarrassment will get it on this list. A fumble on the goal line by quarterback Forrest Brock with a chance to win the game turned into a two-possession loss to UConn in a matter of seconds. Temple is just lucky that Alabama, USC and Michigan ended up suffering disastrous losses themselves, otherwise Temple may have been the biggest loser of a week that was expected to be pretty quiet.

The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.

DURHAM, N.C. — Twenty minutes were just a taste.

Or really, a tease.

Only so much can be gleaned from these preseason, meet-the-team, intrasquad events, like Duke’s Countdown to Craziness on Friday night. They’re as much about the schtick — mood lighting, air cannons, silly introductory dances — as any actual basketball. And, obviously, they don’t count.

But they do have meaning.

Especially in the case of this projected top-five preseason team — with the country’s top freshman in Cooper Flagg and a bevy of other NBA hopefuls — this is a glimpse. A snapshot of what’s possible. So when you see junior guard Tyrese Proctor on the fast break, with Flagg — the expected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — sprinting ahead of him, and then you see Proctor kick ahead an outlet pass, and you see Flagg loading up as he takes off toward the rim …

Well, you start imagining the possibilities. About the high-flying acrobatics about to unfold, yes, but also beyond. Your mind skips forward, to the sorts of spectacular plays and games this team may have in store if it can deliver on even a fraction of the still-growing hype surrounding it.

The moment, at least, delivered: Flagg effortlessly elevated off the Cameron Indoor court, twisted backward in midair and flushed home a highlight dunk with a ho-hum attitude.

His face seemed to say, more to come.

“You can’t really describe it, the feeling when you’re out there playing,” Flagg said. “That type of stuff is something you can’t really experience until it happens.”

Flagg finished the night with 13 points — third-most overall, considering players were switching teams at halftime — as well as three rebounds, three assists, and two turnovers. He was … good, if not overly deferential.

“I thought Cooper tonight was being a little hesitant, and just getting a feel for things,” coach Jon Scheyer said. “That’s the beauty of Coop: He’s such a team player, and he has such a great feel for the game.”

That much was evident, even on his first basket. The 6-foot-9 Maine native drove left from outside the arc, then switched the ball to his right hand in midair, showcasing the touch and inside finishing he’s so known for. From the first row of Duke’s student section, through the raucous applause, you could hear one Cameron Crazie note the occasion:

Those were Cooper Flagg’s first points at Duke.

The novelty around Flagg, especially early on — and especially if he’s as good as expected, anywhere near the Zion Williamson stratosphere that no one in college hoops has occupied since — will be a thing. His first dunk. First pick six. First 20-point game, first double-double. All of it. It will be noted, diligently, the continuing ascent of someone already deemed “generational” by the masses before his 18th birthday. (That’s Dec. 21, by the way; Georgia Tech drew the short stick and hosts the Blue Devils that night.)

Flagg, of course, can’t look at this season that way. Neither can his teammates, many of whom — like fellow freshmen Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel — will likely be following him to the NBA as early as next June. If Duke learned anything from its star-studded 2018-19 season with Williamson, it’s how to handle the spectacle that follows a phenomenon.

“You’ve just gotta stay present,” Proctor said. “Everyone knows who Coop is. Everyone knows who Khaman is. Everyone knows who all these guys are. So I think from day one, everyone has been on the same page. We haven’t necessarily had to sit down and talk about, ‘It’s going to be we over me.’ Everyone sort of knows that.”

But saying so in front of your home fans, on a night that’s more ceremonial than serious, is one thing — and maintaining that after a tough early-season stretch is another entirely. In the first month of the season, Duke plays (deep breath) Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta, at Arizona, versus Kansas in Las Vegas, all before hosting Auburn in the ACC-SEC Challenge in early December. That’s three of The Athletic’s top 10 preseason teams, one after another after another. We’ll have a good sense by Flagg’s birthday of the kind of talent he is, what kind of team Duke is — and how fair the national title expectations for this squad really are.

Friday was a taste of all that, a 20-minute morsel before the 30-plus games Duke has coming over the next five — maybe six — months.

It’s nothing worth overreacting to.

But it is, if nothing else, worth noting. Because Friday was Flagg’s, and Duke’s, beginning.

“I liked seeing him in a Duke uniform tonight,” Scheyer said. “I know that much.”

(Photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)