College Football's Best Turnover Celebrations in 2022
RIP, Miami turnover chain.
When new Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal told Action Network's Brett McMurphy this summer that the team's flashy prop that was brought out every time they got an interception or recovered a fumble was going to stop because it's "not a part of our culture," it broke a lot of hearts.
But never fear college football fans. There are plenty of flashy (or formal) turnover props out there to make you giggle and head to social media for conversation.
These are college kids, after all. Why not let them have some fun?
To make this list, they have to be current—or, at least, there hasn't been any evidence they aren't being used in 2022. From slot machines to selfies, there are plenty out there to watch, and there is plenty of awesomeness to absorb.
Let's take a look at the top turnover props for this season.
UNLV's Slot Machine
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What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Well, unless it's a turnover celebration. Then, it goes viral. Especially if it's as awesome as the one the UNLV Rebels have deployed to the nation.
After all, what screams Vegas more than a slot machine? (If there's another answer in your head, don't say it. Slot machines are definitely synonymous with Sin City, so we'll go with that.)
In a Week Zero win over Idaho State where the Rebels covered a huge spread, the celebration was all over social media, drawing rave reviews in today's "look at me" world of hot-topic quick takes.
It's pretty incredible, as the player who was involved in the turnover runs over to the slot machine, sits down while he's surrounded by teammates and pulls the lever to reveal "Rebels" when it stops. Obviously, it's a jackpot for the Rebels, and it's one for positive program buzz, too.
Now, if third-year coach Marcus Arroyo can keep the winning ways going on Saturday against California, everybody will keep talking about our favorite new turnover prop.
Pittsburgh's Goal/Slam Dunk
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The Pittsburgh Panthers used to be a quality basketball program, but they haven't had a winning season on the hardwood since 2015-16.
Coach Pat Narduzzi's Panthers football program is making hoops sexy again in the Steel City.
It's all because of Pitt's new turnover celebration, which is a plastic basketball goal (with a chain-link net, by the way) that one defender holds while another defender dunks the football and his teammates watch.
Everybody started talking about the slam-dunk football celebration in last Thursday's "Backyard Brawl" comeback victory over West Virginia, but the Panthers have done this before.
All it needed was a national audience to catch a little bit of social-media fire, and there's no reason why it shouldn't. The Panthers should have an opportunistic defense this year with three all-conference performers back.
By the end of the year, they may have enough players used to putting a ball through the hoop that Pitt basketball coach Jeff Capel could organize a tryout.
Oregon State's Chainsaw
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Former Oregon State quarterback Jonathan Smith has taken the long-dormant Beavers program and injected some life into it as head coach. During his fourth year back in Corvallis last year, his program finished 7-6, its first winning record since 2013.
Along the way, the Beavers introduced their own awesome turnover celebration, too.
As everybody knows, the Pacific Northwest is a forestry and logging country, and the acres of wilderness certainly lend themselves to the natives being very familiar with chainsaws. Also, Beavers do their share of woodwork, too.
So it only makes sense for Oregon State to break out a chainsaw to crank up when it creates a turnover. Of course, it doesn't have a chain on it, which is a very important safety detail, but it still means the opponent has suffered a horror when they see it.
It made another appearance in Saturday night's win over Boise State.
The Beavers' SB Nation fan site wrote back in 2018 when the turnover chainsaw was introduced that the tool has been part of the program's promotional material and seen in the stands for years. So the incorporation of it as a turnover prop makes a ton of sense.
In a year where Oregon State needs some major defensive difference-makers, Beavers fans hope to see it a lot.
Nevada's Trident
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There has been a trident sighting on Nevada's sideline this season, and no, there's no reason for Brick Tamland to lay low or find a safe house for this one.
In Week Zero's 23-12 win over New Mexico State, new Wolf Pack coach Ken Wilson's team broke out an impressive and intriguing turnover prop with a "turnover trident." They will probably keep it throughout the season after they also beat Texas State this past weekend for a 2-0 start.
The trident brought good luck, too. The Pack forced five turnovers in that first game, the most since a season-opening win over Purdue in 2019. Wilson shed a little light on the prop when talking to reporters after the win.
Turns out, it was a solid-metal gift received Aug. 19 after traveling to the Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada. He told Nevada Sports Net's Chris Murray the trident has every takeaway from the 2021 season engraved on it, and it's a three-year trident. Every guy who gets a takeaway gets to engrave the metal trident.
"After three years, we present that to some special benefactor and then we start a new one," Wilson told Murray. "We presented it to the team. Obviously they loved it, and they got us five takeaways, so we're going to keep that going."
The cool backstory makes the trident even better.
UAB's Dragon Skull
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This is supposed to be a slide show about current turnover celebrations, and a social media and Google search cannot verify or deny the UAB Blazers still use the incredible dragon skull and crossbones turnover chain.
But since they may, it's too glorious not to mention.
Even down by a huge margin against eventual national champion Georgia a season ago, the Blazers broke out the unique turnover prop following a pick-six.
Saturday Down South's Adam Spencer called the skull-and-crossbones dragon necklace thingie the "creepiest" turnover prop we've seen, and it's hard to argue.
Was it a one-time thing for a nationally televised game against a huge opponent? Or does the Conference USA team that is rarely on the big stage still do this regularly? If the answer is "A" we implore the powers that be at the program to bring it back.
At the very least, they should do it around Halloween, right?
The UAB Blazers' mascot is a dragon, so it makes total sense for this to be incorporated, and with the promotion of Bryant Vincent to head coach following the successful tenure of Bill Clark, what better way to pay homage to his former boss than to bring it back?
Plus, everybody would be talking about it in a positive way.
Michigan's Team Picture
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Everything about Michigan's football program screams old-school class.
From the Big House to the traditional uniforms anybody would know, you wouldn't expect the Wolverines to have some sort of hokey turnover gimmick. But Jim Harbaugh's team does have a celebration when they force a fumble or corral an interception.
The Wolverines' defenders gather together and pose for a team picture.
It is understated, but it's a team celebration, and it's pretty cool.
According to Wolverine Digest's Brandon Brown, the pictures are being used as decorations in the team meeting room inside Schembechler Hall. In the same article, Brown mentions quarterback coach Matt Weiss came up with the idea last year, and it stuck.
There are no tweets or evidence the Wolverines are doing it again this year, but given the success of last year's College Football Playoff semifinal team, why would they stop now? Harbaugh's team got off to another great start to the season on Saturday with a lopsided win over Colorado State.
So, while the Wolverines aren't going to get a lot of the headlines and publicity as some of the more wacky turnover props and stunts out there, this is the perfect way to have a buttoned-down celebration for the traditional power.
Tulane's Beads
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If you've never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, you have a hard time understanding the collage of Creole culture that transpires in one big February party.
There are parades, costumes, floats, shenanigans, great food and drinks; everybody pretty much lets loose for a while. Right before Ash Wednesday each year, New Orleans becomes the center of attention at an annual good-time get-together.
Beads are a huge part of the adornment.
So, when the Tulane Green Wave brought out the turnover Mardi Gras beads last year, it was the perfect homage to their city.
This year, the Green Wave is expected to be pretty good and started the season with a 42-10 win over UMass. They forced three turnovers on their way to a lopsided win, and while you may not always catch a glimpse of the beads due to Tulane's few appearances on the airwaves, it's still a unique celebration.
Basically, whoever gets the turnover comes to the sideline and is presented with the beads that they wear for a few minutes. It's no different than the crown, cloak, chalice and other props, but because it's something that defines New Orleans so well, it gets major originality points.
Kennesaw State's Plank
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If you're looking for the weirdest, most bizarre turnover prop in college football, look no further than the Football Championship Subdivision budding power Kennesaw State and its "turnover plank."
Despite the Owls getting off to a disappointing start this year with a loss to Samford, they were awesome a year ago in going 11-2 and making the playoffs. The program has enjoyed remarkable early success. It began in 2015 and was already in the FCS playoffs by 2017, winning the Big South Conference.
The suburban Atlanta program has put together some great teams, but few things beat the odd plank of wood the Owls carry with them. It has a crookedly-drawn face on it, and it is sometimes even dressed in Kennesaw State swag.
On road trips, the plank has been known to wear a suit and tie.
SB Nation's Jason Kirk wrote about the origins of the plank in 2017, mentioning scout team receiver Tanner Jones found the piece of wood in Florida on spring break in '15. He kept it in his garage until his father found it two years later, and he began bringing it to practice.
From that point on, a legend was born, and now, it seems, everybody around the nation has written about the plank, especially during the Owls' runs of success.
Nothing put turnover celebrations on the map quite like Miami's turnover chain, but nothing beats the oddity of the plank, proving you can use anything to celebrate something as huge in a football game as a change of possession.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference. Player rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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