Best Viral Moments from 2015 College Football Offseason

If you follow our weekly Bleacher Report column "5th Down," you've been catching some of the best social/viral stories of the 2015 college football offseason. Since anything football-related is scarce during the summer months, it's practically the only thing we have to whet our appetite until the season starts up again (which, hey, that's about a month from now). 

The great thing about these quick-hit viral tidbits is that they remind us that this game is supposed to be fun, and that the players and coaches who work tirelessly to succeed are people just like the rest of us. It's more interesting, in fact, when players and coaches take off the helmet, shoulder pads and headsets. In a way, it's like taking off a mask. We get to see who they really are when they're not trying to wear an opponent down physically and mentally. 

Here we have the top viral moments of the college football offseason based on our previous top social stories; think of it as a "Best of 5th Down" post. And we'll try not to talk too much because, well, you're here for the other stuff anyway. 

Dakota State's Dizzy Punt

This will never, ever—ever—stop being funny. There's simply too much happening. It's the off-balance coaches trying in vain to get to the ball. It's the shanked kicks and subsequent spills. It's the slooooooow mooooooootion replay. It's the players losing their freaking minds. 

Dakota State's "Dizzy Punt" was, personally, the best viral video of the offseason, during spring practice or otherwise because months later, it still doesn't get old.  

Mike Leach Does Pac-12 Media Days

Washington State coach Mike Leach is a gem. He's so out there in his own world, saying his own things, that it's hard to imagine him in any other environment other than Texas Tech or Washington State (note that this is not a bad thing).

How should we we put this? If South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and film director Wes Anderson put their minds together in a science lab, they would make a Leach. 

Wazzu's head coach has always been great for a sound bite, but his answers during Pac-12 media days on dating—HINT: go rattlesnake hunting—and which "Harry Potter" Hogwarts house he'd live in made for great offseason "#reporting." 

Ohio State's Pranks

Who doesn't love a good scare? Or, more specifically, who doesn't love watching other people get a good scare? 

That's what we have in Ohio State's trash can prank video. There's nothing quite like watching unsuspecting players get startled, or in some instances, the bejesus scared out of them by a guy popping out of a trash can. 

Then, there was Ohio State's Pro Combat dummy prank, which victimized quarterback Cardale Jones, among others. 

These are about the closest we're going to get to Johnny Knoxville and the "Jackass" crew doing something related to college football. Well, besides this. All we're saying is, if you play for the Buckeyes, you better have your guard up. 

Bret Bielema Gives the Quote of the Year

We here at B/R like to keep things PG-rated, but Arkansas coach Bret Bielema wants you to know that there's a whole other side of college football that's "after dark." 

At SEC media days, Bielema described his team's Texas Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns as "borderline erotic," which is—you know what? We're not going to get into this. We'll just leave the video up above for you to watch and interpret however you desire want to. 

Either way, it was the quote of the year, thus far. 

Colin Cowherd Interviews Jim Harbaugh; Things Get Awkward with a Quickness

There's painful, and then there's Colin Cowherd interviewing Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh last month. 

Predicting Harbaugh's answers can be tough. However, Michigan beat folks like him because he can be insightful, and you're never quite sure what you're going to get. That keeps things interesting.

And Cowherd's interview with Harbaugh was interesting, to say the least. But it's not like Cowherd was going "60 minutes" on Harbaugh. To the contrary, Cowherd was asking by his own admission, softball questions designed to loosen up the guest and reveal interesting things that the common fan may not know. 

Instead, Harbaugh seemed like he'd rather be pulling weeds in his yard, and we were left with a wreck of an interview from which we couldn't quite pull ourselves away. 

Remember When Everyone Did Backflips?

Remember this offseason when everyone—and we mean everyone*—was catching footballs while doing backflips? That was pretty cool. 

*Okay, not everyone. 

North Carolina A&T Tarik Cohen caught a pass while doing a backflip. So did Northern Illinois' Aregeros Turner. And Minnesota's Logan Hutton. And FAU's Jenson Stoshak. 

Even Texas kicker Nick Rose got in on the action (which you can see in the video above). 

And you did too, probably. Congrats, by the way. You had a solid-looking backflip catch. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted, but it appears the backflip craze is officially a thing of the past. 

Unless someone does it during a game, which we're totally for, by the way. 

Here's an Idea: Let's Get Tackled by Myles Jack

To our knowledge, Danny Siegel, a UCLA student who ran for student council general representative this past spring, is the only such student who was willing to take a hit from Bruins linebacker Myles Jack for your vote. 

The whole ad campaign is pretty good, but it's highlighted at the end by Siegel going over the middle and taking a bone-crushing hit by Jack. 

Just imagine what he can do for the campus' free speech space and residence hall's dining options. 

That Time Everyone Did 'The Whip'

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

I don't know how to do "The Whip" or even what it is—kids these days, am I right?—but it's basically taken over college football. It's like the sport's "Macarena" for 2014-15.

And it sounds like it's the subject of a Dr. Seuss book:  

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield did it at a camp. Ohio State's football players did it at a Buckeyes basketball game. Tennessee OL Kyler Kerbyson did it at practice. Shoot, even Clemson coach Dabo Swinney did it on a boat. 

You can do it on the field, you can do it if you kneel. You can dance it on a boat, you can dance it with the G.O.A.T. 

Jim Harbaugh Goes International

Paul Beaty/Associated Press

Jim Harbaugh is not only an accomplished football coach, but an accomplished traveler. Since Harbaugh's Twitter presence is as strong as any coach in the game, his documented trips outside the good ol' USA have been pretty spectacular. 

There was the time Harbaugh went to Peru, got a haircut and made a PSI joke directed right up the New England Patriots' nose. There was the time Harbaugh visited France and had a Le Big Mac, a la "Pulp Fiction." 

Harbaugh's an interesting guy, whether he's tweeting celebrities or traveling abroad. From a coverage standpoint, he makes college football way more fun. 

College Football Weddings

Hi, are you a "stop fall weddings" advocate? If so, remember one thing: If you're attending a wedding, it probably—but not necessarily—means someone in the ceremony is family or a friend. You should be there to support them and not worry about a game that will be there for you again literally a week later, at most. 

That said, weddings don't have to be a college football-less affair. Plenty of die-hard fans have decided to incorporate the sport we love so dearly to the best moment in their collective lives. 

You could be Nick Saban's daughter and drive off from your wedding to fireworks through Bryant-Denny Stadium (video above). Or you could return to the hallowed grounds of Notre Dame's stadium as a former player to tie the knot. 

Better yet, you could have a college football-themed cake, like this couple did. Or this one. 

Celebrate weddings in college football style. This is encouraged. Just remember the former is far better than the latter. 

Urban Meyer's Mustache

Paul Beaty/Associated Press

To be honest, someone's facial hair—unless it's of the Civil War variety—seems hardly noteworthy. But, lo and behold, this old school photo of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer sporting a sassy mustache just took off. No other 5th Down post we did this offseason was as popular as the one featuring Meyer's 'stache. 

Why? No idea. Mustaches are kind of in right now, Meyer is a well-known coach and Ohio State is coming off of a national championship. Those could all be things that, in some way, contributed to the interest in that photo. 

Or maybe those things had nothing to do with it. Whatever it was, people loved it. Your guess is as good as mine. That said, we wouldn't be opposed if Meyer decided to bring it back for the 2015 season. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.