What does losing college football locker room sound like? Here's a possibility | Opinion

The trend in college football involves winning coaches leaking their pregame, halftime or postgame speeches on social media after victories. Notable examples include Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart. UCLA coach Bob Chesney's pregame speech leaked after the Bruins upset Oregon. The leaks seem to be intentional marketing for the program and coach, portraying the winning coach as a motivating orator.

However, losing coach pregame speeches rarely leak, leading to the question of why that is. One can only imagine the losing coach's speech, perhaps something like this:

The setting is the locker room, with the Ball Coach looking intensely, preparing to give a pregame speech. He declares that the opposing team laughs at them for thinking they've won. He asserts that his team has something the other team lacks: brotherhood, struggle, and an unwavering fight. He challenges the team to prove they haven't won yet. The coach unleashes some profanities and emphasizes the team's belief in themselves and each other. The team responds enthusiastically, ready to face the opponent.

The game begins, and despite the motivational speech, the losing team falls short. The opponent dominates, scoring a landslide victory. By the fourth quarter, walk-ons are running up the score. The game ends with a massive defeat, 70-0. The losing coach's postgame locker room speech is more subdued, accepting defeat and exhorting the team to try harder next time.

His pregame oration, while powerful, never leaks, remaining a lost opportunity. Blake Toppmeyer, the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist, reflects on this possibility.