COLUMBIA, S.C. — One play can make all the difference in a college football game. A Hail Mary. A fumble. A pick six.
The same rule can apply for social media.
Just ask the University of Kansas, which is the No. 1 team in this week’s Social Sports Pulse rankings from the University of South Carolina. The rankings measure which teams, players and coaches are the most influential on social media.
The official Kansas football account posted a video on X entitled “Heroes and Villains” to preview Friday night’s Border War game against Missouri. It went viral.
How viral? 37.3 million views viral.
And it took the Jayhawks to No. 1 in the Pulse rankings.
The video framed the heated rivalry through the historic lens of John Brown, Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War. The response was immediate and deeply divided. Social media posts were divided between “John Brown was right” and “John Brown was a terrorist.”
Kansas also played the video on its stadium’s big screen during the game, prompting Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz to address it in his postgame press conference. His comments sparked a second wave of social media attention.
“Kansas provides a textbook example of how teams can lose on the field but really move the needle on social media,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “Heated rivalries — both on the field and in the annals of history — bring out the passions of fans.”
Meanwhile, some of the weekend's biggest games moved the social media needle, including Michigan's takedown of Oklahoma. The Wolverines' continuing saga — on and off the field — kept Michigan at No. 2 in the Pulse.
There was the game of the week in Austin. Texas erased a 20-point deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat AP No. 1 Ohio State 24-23.
That was enough to take Texas to No. 1 in the AP poll, but only to No. 4 in the Pulse rankings. Ohio State landed at No 3.
| Rank | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 92.2 |
| 2 | Michigan | 90 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 83.7 |
| 4 | Texas | 59.4 |
| 5 | Indiana | 58.2 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 54.5 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 53.6 |
| 8 | Utah | 53.3 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 53 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 52.9 |
Malachi Toney topped the Pulse player rankings after Miami’s 77-7 blowout over Florida A&M. Toney made heads spin and social media networks light up after highlight-reel catch in the first quarter. He then struck the Heisman pose later in the game.
| Rank | Player | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malachi Toney | Miami | 86.3 |
| 2 | Bryce Underwood | Michigan | 82.2 |
| 3 | Arch Manning | Texas | 77.9 |
| 4 | John Mateer | Oklahoma | 77.4 |
| 5 | Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State | 75 |
| 6 | Sam Leavitt | LSU | 71.2 |
| 7 | Faizon Brandon | Tennessee | 66.3 |
| 8 | Darian Mensah | Miami | 65.3 |
| 9 | Mason Heintschel | Pittsburgh | 61.4 |
| 10 | Jayden Maiava | USC | 59.8 |
LSU’s Lane Kiffin and Michigan’s Kyle Whittingham took the top two spots in the coaches’ rankings, proving once again that the biggest coaching conversations aren't always about wins and losses.
Kentucky’s Will Stein was a new arrival in the Top 10 after boldly declaring before the Alabama game, “I’m the reason” Kentucky would win. The Wildcats led at halftime before falling 45-17.
| Rank | Coach | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lane Kiffin | LSU | 100 |
| 2 | Kyle Whittingham | Michigan | 83.3 |
| 3 | Mike Elko | Texas A&M | 61.9 |
| 4 | Will Stein | Kentucky | 58.7 |
| 5 | Pat Fitzgerald | Michigan State | 57.5 |
| 6 | Eric Morris | Oklahoma State | 55.8 |
| 7 | Manny Diaz | Duke | 54.8 |
| 8 | Steve Sarkisian | Texas | 54.7 |
| 9 | Deion Sanders | Colorado | 54.3 |
| 10 | Rich Rodriguez | West Virginia | 51.9 |
The Week Two rankings are based on social-media activity from Sept. 8 – Sept 15.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the College Sports Social Pulse™ transforms social-media conversation into insight about the teams, athletes and coaches shaping the culture and business of college sports.
The Pulse tracks the national conversation across major social platforms and uses advanced analytics to identify who is generating attention, engagement and emotional response — regardless of what happens on the scoreboard.