Athletic directors are hoping that this week's performance by their schools doesn't top what happened last week at Ohio State, Washington State and at other campuses throughout the country.
It's not the heroics by their respective football teams that have college officials concerned, but the histrionics of their fans. Post-game celebrations have gone from tearing down goal posts to other, more dangerous activities.
After a 14-9 victory over Michigan that secured a 12-0 record and a spot in the Bowl Championship Series national title game for the Buckeyes, fans burned cars and set at least a dozen fires in Columbus.
Washington State fans took their frustrations out after a controversial call led to visiting Washington winning, 29-26, in triple overtime. The Huskies were pelted with bottles as they were leaving the field in Pullman.
The incidents in Columbus, Ohio, and Pullman, Wash., were among a spate of eruptions on what has been called Rivalry Saturday. As a result, administrators are bracing for another round of explosive celebrations today.
"I think this is the worst I've ever seen, just in terms of wanton, random destruction and selfish, mindless behavior," Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said earlier this week.
Geiger, whose 32 years as a Division I athletic director included a stint at Maryland, said that most of the rowdy post-game celebrations have little to do with football and more to do with excessive drinking.
"Binge drinking on campuses has become epidemic," Geiger said. "There are kids here who are now full of remorse, but at the time they were absolutely blasted. We have to plead with parents and others to help prepare their children for life after being at home."
Many agree with Geiger, but Dr. Daniel Wann, a professor of psychology at Murray State (Ky.) University, believes the problem stems from drunken fans who suddenly feel they are part of a post-game ritual.
Just as their team was successful in outplaying the competition, Wann said that fans think they have to outdo their counterparts at other schools.
"You feel an enormous pressure to act in an antisocial way," said Wann, who has written more than 100 articles as well as a book, Sports Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Spectators.
Dr. Mark Shatz, who has worked extensively in the area of fan behavior while teaching at UCLA, said the combination of alcoholic-induced bravado and school spirit have turned traditionally diehard fans into a new breed capable of abhorrent behavior.
"These overly aggressive celebrations produce a high," Shatz said. "The fans are now the victorious and triumphant ones and they don't know they're fans anymore. They think they're players. They see an aggression of the players and it triggers an identification with them."
Tom Younce, director of public safety at North Carolina State, saw a potentially dangerous situation unfold last week at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh in the aftermath of the Wolfpack's 17-7 upset of Florida State.
But unlike two years ago after a nationally televised victory over Georgia Tech, when fans carried goal posts into the parking lot and shattered car windows, security at the stadium prevented a repeat performance.
Pepper spray was used to keep fans away from the goal posts and 21 arrests were made, most on charges of disorderly conduct. There were three injuries, including a broken leg.
Many of the arrests that day and night in Columbus were also on charges of disorderly conduct and holding open containers of alcohol. There were other incidents in Clemson, S.C., and Berkeley, Calif.
"I think it has been passed on that it's acceptable to tear down the goal posts," Younce said. "You don't see it at professional games. I think we have to start with an educational process and make sure we're serious about it."
Younce understands that students drinking before and after games is not an activity that is easily monitored. But he thinks that stiffer penalties, such as expulsion or criminal prosecution, might have to be more readily enforced.
Another suggestion might be for news operations such as ESPN not to show footage of the post-game celebrations.
"It seems that our young people like to get in front of a camera and do stupid things," Younce said.
Younce said that since students have been allowed to celebrate however they wanted for so long, they tend to think they're above the law when it comes to post-game parties, on or off the field.
Perhaps NCAA involvement could be the first step to finding a solution, Younce said.
"I think they've got to make a stronger statement, and from there it needs to go to the individual schools," Younce said.
"You also have to let the young people know that this is unacceptable, and then penalize students for it. If they misbehave, if they do significant damage, they'll have to pay the penalty."
Geiger said that, nearly a week after the school's most significant football victory in 24 years, there is as much anger in the community over the events that transpired on city streets near Ohio Stadium as there is elation over what happened on the field itself.
"There's no interest in leniency," Geiger said. "There has to be some due process, but damn little."
Some schools have taken steps to keep the post-game parties to a low roar rather than an out-of-control rage. Many schools have reinforced their goal posts in concrete, others have increased on-field security.
All those precautions were taken at Washington State, but that didn't prevent students and other fans from attacking the Huskies and those on their sideline with a barrage of bottles. Though most of the missiles were plastic, they did plenty of damage.
Several players suffered cuts and bruises, but the most serious injury was sustained by Craig Hill, a reporter for a Tacoma, Wash., newspaper. He was hit in the head by a plastic bottle and sustained a concussion.
Washington athletic director Barbara Hedges said shortly afterward that, "I feared for my life." A few days later, Hedges had toned down her comments only slightly.
"What occurred was alarming," Hedges said. "There was the possibility of serious injury."
That is what Wann was thinking as he watched the Murray State students crowd the field after their team's recent victory that clinched an Ohio Valley Conference title for the Racers.
"I was wondering how many people would get hurt and how much it [the damage] would cost the university," recalled Wann.
Wann realizes that these kind of celebrations have gone on for years, and some of them have been as frenzied as those that took place last weekend. Part of the problem, he said, is the media coverage they receive.
"These things may have happened, but they weren't on ESPN," Wann said.