In order for the Panthers to qualify for the playoffs, they must wait to hear what happens between Buckley and Arnett Mead. With their fate in the hands of another school, all the town can do is pray.

Away from the field, there is no shortage of drama in Dillon. Henry Saracen shocks Matt by deciding not to go back to Iraq. Elated, Matt urges Buddy Garrity to get his dad a job at the dealership. Buddy tells Matt not to worry and provides Mr. Saracen with a sales job.

Henry finds adjusting to civilian life difficult, however, and Matt comes to the realization that his dad can't stay. Matt tells him he understands if wants (needs) to go back to Iraq, and says he'll be fine with Grandma, who has shown improvement. Matt, too, has shown improvement in regards to his own maturation as a team leader as well as a responsible young adult.

Upon seeing Matt's family situation, Julie remains focused and concerned about him and is deeply affected, even telling her parents that they are the best in the whole world! While Coach just nods happily, Mrs. T knows immediately that there's something awry and talks to Julie about it.

It had already been a long day for Coach Taylor, having been subpoenaed in regards to Jason Street's lawsuit against Dillon High School. Coach keeps his cool but laments the ways in which the world works these days.

Eric Taylor decides to pay a visit to Mitch (Jason's father) at work, in order to possibly straighten things out outside the courtroom. But it goes nowhere. In fact, it raises the tension even higher.

The next day, Jason hits up local corner store where the owner, who Jason knows well, basically ignores him. Seeing that morning's newspaper - and his picture in it (in the lead story about the lawsuit) - an irate #6 goes home as quickly as his chair affords him and accosts his parents.

Later, Jason goes to school and tells Coach Taylor that he will always be his coach, and that the lawsuit was not his idea. In fact, he fought hard against his folks filing it.

Smash continues to pursue his rekindled childhood friend Waverly, who has issues with the fact that Smash, well, loves Smash. He and Matt and Julie devise a plan (mostly Smash's plan) to lie to her in order to make her believe Smash attends musicals and shows and stuff with them - which she later discovers is bogus, of course.

Tyra finds herself dealing with her mom and yet another bad relationship. Her mother's newest boyfriend makes sexist comments to her, and Tyra, and treats them like his servant. One night Tyra's mom and he get into a fight and he hits her. Tyra grabs a knife and runs after him until he leaves.

Smash, back to being Smash, wins the county fair's arm wrestling contest and admits to Waverly that he loves the attention and excitement football brings him. But he also likes her, a lot, and doesn't want to let her get away again. As the credits roll, we learn that Buckley has beaten Arnett Mead and the Dillon Panthers have subsequently snuck into the playoffs!