Greatest Moments in College Football History

I've been wanting to do this lost for a long time. I don't think the order of the plays/notable happenings is really what has caused me to delay doing this for so long. As a matter of fact, it is actually the finding videos from youtube and other sources so I could help to document them. By the way, you will certainly not agree with this list because they are not all from bowl games or #1 vs. #2 matchups, but they are plays or memories that are so rare and so crazy that they make college football what it is, not just for today, but for the last 140 years. Hey, maybe I should have done 140 memories... nah that would take too long. Also, there will be no Cal-Stanford play on here because that would be too easy to pick #1, it's a major cliche, and its only real historical significance is that it kept John Elway from appearing in a bowl game. Let's get to it.

#50- Georgia vs. Georgia Tech 1999 "The Fumble?"- If you ask any Georgia Bulldogs fan about ballyhooed high school football legend Jasper Sanks, you'll get one of two responses. The first might be about what a disappointment he was, touted as the next Herschel Walker for a long time. The other will be anger about the fumble that should not have been called in this game. To recap, the Yellow Jackets took a 41-24 lead with him late in the 3rd quarter. 'Dawgs QB Quincy Carter responded by leading his team to 24 straight points and a 48-41 lead. Yellow Jackets QB Joe Hamilton responded with a TD pass and with only a few minutes remaining, Carter drove his team downfield where Sanks had a chance to win the game. Sanks got all the way to the 1, but he stretched out the ball, and with his knees obviously down, fumbled the ball and GT recovered. Surely the officials would make the right call? However, the officials never noticed and awarded the ball to GT, nullifying Georgia's opporunity for a chip-shot FG. In OT, Carter threw a pick in the end zone and after lining up for a game-winning FG, Yellow Jackets' K Luke Manget had a kick blocked, but realizing he couldn't give up on the play, backup QB George Godsey recovered the block. Since GT had attempted the FG on 3rd down, they had one last chance and this time,Manget nailed the kick, giving GT a thrilling 51-48 win. Sanks fumble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1mwd5hnldc http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Georgia%20vs.%20GA%20Tech%201999&cts=1248841943970&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

#49 BYU vs. San Diego St. 1991 The Wacky WAC- It was the next-to-last regular season game of Ty Detmer's amazing career for the Cougars. He was facing a dangerous Aztecs team led by speedster WRs Patrick Rowe and Darnay Scott and talented freshman TB Marshall Faulk. Playing in San Diego, the Aztecs started off fast, seemingly on their way to a huge blowout. They actually went up 45-17 in the 3rd quarter, but Detmer rallied the troops with his precision passing and the will he showed throughout his career. No matter how many times Detmer was faced with an impossible task, such as beating #1 Miami (FL) at home in 1990, or suffering multiple injuries, he kept playing and succeeding. He ultimately led the Cougars back to a 52-52 tie, the highest-scoring tie in NCAA history. Detmer finished the game 31-of-54 for 599 yards and 6 TDs with 3 INTs, while Aztecs' QB David Lowery was 26-of-39 for 568 yards and 5 TDs, with just 1 INT. This was easily one of the most impressive passing displays of all-time, as the two QBs combined for 1167 yards, just behind Arizona State's Paul Justin and Houston's David Klingler, who combined for 1190 yards in 1990, and the TCU-Houston game, also from 1990, where Klingler and Horned Frogs' QB Matt Vogler combined for 1253 yards. The BYU-S.D. State highlights start at 7:30 here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAuJAckYRNs and they continue here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnVtnwiFQE8

#48 Tennessee vs. Notre Dame 1991 "The Miracle in South Bend"- This game holds a special place in any Vols fan's heart. It was a tough game, especially after losing at home in Knoxville to the Irish the year before. I remember visiting Knoxville and Neyland Stadium in 1993 and going to the gift shop that wasn't even a mile from the stadium, where they were already selling videos of this game. It was THAT special/important. Andy Kelly, the up-and-down Vols' QB was having a horrible game, and all it took to turn things around for him and the offense was a blocked FG at the end of the first half that DB Floyd Miley took all the way for a TD. Vols' TB Aaron Hayden scored two important TDs in the second half. However, the comeback wasn't all the Vols' offense, they owed part of their success to Fighting Irish coach Lou Holtz's inexplicable 2nd half gameplan. Holtz decided to throw the ball, despite having FB Jerome Bettis and TB Reggie Brooks, two bruising backs. Even after the Vols took a 35-34 lead, Irish QB Rick Mirer took his team down to the Vols' 9-yard line with :04 left. Walk-on K Rob Leonard had the chance to become a folk hero by subbing for usual P/K Craig Hentrich, but his kick was blocked by DB Jeremy Lincoln. Holtz called this game his most difficult loss. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOXrjUGBIIM

#47 Texas A&M vs. Texas 1998 Ricky Williams Sets Div I-A Rushing Record- For some reason, only the rushing record seems to have a lot of importance to the national media. When Doug Flutie set the total offense mark, Ty Detmer broke the passing record and even when Miami (OH)'s Travis Prentice set the touchdowns and points mark, no one much cared. However, when Ricky Williams of Texas was on pace to break Tony Dorsett's long-standing career rushing record, not only was ABC on hand to broadcast the game, but Dorsett himself showed up in Austin. Late in the first quarter, Williams needed only 9 yards to break the record and went off tackle, right past the entire Aggies' "Wrecking Crew" defense. He went 60 yards for the TD and ended with 295 yards overall, his 12th 200-yard rushing game of his career, an achievement only he, USC's Marcus Allen and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne can boast about. Ironically, Dayne would break Williams' rushing mark the following season, but for this one day in late November, it was Ricky's time to shine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7nSNJiF-m8&feature=related

#46 Rice vs. Alabama 1954 Cotton Bowl Alabama's Sideline Tackle- In one of the great, all-time rushing performances, Owls' HB Dicky Moegle ran for 265 yards on just 11 carries. He ran for TDs of 79, 34 and 95 yards. It was a record-breaking performance, but the real memory would not be of his total yardage, but the longest TD run, which came in the 2nd quarter. As Moegle took a quick handoff and raced outside, he appeared to be on his way for a TD, but a few Crimson Tide defenders did have an angle on him if they had the speed (keyword "if"). However, Tide captain and FB Tommy Lewis decided to take him down himself, even though he wasn't one of the legal 11 men on the field. Writing about it just doesn't do it justice, take a look at the clip for yourself here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSteCSinjTs

#45 Youngstown St. vs. Georgia Southern 1999 Div I-AA National Championship "The Run"- The Georgia Southern Eagles have had many great teams, winning multiple national championships and thriving on their flexbone/option offense that was made famous by OC Paul Johnson in 1985-86, when they won back-to-back national titles behind option maestro Tracy Ham. Twelve years later the Eagles would lose to UMass in the national title game, but Adrian Peterson, the Eagles' bruising FB who was just a sophomore, would take his team back to the promised land in 1999 to face perennial I-AA power Youngstown State, coached by Jim Tressel. With the Penguins on the ropes, Johnson went to Peterson up the gut, on a quick option dive play where Peterson broke multiple tackles and showed why he was the Payton Award winner for 1999. Even though he wouldn't score a TD, perhaps Peterson peaked as a player during this moment. He was perhaps the greatest college football player no one saw play on a regular basis. Peterson would run for 9000 yards during his career, including the playoffs, as he averaged 160 yards per game, every game, for his entire career. The run comes at the 3:00 mark of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOhszINT8v4

#44 Michigan vs. Washington 1993 Rose Bowl Tyrone Wheatley's Day- After scoring the lone TD for the Wolverines in mop-up duty in the previous year's Rose Bowl, Wheatley had a near record-breaking performance in 1993. What was impressive was not that he compiled 235 yards against a good Huskies' run D, but that he did it in barely three quarters before leaving with a back injury. Wheatley opened his account with a 56-yard burst in the 2nd quarter, but it was the Rose Bowl record 88-yard run that showed why he was an amazing mixture of power and speed. Wheatley finished off his day at the end of the 3rd with a 24-yard scoring jaunt, his third of the day, and it only took him 15 carries. Luckily for Wolverines' fans, steady QB Elvis Grbac led a game-winning drive that ended with a TD pass to Tony McGee as Michigan avenged the previous year's beatdown with a 38-31 win, capping off a 9-0-3 season and #5 ranking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jxgr1B9G4A&feature=related

#43 Oregon State vs. Villanova 1962 Liberty Bowl A Bowl Record That Can Never Be Broken- The OSU Beavers have never had a strong program. They don't frequent the top 10 on an annual basis, and from 1971 to 1998, they couldn't even post a winning season. There was one shining star for the Beavers during that time period, both on the football field and the basketball court, Heisman Tropy winning QB Terry Baker. Baker was a phenomenal athlete who could run or pass with equal success and when his team faced Villanova in a freezing, icy Liberty Bowl, he was advised not to run the ball because of a bad shoulder. However, with his team stuck at it's own end, inches from a safety, he took a snap from center, got hit, headed to the outside and picked up a few blockers. Just looking to create breathing space for his team and get them out of their own end, he realized he was home free as he scored on a 99-yard TD run, still the longest in bowl history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaCi9JO0cVE&feature=related

#42 Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia 1999 "The Miracle in Morgantown"- Very few freshman, whether they had just stepped on campus or were players who had been previously redshirted have impacted college football on a national level like Michael Vick. Vick was a decent passing threat, but the real danger always came from his legs. The Hokies were of course a national player before Vick arrived, but the highest they had ever finished in the polls was #10 in 1996. Vick made it his mission to change all that, and even though his team was undefeated heading into their annual rivalry showdown with West Virginia, they still trailed Penn State and Florida State in the BCS rankings. Well, Vick's opportunity came on that November 6th day, realizing that the Nittany Lions had been upset by Minnesota earlier in the day in Happy Valley. The Hokies had taken a 19-7 lead, but backup QB Brad Lewis saved the game for the Mountaineers, pitching two quick TDs. Trailing now 20-19 with 1:15 left, Vick started his epic drive and made the play of the game with under :30 left and the clock running as he faked like he was going to run out of bounds, before turning upfield and stepping out of bounds in field goal range. Clutch Hokies' K Shayne Graham nailed a 44-yd FG as time expired and a legend was born. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3nfLFTmaU

#41 Kansas St. vs. Texas A&M Big XII Title Game and Miami (FL) vs. UCLA 1998 "The BCS Era Begins"- Well, it's been a decade and by now everyone knows how screwed up the BCS is. Sure, it has given us some memorable moments, just check out the top 10 of the list when you get there. However, the final weekend of games for 1998 was just a glimpse into the future as chaos took over the national landscape. Kansas St. was #3 in the BCS and undefeated, barely trailing UCLA, also undefeated in the BCS standings. The Wildcats had the advantage of playing #10 Texas A&M in the Big XII title game, hoping a win there could leapfrog them over the Bruins who had to play the 7-3 Miami (FL) Hurricanes. K-State had an even bigger edge because they were playing in St. Louis, a definite homefield edge over the Aggies. The Aggies were clearly overmatched from the start, trailing 17-3 as former Peyton Manning backup at Tennessee, Branndon Stewart, had an off day passing. Michael Bishop, K-State's dynamic QB on the other hand, compiled 442 yards running and passing. Trailing 27-12, Stewart miraculously rallied the troops, pitching a TD to Leroy Hodge and then Sirr Parker, the versatile TB/FL/KR who was so highly touted of HS. The latter score came with just 1:05 left, and the following 2-point conversion, also a pass to Parker, sent the game into OT. The Aggies trailed 33-30 in the second OT after K-State K Martin Gramatica nailed yet another FG. Facing a brutal 3rd-and-17 from the 32, Stewart threw a dramatic TD pass to Parker, who merely caught a quick slant that was well short of a first down. However, he broke a few tackles and after a few nice moves, K-State's BCS dreams were over, they were headed to the Alamo Bowl (where they would lose to Purdue). This opened the door for UCLA, who was already #2. However, the Bruins always had a suspect defense throughout the season, and the D reared it's ugly head once again. Although it was a back-and-forth affair, the Bruins allowed 689 yards of total offense to a 'Canes squad that was just ok offensively and only featured one big star, TB Edgerrin James. James pummeled the Bruins by rushing for 299 yards and 3 TDs, while future NFL'er managed a TD run for the U as well. Bruins' QB Cade McNown did a fine job passing, piling up 513 yards and 5 TDs through the air, including a rushing TD as well. However, the Bruins just couldn't hold on and in retrospect, maybe they wish they hadn't rescheduled this game, as it had to be moved from it's earlier date due to Hurricane George. http://miami.fandome.com/video/75688/1998-Miami-vs-UCLA/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0hUMfrkwOM&feature=related

#40 Indiana vs. Michigan "King Carter"- Anthony Carter, who would go on to be a sure-fire College Football Hall of Fame inductee, produces an amazing 45-yard TD reception from John Wrangler on the last play of the game for Michigan vs. Indiana. He evaded at least 3 defenders on what should have been a deep crossing pass, but nowhere near long enough to score a TD. Poor Lee Corso, IU's coach at the time, must have been devastated. The call by long-time Michigan play-by-play guy, Bob Ufer, puts it in the top 25.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEF6edfexco

#39 Florida vs. Florida St "The Choke at Doak"- After Danny Wuerffel had led the Gators to an incredible 31-3 lead on the road, things looked over for the Seminoles heading into the 4th. However, Danny Kanell wouldn't let his team give up and commanded one of the great 4th quarter comebacks of all-time. It all ended with a short TD run and Bobby Bowden settling for a tie because he didn't want his team's 28-point comeback to be for nothing. This game wasn't important in the national title race, but it helped set up a bowl rematch and kept alive the Seminoles hopes of another top 5 finish, something they had done every year since 1987 and would continue to do until 2001.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U14orBc2xws

#38 Miami vs. Boston College 2001 Ed Reed, Superman- He was probably the best play-making DB of the 2000s so far. He was easily the most important DB to a national championship winning team since Charles Woodson of Michigan in 1997. Although he was surrounded with amazing talent at the CB, LB and DL positions, it was Reed who made most of the big plays. In the season finale against VA Tech he intercepted Hokies' QB Grant Noel twice to become the school's all-time leader in picks with 21. However, it was a few weeks earlier against Boston College where he made his biggest play; only up 12-7, the 'Canes needed to stop the Eagles inside the 20, when BC QB Brian St. Pierre threw a low pass that was intercepted by DL Matt Walters who returned the ball 10 yards before Reed came in and stripped it from him, taking the rest of the way, 80 yards, for the game-clinching score. I argued way back when that Dorsey or Reed, perhaps Miami's entire defense should have gotten the Heisman because there's no way Nebraska QB Eric Crouch deserved it. BC play starts at 2:24 mark of the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JZ0LZsNuZ8&feature=related

#37 Auburn vs. Florida 1994 "Showdown in the Swamp"- The Tigers had won 17 straight under Terry Bowden since going on probation and their 2-year stretch during 93-94 will often be overlooked because of the probation. To show just how disrespected the Tigers were even then, Florida was #1 and favored, like they were during just about every home game under Steve Spurrier, despite losing to Auburn the year before, 38-35. The Tigers knew exactly what they had to do to win, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and counter-punching with the pass-happy, quick strike Gators' offense. Spurrier, noted most for his ability to switch QBs on a moment's notice, pulled the struggling Terry Dean for Danny Wuerffel, who rallied his team to take the lead twice in the 4th quarter. Late in the game, however, Wuerffel made his biggest mistake, throwing a horrible, ill-advised pass that was intercepted by Brian Robinson. After struggling to gain yardage, underrated Tigers' QB Patrick Nix found Willie Gosha for a first down along the sidelines and then drilled a beautiful pass to Frank Sanders in the end zone for a 36-33 lead with :30 left. After a few heaves downfield had no chance, the clock expired and Auburn had walked out of the Swamp just the 2nd visiting team to defeat Spurrier in Gainesville. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESr_jrqkihs&feature=related

#36 Boise St. vs. Oklahoma 2007 Fiesta Bowl "The Statue of Liberty Play"- First off, let me just say that I realize this game should be much higher according to some people, but this game is mostly remembered for it's final few minutes. This is what happens in a lot of games, take Super Bowl XXXIV for example, where the Titans-Rams played one of the most boring games in history up until the 3rd quarter, but luckily Steve McNair and Kurt Warner salvaged an extremely memorable finish. Nevertheless, the Broncos did make it somewhat compelling in the first half by gaining an early advantage and finding the will to stop Sooners' superstar RB Adrian Peterson. Thanks to a fine rushing performance by Ian Johnson and the intelligent passing of Jared Zabransky, the Broncsos were up until Sooners' QB Paul Thompson hit WR Quentin Chaney for a TD to setup a 2-pt conversion opportunity that tied the game. The Broncos were going for the win when Sooners' CB Marcus Walker intercepted an errant Zabransky pass and took it 33 yards for a TD. Down 35-28, the Broncos had to rally and a beautiful hook-and-lateral play ended with Boise WR Jerard Rabb scampering for the tying TD. After Peterson ran for a TD to give OU a 35-28 lead, Broncos' WR Vinny Perretta took a direct snap and threw a TD pass to TE Derek Schouman. Broncos' coach Chris Petersen decided to go for 2 immediately and devised a brilliant play to win the game; Zabransky executed a perfect fake pass and handoff behind his back to Johnson, who went in for the game-winning 2 point conversion. It was a surprising moment to say the least and the signal that any non-BCS team could win an important bowl game, especially over a big-name program like OU. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGz3nDohWR8

#35 Houston vs. Notre Dame 1979 Cotton Bowl "Joe Cool"- In possibly the worst playing conditions in Cotton Bowl history, the Irish completed one of the all-time great comebacks in bowl history. The Cougars, led by RB Emmett King and QB Danny Davis, perfectly ran head coach Bill Yeoman's offense to a 34-12 lead in the 4th quarter. After Steve Cichy returned a blocked punt for a TD and Joe Montana completed a pass for a 2-point conversion, the Irish trailed only 34-20 with around seven minutes to play. After they got the ball back, the Irish struck again as Montana ran for a short TD and then another 2-point conversion, this time to Kris Haines. The Cougars tried to run out the clock with under 2 minutes to play and after an offsides penalty on the Irish, Yeoman decided to go for it on 4th-and-inches. In a dramatic effort, Irish DT Joe Gramke shutdown King at the point of attack and Montana struck one final time. After a nice run, Montana threw a low pass to Haines in the end zone who made a fantastic catch, setting up K Joe Unis to make the winning extra point. Considering Montana was battling hypothermia for most of the first half and had to eat chicken soup at halftime just to lower his body temperature, this is easily one of the greatest comebacks in college football history. Blocked kick to start the comeback: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSjHl_LeLic Final TD pass and XP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu1Ce4yzzo4

#34 Michigan vs. Ohio State 1995 "Tim's Big Day"- It's happened quite a few times in this rivalry; either OSU or Michigan would show up to the big game undefeated and ready to claim a national championship opportunity, but unfortunately, the other would ruin those plans. Many times in the 90s it would happen to the Buckeyes. In 1993, 1995 and 1996, the Buckeyes would only lose a total of four games, and three of those would come against the Wolverines. In 1995, the Buckeyes seemed to have their best team; Eddie George was a Heisman winning TB, Bobby Hoying was an efficient QB thanks to Terry Glenn's receiving and Orlando Pace's blocking, while DE Mike Vrabel and CB Shawn Springs led an outstanding defense. The problem for OSU was, this mattered very little to Wolverines' TB Tim Biakabutuka. Biakabutuka may not have scored a ton of TDs against the Buckeyes that season, but his rushing performance of 313 yards on 37 carries was one for the ages as he willed Michigan to victory. He had almost 200 yards in the first half alone. He only got stronger as the game wore on. Ironically, Biakabutuka's power running helped to setup 2 TDs by freshman Clarence Williams, one on a reception early in the game, and another late to seal it at 31-23. If you've ever wanted to see a RB get into a zone against a big-time opponent, click on this link right here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkZPug8NLXo

#33 Auburn vs. Alabama 1972 "Punt, Bama, Punt"- Crimson Tide coach Paul "Bear" Bryant may have been the smartest coach of all-time, as he knew how to stop any opponent with any scheme, no matter how good the opposing coach was. However, it was an innocent comment about Alabama's main rival being a "cow college" that inspired the Tigers to a dramatic comeback victory. The Tigers fell behind 16-0, but never fear, David Langer was there. Trailing the Tide with under six minutes to play, Tigers' LB Bill Newton blocked a Greg Gantt punt that CB Langer returned all the way for a TD. A Tigers' comeback seemed much more realistic, but they still needed six points and their offensive could do nothing all game. Amazingly, with under 2 minutes to play, the same thing happened yet again, even though the Auburn radio announcer identified Roger Mitchell as the player who blocked the kick amid all the hysteria. Newton, a walk-on at Auburn, had finally lived his dream, not just by helping the Tigers win the game on special teams, but he contributed 22 tackles to go along with his heroics. The radio broadcast would become so famous that Auburn fans bought upwards of 20,000 copies, probably just to taunt their in-state rivals. What's even more amazing is that the Tigers only accumulated 80 yards of total offense, but still, they ended up winning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIsbeUefKNM

#32 Harvard vs. Yale 1968 "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29"- Football historians will tell you that this annual rivalry is simply known as "The Game." Even in the New England area of the country, this is probably still the most important game, year-in, year-out. Both teams came into the game undefeated, with the Ivy League title on the line. The Bulldogs came armed with QB Brian Dowling, a versatile player who could win any game by himself. He almost did just that, scoring 4 TDs, 2 through the air and 2 on the ground, his final one giving Yale a 29-13 lead. The Bulldogs were in position to clinch the game late at the Crimson 14 when a fumble gave Harvard one last chance. Crimson QB Frank Champi led a courageous, 14 play, 86 yard drive, ending it with a 2-point conversion. Down 29-21 with little time left to play, the Crimson executed a perfect onside kick with 42 seconds left. Champi again drove his team downfield, but on the final play, as time expired, he couldn't find a receiver. Eventually, he found HB Vic Gatto in the corner of the end zone to setup a 2-point conversion for a dramatic tie. Luckily for Crimson fans, Champi threw a perfect strike to Pete Varney to salvage the game. Even though neither team won, Harvard's school newspaper printed the now infamous headline, "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sveyK5xFHzU

#31 Michigan vs. Notre Dame 1989 "Lightning Strikes Twice"- It was the 25th time in college football history that the APs top two teams met in a battle for supremacy. It was only fitting that these two rivals would be the ones in the game, and it was also the earliest date in history for such a matchup to take place. The game was rather boring in some respects; for instance, the Irish, who were quite explosive on offense, only had one offensive TD, while Wolverines' QB Michael Taylor was knocked out of the game and freshman Elvis Grbac took his place. The real star was "Rocket" Ismail, the Irish's unbelievable KR/PR/FL/RB, who would take not one, but two kickoffs back for TDs. His second, a 92-yarder, gave the Irish an insurmountable lead, at least in this defensive battle. Ismail's speed, and these returns as a matter of fact, just can't be explained as words don't do either justice. As a matter of fact, take a look for yourself... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ht---NAvSY&feature=related

#30 Nebraska vs. Missouri 1997 "Immaculate Reception II"- The Tigers have always had a decent program, but never anything great or have they received national publicity until recently. In the 60s they did make it into the top 10 a few times and then in the late 70s, Kellen Winslow helped to author some good teams. However, for a long stretch from 1984 to 1995 they were awful. They won 5 games just one time during that span. The man who helped to turn the program around was dazzling QB Corby Jones, one of the most underrated players in the early days of the Big XII. His 1997 season produced over 2500 yards of total offense and 26 TDs for a team that needed every point, as TB Brock Olivo was good, but not a superstar. Before their early November showdown with the 'Huskers, winners of two of the previous three national championships, no one gave them a shot, even though the game was to be played in Columbia. Jones led the Tigers throughout the matchup, throwing for 233 yards and 3 TDs as Mizzou held a 38-31 lead with just over a minute left in the game. The main problem for the Tigers was that 'Huskers coach Tom Osborne's teams could always throw the football, they just never had to do it much. QB Scott Frost proved his passing ability on a clutch 67-yard drive that ended with a dramatic pass to WB Shevin Wiggins in the end zone. The odd thing was, Wiggins didn't catch the ball, but managed to kick it over his head as he was falling to WR Matt Davison who caught the ball only inches off the turf. The Tigers and their fans were distraught, quite possibly the biggest win in Missouri history had been taken away from them. After Frost ran for a TD in OT and Jones was sacked on 4th down, the 'Huskers had shown the heart of a champion as they would go on to win a share of the national title in 1997. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvTaN1uplS4&feature=related

#29 USC vs. UCLA 1967 "OJ's Big Run"- The biggest misconception about this game still remains that this was a battle of #1 vs. #2. Well, that's not true because Tennessee was ranked behind UCLA at #2 in the polls, while Purdue was just ahead of #4 USC at the third spot. Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, they wouldn't get to play the winner of this game or the AAWU conference because they lost their regular season finale to Indiana, which sent the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl. Anyways, back to the LA rivalry. The game didn't quite play out as the possible shootout some had predicted. Bruins' QB Gary Beban had a hard time finding openings in the terrific Trojan defense, while only a 13-yard TD run by Simpson and a terrific defensive play by DB Mark Gustafson kept the Trojans in the lead at halftime, 14-7. Early in the 4th quarter, with his team trailing by six, OJ made the kind of play every Heisman winner should be able to make. Trojans' QB Steve Sogge audibled to a running play for Simpson from his own 36 and after a quick handoff up the middle, OJ had turned the corner and was racing upfield for big yardage when he saw his opening. After a beautiful cutback move and some fine blocking from his teammates downfield, Simpson had ran 64 yards with the game-winning score. The funny thing about the audible was that it surprised Simpson, who had been exhausted after rushing the ball so many times and being asked to take kickoff return duties as well. Simpson would finish rushing 30 times for 177 yards and two scores as his Trojans won and eventually took home the national title. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNUhKC7CCYU

#28 Northwestern vs. Notre Dame 1995 "Taking the Purple to Pasadena"- It was the first of a very long, hard road for Wildcats' coach Gary Barnett, and his mission to take Northwestern to their 2nd Rose Bowl in history. It's really hard to imagine just how bad Northwestern had been; before 1995 and since 1953, the Wildcats had only six winning seasons and no bowl games, while finishing in the top 3 of the Big 10 only three times. Luckily for Barnett he had a nice building block of workhorse TB Darnell Autry, All-American LB Pat Fitzgerald, S Eric Collier, dynamic D'Wayne Bates at WR, and QB Steve Schnur, a player who was anything but spectacular, but rarely made stupid mistakes that killed his team. In NU's season opener at South Bend, the Irish were nearly four touchdown favorites, but thanks to a few costly turnovers, the Irish fell behind many times. Thanks to a TD pass from Schnur to WR Dave Beazley the Wildcats were up 10-9 in the 2nd quarter thanks to a botched extra point by the Irish. As Autry controlled the ball for NU on the ground, the Irish struggled to score points and a beautiful TD pass from Schnur to Bates put the Wildcats up by 8. The Irish would eventually score on a short TD run, but Irish QB Ron Powlus tripped over a teammate's foot and the 2-point conversion opportunity had no shot. It was an important win for the Wildcats as they started their magical run to Pasadena. Commentary before the Notre Dame game starts about 7:10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIRvWmb4e5U&feature=PlayList&p=186121328ABAE0B1&index=0&playnext=1
Highlights start here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX9NyJBUdDc&feature=PlayList&p=186121328ABAE0B1&index=1

#27 USC vs. Notre Dame 2005 "The Push"- In most seasons, this would have been far and away the best game of the year. It featured former Heisman winner Matt Leinart at QB for USC and eventual Heisman RB Reggie Bush. Also, for Notre Dame, QB Brady Quinn was finally erasing a decade of erratic QB play and had his team ranked in the top 10 and 4-1. The Trojans had won 27 in a row, but that mattered little to Quinn who threw for 265 yards and scored the go-ahead TD for the Irish with 2:04 remaining. Although USC was a dominant team at this point in their unbeaten run, rarely had they needed a two-minute drill to win games. Facing a tense 4th down deep in his own end, Leinart audibled at the line of scrimmage and drilled a perfect strike to Dwayne Jarrett who was streaking past Irish CB Ambrose Wooden. Jarrett appeared on his way to score, but was eventually dragged down. Leinart then tried to save the game by scrambling for a TD, but as he was going for the score, he dove and the ball flew out of bounds. The officials were confused and the clock ticked to all zeros. As Irish fans flooded the field in celebration, the field crew was scrambling to get them off, knowing USC had one down (at least) left. The question was whether the ball should be placed where Leinart's forward progress had been stopped, which ultimately would have meant the clock would run out on USC's season, or if the clock should be stopped and placed near the 5, where the ball appeared to go out of bounds. After the confusion had died down, the officials gave USC the ball at the Irish one, where Trojans coach Pete Carroll signaled multiple times to Leinart to simply spike the ball. However, Leinart kept the ball and thanks to his second effort, and a convenient push from teammate Bush, he rolled over the pile of bodies and into the end zone, effectively sealing the victory. It could easily be argued that USC had cheated, as no offensive player is allowed to push another to gain yardage, but the call is rarely made in these short-yardage situations, as any attempt to block a player in a pile could be ruled as illegal. No matter which side you choose, it was a great game with a dramatic finish that setup the classic BCS title game later in the year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b7fkj_3cuM

#26 Ohio State vs. Arizona State 1997 Rose Bowl "Jake is 'Snake'-Bitten"- Jake Plummer, the folk hero of Tempe, had miraculously guided his Sun Devils into an undefeated season heading into the Rose Bowl, which was only ASU's 2nd appearance in the grand-daddy of them all (rival Arizona is still the only Big 10/Pac-10 team not to make it). The Buckeyes looked to prove they were among the nation's elite after another heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the season finale put them at 10-1.

Quick tangent here; just think, if OSU wins against Michigan, this is for the national title, Wuerffel still wins the Sugar Bowl rematch against FSU but probably doesn't get drafted as highly and maybe without a national title, Spurrier never leaves to coach the Redskins. If Spurrier never leaves, he couldn't hire any former Gators' QB to stink up D.C., Ron Zook doesn't come to Gainesville to stink out the program, get fired and force the Gators to hire Urban Meyer, who wouldn't have been able to bring his spread offense to Florida and recruit Tim Tebow. So, if OSU simply beats Michigan in 1996, does Tim Tebow never exist (at least not in this God-like context he is considered now)? That was fun, I just wanted to mention it.

Anyways, this was a fantastic game, but poor Buckeyes coach John Cooper was doing a worse job of shuffling QBs than the aforementioned Spurrier. The Sun Devils took an early 10-7 lead thanks to a TD pass from Plummer to WR Ricky Boyer, even though the ball hit the turf (watch any replay and you'll see). Nonetheless, Buckeyes' QB Joe Germaine found Dimitrious Stanley on a post pattern that covered 72 yards and the Buckeyes were back out in front. The Buckeyes QB carousel was maddening; Stanley Jackson, who threw the first TD pass of the game for OSU, was pulled for Germaine but after Germaine couldn't complete a pass, Jackson was re-inserted. OSU tried to extend their lead time and time again under Jackson but could do nothing, setting up a dramatic drive for Plummer as the seconds ticked away. Plummer had completed a clutch 4th-and-4 situation with a beautiful fade route to Lenzie Jackson, but as he tried to find the end zone with the clock ticking, nobody was open. With freshman LB'ing sensation Andy Katzenmoyer breathing down his neck, Plummer evaded the tackler and went diving into the end zone for a 17-14 lead with 1:40 to play. Jake had done it again, or had he? Germaine came into the game one last time, and it was poor coaching by ASU that let the Buckeyes drive downfield. Facing constant pressure because they were calling all-out blitzes, Sun Devil defenders were twice called for pass interference. Dimitrious Stanley was the star of the drive catching 3 huge passes, but WR David Boston was the game's hero catching a beautiful pass in the flat for a 5-yard TD, his second touchdown of the game. The Sun Devils national championship dreams were dashed and Ohio State finished #2 in the land. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1HtofWTGGk&feature=PlayList&p=117EB587AA4DE988&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=21

Tune in soon for the next edition as we count down from #25 to #1. What will be the greatest moment in college football history?