The 20 best Sugar Bowl games of all time

Sometimes, great individual performances are worthy of recognition when the result is not all that competitive. Despite taking a shot to the ribs that resulted in a targeting penalty and ejection for Clemson's James Skalski in the second quarter, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields wasn't down long. He returned and went 22-of-28 for 385 yards with six touchdown passes and an interception during the Buckeyes' decisive victory over the Tigers. Fields also ran for 48 yards on eight carries while playing with ribs so sore that he had trouble walking.

There haven't been many better individual Sugar Bowl performances than Tim Tebow's in 2010. Tebow saved the best for last for his final collegiate performance. He set a Sugar Bowl record by completing his first 12 passes. When it was done, and the Gators completed their rout of the Bearcats, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner had put up 31-of-35 for a Sugar Bowl and Bowl Championship Series-record 482 yards passing. He also ran for 51, resulting in a bowl-record 533 total yards, to go along with three passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

Drama on and off the field was aplenty leading up to this New Year's Eve matchup. Off-field issues by some Hokies players and the future of coach Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech made headlines — along with the fact Texas had a 30-year-old player using an assumed name and out of college eligibility. The Longhorns claimed the latter proved to be a notable pre-game distraction for a squad with one loss and a tie and riding a six-game winning streak. The Hokies' Brian Still caught six passes for 119 yards with a touchdown and returned a punt for a score. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech's defense stymied the Texas offense en route to closing the season on a 10-game winning streak after starting 0-2.

For the Volunteers, the 1991 Sugar Bowl was a case of better late than never. The Volunteers, who trailed 16-0 at halftime, scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and did not take their first lead of the game until Tony Thompson scored from one yard out with 31 seconds left. The difference can likely be traced back to the fourth quarter when Tennessee scored three touchdowns while Virginia was limited to three made field goals. The Cavaliers also had an extra point blocked in the first quarter.

Georgia took an 11-2 record into the Sugar Bowl, where it was a hefty 11-point favorite over 9-4 Texas. However, the Bulldogs had lost the SEC Championship game, and plenty felt they wouldn't be focused on this contest. Well, that seemed to be the case. Behind two touchdown runs from quarterback Sam Ehlinger, the Longhorns jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead. Another Ehlinger rushing score in the fourth quarter pushed Texas' advantage to 28-7. Georgia made a late push with two touchdowns but lost while totaling 284 total yards.

During the 2008 season, Utah was ranked No. 6 in the BCS standings and took a 12-0 record into the Sugar Bowl as a non-automatic qualifier against the mighty 12-1 Crimson Tide. Still, many believed the Utes would falter. However, Utah jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and ended up pulling away from the comfortably favored Tide to complete a perfect season  with nothing to show except a sense of extreme pride. The Utes' Brian Johnson went 27-of-41 for 336 yards with three touchdown passes.

Yes, Ohio State was 12-1 entering the playoff, but the emergence of Cardale Jones in the wake of quarterback J.T. Barrett's injury helped it roll to a national title when few expected that to happen. The Buckeyes had to work to knock off the top-ranked Crimson Tide in this semifinal matchup.  Ohio State trailed 21-6 in the second quarter, then proceeded to score 28 straight points. Ezekiel Elliott (230 rushing yards, 20 carries) then delivered the backbreaker via an 85-yard touchdown run with 3:24 remaining in the contest.

The Hurricanes were the reigning national champions, had won 29 in a row, and boasted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Gino Torretta. Of course, Alabama was no slouch at 12-0 but entered this contest as a 10-point underdog to top-ranked Miami. The No. 2 Crimson Tide dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They rushed for 267 yards while holding Miami to 48 on the ground and just two field goals to build a 27-6 lead en route to winning the program's first national title since 1979.

We go back to where it all began. The very first Sugar Bowl was played on New Year's Day of 1935, with New Orleans' own Tulane playing host to Tempe. Though this was a home game for Tulane, Temple jumped out to a 14-0 lead. However, Tulane got back into the game and shifted the momentum. John McDaniel received a second-quarter kickoff from the Owls, ran to the right, and lateralled the ball to teammate Monk Simons, who darted 75 yards for the team's first of three unanswered touchdowns.

The final score does not tell the entire story of this national title game. It featured 11-0 teams, but the Seminoles were six-point favorites and built a 28-7 lead late in the second quarter. However, with Michael Vick and running back Andre Kendrick leading the way, Virginia Tech scored 21 straight points to lead 29-28 going into the fourth quarter. That's when Florida State woke up, refocused, and scored the only 18 points of the final period to pull away and claim the program's second national championship. 

Both teams were 12-1, but Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings as a seven-point favorite over LSU, which was No. 2 in the BCS rankings. However, the Tigers stood tall in the end, mostly due to a defense that held Jason White and the Sooners to just 154 total yards while picking off the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback twice and sacking him five times. Meanwhile, LSU totaled 159 yards on the ground en route to pulling off the upset. In the end, though, the Tigers would share the 2003 national championship with USC.

In one of the most unique Sugar Bowl contests ever held, the annual game was played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta due to the damage the Louisiana Superdome sustained during Hurricane Katrina. On the field, the Mountaineers were rolling out of the gate and built a 28-0 lead. However, Georgia fought back to trail 31-21 at the end of a wild first half. The Bulldogs scored 14 of the second-half's 21 points. It appeared they would get a final shot with under 1:30 remaining in the game and down three. However, the Mountaineers' Phil Brady scampered 10 yards via a fake punt  on fourth-and-six to pick up the first down and seal the win. West Virginia running back Steve Slaton rushed for a Sugar Bowl-record 204 yards and three touchdowns to  cap his team's 11-1 season.

The 1941 Sugar Bowl featured a pair of 10-0 squads in the Eagles and Volunteers. The game essentially showed why these were two of the country's top teams. This highly competitive contest was tied 13-13 after three quarters. Tennessee had a chance to go ahead, but Bob Foxx's field-goal attempt with three minutes left in the game was no good. BC got the ball, proceeded to march 80 yards down the field, and scored the winning touchdown via Charlie O'Rourke's 24-yard run.

When Herschel Walker was just a football player, he helped Georgia to a 12-0 finish and national championship after capping his true freshman season in spectacular fashion against the Fighting Irish. Walker rushed for 150 yards and both touchdowns to earn game MVP honors in one of the most celebrated individual bowl performances from a college rookie. Meanwhile, after spotting Notre Dame a 3-0 lead, the Bulldogs defense and special teams units got the best of the Fighting Irish, who turned the ball over four times while losing for the second time during the 1980 campaign.

With the aforementioned Herschel Walker back in tow, defending national champion Georgia was 10-1 and ranked second in the country. Pitt, led by talented and brash quarterback Dan Marino, was also 10-1. And this game lived up to the hype. The Bulldogs led 7-3 at the half, but the second half featured five lead changes. Georgia took a 20-17 lead on Clarence Kay's six-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. But Marino pulled out some magic of his own when he hit John Brown for a go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-4 with 35 seconds to win this thriller. It wasn't all pretty. The teams combined for nine turnovers, and Pitt was penalized 14 times. 

Texas A&M was 10-0, the nation's top-ranked team, and had the most feared defense in the college game. The Aggies allowed just 18 points all season entering this contest, but the local boys from Tulane were 8-0-1 and seemed ready to shock the college football world while holding a 13-7 lead in the third quarter. However, Texas A&M, which blocked the extra point on Tulane's second touchdown, prevailed following John Kimbrough's second-rushing TD of the game and successful extra-point attempt to conclude its perfect season.

Coached by Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma entered the 1951 game with an immaculate 10-0 mark and was the No. 1 team in the country. Awaiting them was 10-1 Kentucky, coached by a gentleman named Bear Bryant. And the Wildcats were ready, dominating the game with their defense, frustrating the Sooners with some impressive play on the defensive front. Walt Yowarsky, one of those key defensive line performers, recovered two fumbles and was part of the effort that stopped Oklahoma on four downs inside the Kentucky five-yard line. Meanwhile, Wilbur Jamerson scored both Kentucky touchdowns.

Tennessee was 10-0, ranked second in the nation, and dreaming of a national title. However, 8-2 Baylor was not phased by any of that. The Bears matched Tennessee blow for blow and proved they weren't intimidated when fullback Larry Hickman kicked Tennessee guard Bruce Barnham in the face, leading to a second-half skirmish. The Volunteers led 7-6 when star Johnny Majors muffed a fourth-quarter punt, which led to Buddy Humphrey's one-yard touchdown run and ensuing extra point to give Baylor the lead and, ultimately, the upset victory.

Another memorable moment in the storied annals of Notre Dame football, and amid frigid temperatures, to boot. Undefeated but underdogs to the top-ranked Crimson Tide, Notre Dame came ready to play. In a highly competitive, back-and-forth contest, Alabama went ahead 23-21 with 9:33 remaining in the fourth quarter when Mike Stock caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Richard Todd. Notre Dame marched down the field and took the lead via Bob Thomas' 19-yard field goal with 4:26 to play in the game. The Irish defense would hold, stunning the mighty Crimson Tide.

The No. 1 Nittany Lions and No. 2 Crimson Tide met in a matchup of legendary coaches, with Joe Paterno and Bear Bryant roaming their respective sidelines. The game would be defined as one of the greatest defensive showdowns in bowl history. Alabama led 14-7 with roughly six minutes to play, but Penn State found itself on fourth-and-goal from the one-foot line. However, Mike Guman was stopped short of the end zone on a crushing collision with Alabama's Barry Krauss (who was momentarily knocked unconscious), with some help from Murray Legg. The Tide would hold on and claim yet another national title.