The greatest college football bowl games of all time

The highest-scoring bowl game ever, this was also one of the more entertaining. Marshall, with Byron Leftwich under the center, trailed East Carolina 38-8 at halftime. However, it was a different story in the second half. The Thundering Herd returned two David Garrard interceptions for touchdowns, and Leftwich (41-of-70, 576 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions) threw three TD passes after halftime, including an 11-yard toss to Darius Watts with seven seconds remaining in regulation to tie things at 51-51. Marshall, though, missed the extra point, but Leftwich hooked up with Josh Davis for an 8-yard winning score in the second overtime. The teams combined for 1,141 total yards.

Tulane capped a stellar 12-2 2022 season with one of the bigger bowl upsets in recent memory. The favored Trojans opened a 14-0 advantage before Tulane tied things, but — following Caleb Williams' third touchdown pass of the first half — led 28-14 at the break. Then the fun really began. USC led 45-30 with 4:30 remaining in regulation, but Tulane wasn't finished. Tyjae Spears ran for his fourth touchdown of the game, then the Green Wave recorded a safety to get within 35-29 with 3:20 to play. It would be Alex Bauman's 6-yard TD pass from Michael Pratt with nine seconds on the clock, plus the extra point, that secured the upset for the Wave. When all was done, Spears rushed for 205 yards, while Williams was 37-of-52 for 462 yards with five touchdowns and an interception.

Overtime bowl games usually have a shot making a list like this. Triple-overtime affairs certainly will make the cut. When it came to this contest, a bit of history was made. TCU trailed the highly-potent Ducks 31-0 at halftime, but there was a sense things could change after Oregon quarterback Vernon Jones Jr. was injured near the end of the second quarter. The Horned Frogs were able to turn the momentum, scoring all on all nine of their possessions after the break and holding the Ducks without a point until the teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second. TCU opened the third OT with Bram Kohlhausen's 8-yard touchdown run, then stopped Oregon on a fourth-and-8 from the 23-yard line to seal the 31-point comeback, tied for the largest in bowl history

A year earlier in the College Football Playoff title game, Alabama hung on to beat Clemson to be crowned national champion of the 2015 season. The Tigers, however, would turn the tables on the Crimson Tide in the final game of the 2016 campaign. Behind the running of Bo Scarbrough (two rushing touchdowns), the Tide led 14-0, then 17-7 early in the third quarter. However, Clemson would respond, thanks to Deshaun Watson (26-of-56, 420 passing yards; 43 rushing yards, one rushing TD), who threw three second-half touchdowns, two going to Hunter Renfrow (10 receptions, 92 yards), including the go-ahead score from two yards out with 1 second remaining in regulation.

This groundbreaking bowl game certainly lived up to the hype. It was the first Orange Bowl to be played at night, and first-ever college football game to be televised in front of a primetime audience. Alabama entered 10-0, ranked No. 1 in the country, and was technically recognized as national champion at the end of the regular season. However, Joe Namath and Co. weren't invincible. Fifth-ranked Texas jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a 79-yard touchdown run by Ernie Koy and Jim Hudson's 69-yard TD pass to George Sauer, then hung on for the upset victory. Despite the loss, Namath was named MVP after going 18 of 37 for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Arkansas was the defending national champion, averaged more than 34 points per game and entered this contest riding a 22-game winning streak. That did not matter to the Tigers, who were 7-3 but played its best game of the season when it mattered most. The Razorbacks scored on their first drive off the game, but that was it. The Tigers' defense proved impressively stout and made a pair of short, second-quarter touchdown runs from Joe LaBruzzo stand to pull off one of the greatest upsets in college bowl history.

Arizona State was 10-0 on the 1996 season and one win away from what likely would have been the program's first national championship. However, this low-scoring, but highly competitive, back-and-forth contest came right down to the wire. An 11-yard TD run by Sun Devils star quarterback Jake Plummer put his team ahead 17-14 with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, but that proved to be more than enough time for the Buckeyes to answer. Rose Bowl MVP Joe Germaine connected with David Boston for a 5-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass as 19 seconds remained the clock. Ohio State hung on, finished 11-1 and spoiled ASU's national title dreams.

Nebraska entered this contest for the national title 11-0, but ranked second in the nation and a heavy underdog to the one-loss, but No. 1 Seminoles. However, the Cornhuskers were ready to prove their worth. It was a defensive-dominated contest for most of the evening, with Nebraska leading 7-6 at halftime. Florida State, though, led 15-7 after three quarters before Lawrence Phillips' touchdown run and Byron Bennett's 27-yard field goal put the Huskers ahead 16-15. The Seminoles, however, weren't done, and Scott Bentley sent them ahead with a 22-yard field goal of his own as 21 seconds remained in regulation. Then, after a rather raucous closing seconds, Nebraska got one more shot, but Bennett's 45-yard field goal went wide left.

Another Rose Bowl classic, and a game that proved just how magnificent a college running back Heisman Trophy winner Charles White was during his career at USC. White, who was named MVP of the game for the second time (after winning co-honors with Michigan's Rick Leach in the 1979 game), rushed for a Rose Bowl-record 247 yards. And, perhaps most important, his touchdown with a little more than one minute to play in regulation propelled the Trojans past Ohio State, which entered this contest 11-0 and likely to claim at least a share of the national championship had it won at Pasadena. 

"The Granddaddy of Them All" usually seems to live up to the hype. To conclude the 2016 season, several Rose Bowl records were set as well, notably by Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for a game-best five touchdowns and recorded 473 total yards. USC also set a Rose Bowl record by overcoming a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit, doing so with 17 in the period that was capped by Matt Boermeester's 46-yard, tiebreaking field goal as time expired. Meanwhile, Penn State's Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards with two touchdowns, and also caught a TD pass.

This was a rematch of the previous year's Cotton Bowl, which Texas won 21-17 to cap its undefeated season. However, the Fighting Irish would get their revenge on the first day of 1971. The Longhorns, winners of 30 consecutive games entering this contest, took an early 3-0 lead, but Notre Dame scored the next 21 points to stun the favorites and take control of the game. Irish quarterback Joe Theismann was an efficient 9-of-16 for 176 passing yards, and their defense held the Longhorns' vaunted wishbone offensive attack out of the end zone.

This was Tom Brady's final collegiate game, and arguably his most memorable. Part of the Bowl Championship Series, this will go down as one of the more exciting Orange Bowls ever played, and proved a harbinger of Brady's ability to lead a comeback on a big stage. Brady went 34-of-46 for a career-high 369 yards and four touchdowns, and twice helped the Wolverines overcome a 14-point deficit. In overtime, he then connected with Shawn Thompson for a 25-yard touchdown. Hayden Epstein converted the extra point for a 35-28 Michigan lead, but the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide answered on Antonio Carter's 21-yard scoring catch from Andrew Zow. However, Alabama's Ryan Pflunger missed the extra point and the Wolverines prevailed. 

The era of the Bowl Championship Series went out with a bang as the Seminoles and Tigers delivered an instant classic. Behind underrated quarterback Nick Marshall (two touchdown passes, TD run), Auburn led 21-3 late in the first half and by 11 at the break. Florida State, however, stormed back and took a 24-21 lead on Kermit Washington's 100-yard kickoff return with 4:31 remaining in the fourth. Auburn, though, went back on top via Tre Mason's 37-yard scoring run with 79 seconds left. But Seminoles star and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston proved why he was the best player in the country, hitting Kelvin Benjamin for a 2-yard, go-ahead touchdown catch with 13 seconds to go.

Talk about a game living up to the hype. When the No. 1 Trojans and second-ranked Badgers met in Pasadena, it marked the first time that the top two ranked teams in the nation got together in a bowl game. Wisconsin trailed 42-14 in the fourth quarter, then scored 23 unanswered points behind quarterback Ron Vander Kelen. However, Wisconsin would get no further, and Pete Beathard (four touchdown passes) and the Trojans held on to cap their undefeated season after a game that set 11 Rose Bowl records at the time.

Played in the aftermath of an ice storm, the game-time temperature for this annual bowl contest in Dallas was 22 degrees, but with a wind chill south of minus-10. Yet, the action on the field was hot. Houston led 34-12 late in the third quarter, then the blood started flowing in the veins of Irish quarterback Joe Montana, who sat early in the game with hypothermia. After Notre Dame's Steve Cichy returned a blocked punt 33 yards for a touchdown, Montana ran for a 2-yard score, then found Kris Haines on an 8-yard touchdown pass as time expired. However, the drama wasn't finished, as Irish kicker Joe Unis was forced to re-try his extra-point attempt following a penalty, and converted again for the winning margin. 

Talk about a wild one. Then again, the Rose Bowl is the place to make memories. This College Football Playoff semifinal set a Rose Bowl record for combined 102 points. Sooners running back Rodney Anderson rushed for 201 yards with two touchdowns and receiver Marquise Brown caught eight passes for 114 yards with a score. Meanwhile, Georgia's 1-2 backfield punch of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for 326 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The Bulldogs overcame a 31-14 second-quarter hole to force overtime on Chubb's 2-yard score with 55 seconds left in regulation. And in a game that was void of many key stops, Georgia's Lorenzo Carter blocked Austin Seibert's 27-yard field goal try to open the second overtime. Michel then scored from 27 yards out and the Bulldogs were headed to the national championship game.

Another memorable Notre Dame moment, and again amid frigid temperatures. Undefeated, but underdogs to the top-ranked Crimson Tide, Notre Dames wasn't phased. In a highly competitive, rather 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. However, 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 and their faithful.

The No. 1 Nittany Lions and No. 2 Crimson Tide met in a matchup of legendary coaches, with Joe Paterno and Paul "Bear" Bryant roaming their respective sidelines. The game would go on to 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 1-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 for another national title.

Jim McMahon is one of the great characters in the history of organized football. He was also one of the best ever to play the college game. McMahon proved that against SMU in this highly entertaining contest that has come to be known as the "Miracle Bowl." McMahon's Cougars had won 11 in a row, but they trailed 38-19 to the Mustangs after three quarters. It didn't matter, as that's when McMahon thrived while leading BYU to 27 fourth-quarter points, and capping the comeback when his 41-yard, last-second bomb into the end zone somehow landed in the hands of covered teammate Clay Brown.

Ian Johnson's "Statue Left" winning two-point conversion run was the icing on the cake of Boise State's seemingly improbable Fiesta Bowl victory over heavily favored Oklahoma. However, the Broncos pulled out all the stops to get to that point and record one of the great college football upsets, and not just due to Manuel Johnson's winner. Trick plays, gadget plays and seemingly improbable fourth-down conversions by Boise State highlighted a game in which Oklahoma scored 25 straight points during the second half to lead 35-28 with 1:20 remaining in regulation, only for the Broncos to tie it on Jerard Rabb's 35-yard touchdown pass (via lateral) from Jared Zabransky with seven ticks on the clock.

Another No. 1 (Miami) versus No. 2 (Penn State) matchup. The favored Hurricanes, who got off the plane in Arizona wearing military fatigues, brought the swagger. However, it was the blue-collar Nittany Lions who laid the lumber. Though severely outgained by Miami, Penn State forced seven turnovers, including picking off Heisman Trophy-winner Vinny Testaverde five times. That allowed Penn State to hang around, and ultimately record the go-ahead touchdown on D.J. Dozier's 6-yard run with a little more than 8 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Miami, though, got inside the Nittany Lions' 10-yard line with 45 seconds remaining, but Testaverde was picked off in the end zone by linebacker Pete Giftopoulos on fourth down, thus securing Penn State's national title.

In one of the greatest upsets in college football history, fifth-ranked Miami announced its presence as a perennial power, stunning No. 1-ranked, undefeated Nebraska to win the national championship — after results of other bowl games ended in the Hurricanes' favor. The game was filled with drama and excitement, with moments such as Bernie Kosar throwing two touchdown passes for the Hurricanes and the infamous "fumblerooski," which resulted in a 19-yard touchdown run for Nebraska lineman Dean Steinkuhler. And, of course, Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne deciding to go for a two-point conversion, instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game — and likely winning the national title if it ended that way — and failing with 48 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

This was Tua Tagovailoa's coming-out party. The Crimson Tide trailed 13-0 at halftime and lost quarterback Jalen Hurts to injury. No worries, as Tagovailoa came off the bench to throw two TDs in the second half to force overtime before throwing the biggest pass of his career at the time. Tagovailoa connected with an in-stride DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass to cement the Crimson Tide as national champions of the 2017 season, and thus opening the door for his own individual collegiate greatness — albeit at the expense of Hurts' time with the Crimson Tide. Meanwhile, the result was a killer for the Bulldogs, who, as we know, have since done some national championship celebrating of their own.

Just watching this game was exhausting. The twists, the turns, the emotion. It was everything a college football fan could want from a national championship contest. Reigning national champion Miami was riding a 34-game winning streak, but Ohio State was in control most of the night. That was until the Hurricanes scored the final 10 points of regulation and forced overtime on Todd Sievers' 40-yard field goal as time expired. Miami, though, also lost star running back Willis McGahee to a severe knee injury in the fourth. After both teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, Maurice Clarett's 5-yard TD run put Ohio State ahead in the second extra session. Then, the Buckeyes defense stepped out and stymied Miami, which had first-and-goal from the 2-yard line but failed to score.

It was Vince Young who helped lead the Longhorns to their most recent national championship to conclude the 2005 campaign. Young just might be the best overall athlete in the history of Texas football, and he proved that in what has been considered the greatest bowl game of all time in various circles. In fact, the fourth quarter is simply legendary. USC led 24-23 after three quarters, and went up by eight after Reggie Bush's 26-yard scoring run early in the fourth. The Trojans led 38-26 with 6:42 left in regulation when Young took over. He scored on a 17-yard TD run with 4:03 to play, then scampered into the end zone from 8 yards out on fourth-and-5 with 19 ticks on the clock remaining. The Longhorns held, won the national title and solidified Young's legendary status.