The 25 greatest college football games of the 21st century

Result: Ohio State 31-Miami 24 (2OT)

I have been very vocal and consistent that the Miami teams of the early 2000s were the best of this century ... and maybe all-time. The Hurricanes roster consisted of Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Kellen Winslow II, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, William Joseph, Jerome McDougle, Vernon Carey, Vince Wilfork and Ken Dorsey. Ohio State was loaded, too, with Maurice Clarett, Chris Gamble, Bobby Carpenter, A.J. Hawk, Mike Doss, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Michael Jenkins and Mike Nugent. Of the 43 starters in the game, 37 would go on to play in the NFL.

The Hurricanes were the defending champions and held a 34-game winning streak heading into the 2003 Fiesta Bowl/BCS Championship game. Miami was a team build on speed while the Buckeyes were the pro-style physical offense and defense. This game was truly back and forth -- the largest lead was ten and the two teams traded scores all game. Miami needed a 40-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to send the game into overtime.

In OT, Miami scored first, giving the Canes a 24-17 lead. The Buckeyes were down to a 4th-and-3, where Gamble couldn't haul in Craig Krenzel's pass in the endzone. The ref waved the pass incomplete, Miami players and their fans celebrated while Ohio State players hung their heads. However, there was a late flag thrown for pass interference on Glenn Sharpe that was instantly panned by ABC's Dan Fouts and has been a source of controversy ever since. Krenzel would score on a QB run and the game went to a second OT.

Clarett would score on Ohio State's possession in 2nd overtime. Despite having 1st and goal on the Buckeyes' 2-yard line, Miami failed to score (including missing on a throw to a wide open tight end) and Ohio State won the BCS national championship. 

Result: USC 34-Notre Dame 31

This game is best known for the "Bush Push", but there was a lot going on leading up to that play. For starters, USC was on a 27-game winning streak and had beaten Notre Dame three straight years by exactly 31 points each time. The Fighting Irish were pumped for this game, ranked 9th under new head coach Charlie Weis and trying to shed the disappointing Bob Davie and Ty Willingham eras -- so much so that they wore their special green jerseys for the game.

And the two rivals went at it. Blow for blow that saw Notre Dame carry a 31-28 lead with over two minutes left in the game. On a 4th-and-9 on their own 26 yard line, Matt Leinart found Dwayne Jarrett on a quick pass, and Jarrett ran all the way to the Irish's 13-yard line. The Trojans eventually found themselves on the 2 yard line with :07 remaining (which was after Notre Dame fans rushing the field after they thought time ran out). Instead of kicking the game-tying field goal, Leinart attempted a quarterback sneak that seemed to get stuffed by the Irish defensive line. But running back Reggie Bush came up behind Leinart and shoved him to the left of the pile to an opening in the end zone. Leinart fell backwards for the touchdown and the win.

Under the rules at the time, the Bush Push was an illegal play that the officials missed. 

Result: Texas 38-Michigan 37

This isn't the Vince Young Rose Bowl you normally think off. A year earlier, Young and the 6th-ranked Longhorns were in Pasadena for the regular ol' Rose Bowl against Michigan. This was the game that Young really put himself on the map.

Young threw for 180 yards and a touchdown, but also carried the ball 21 times for 192 yards and 4 TDs. The Horns leaned heavily into the run (Cedric Benson also had 70 yards) as Texas rushed the ball 46 times on the night. Michigan ran with Mike Hart (83 yards rushing) but were more of a passing squad. Chad Henne threw 4 touchdowns in the game -- three of them to Braylon Edwards.

The two teams slugged it out to a 14-14 tie at the half. They continued to trade blows in the second half: Young with a 60-yard TD run; Michigan's Steve Breaston countered with a 50-yard TD grab; Edwards' third touchdown; Young with 10-yard and 23-yard scores. The lead changed hands five times in the second half with Dusty Mangum (seriously, could there be a better name for a Texas kicker) nailing a 37-yard field goal with :02 remaining to give the Longhorns the 38-37 win. 

Result: Texas 41-USC 38

The 2006 Rose Bowl was for the BCS National Championship and this game didn't disappoint. The game featured two Heisman trophy winners (Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush) and that season's runner-up (Vince Young). The atmosphere for the game was typically electric, it was the final college football game called by legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson, and the players didn't disappoint.

Texas surged to a 16-10 halftime lead over the two-time defending national champions, but the Trojans LenDale White flexed his muscle in the third quarter. White scored two of his three touchdowns in the third quarter to give USC a 24-23 lead. After a Bush 26-yard TD run and a Leinart-to- Dwayne Jarrett touchdown connection gave the Trojans a 12-point lead halfway through the 4th quarter, Young and the Longhorns went to work. Young rushed for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the final 4:03 of the game (the final score came with 19 seconds left) to give the Horns the lead, the win, and the national championship.

This is regarded by many to be the greatest game of the 21st century and one of the greatest games of all-time. 

Result: Ohio State 42-Michigan 39

This was the first time in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan series that the two faced off ranked No. 1 and No. 2. Coming into the game, Ohio State held a 0.003 point lead over Michigan for the top spot in the BCS rankings. A shot at a national championship was on the line for the winner ... and maybe the loser.

After a Mike Hart touchdown run to start the game, the top-ranked Buckeyes scored 21 straight points, led by Chris Wells' 52-yard TD run and a Ted Ginn Jr. TD catch. From there, the two teams traded scores with the Buckeyes building an 11-point lead and then the Wolverines cutting it to 4. Both teams would mount 11-play touchdown drives in the 4th quarter (Ohio State's Brian Robiskie and Michigan's Tyler Ecker each caught a touchdown pass) with the Wolverines' tacking on a two-point conversion to cut the lead to three. But an onside kick was recovered by Ohio State, who ran out the clock for a 42-39 win.

Ohio State out-gained Michigan, 503 to 397, but committed three turnovers that allowed the Wolverines to stick around.

After the game, Ohio State and Michigan kept their No. 1 and No. 2 rankings, but USC's win over Notre Dame the following week allowed the Trojans to jump the Wolverines in the rankings. USC would go on to lose to UCLA in the regular season finale, but No. 4 Florida beat Arkansas in the SEC championship game and would leap Michigan in the poll by 0.0101 points. Florida would beat Ohio State for the BCS title. 

Result: Boise State 43-Oklahoma 42 (OT)

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl was the coming-out party for the Boise State Broncos. A BCS Bowl against one of the legendary programs in college football history. Oklahoma was an overwhelming favorite, but the Broncos were the Cinderella story. Cinderella struck early with a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter and a 28-10 lead just after halftime.

Then the Sooners came roaring back. Adrian Peterson scored a TD, followed by a field goal and a Quentin Chaney TD grab to tie the game with under 90 seconds remaining. On the ensuing drive, Jared Zabransky's pass was picked off and returned to the house to give the Sooners a 7-point lead late and a 25-0 scoring run. It looked and felt like Oklahoma cracked the code and were putting Boise State in their place.

But the fun was just beginning. On 4th-and-18 with 18 left in regulation, Zabransky threw a 15-yard completion to Drisan James, who then lateraled the ball to Jerard Rabb, who ran 35 more yards for the game-tying touchdown. After Peterson ran in a 25-yard go-ahead touchdown in overtime for Oklahoma, Boise State opted for two more trick plays. The first was on 4th down, where backup receiver Vinny Perretta threw a touchdown pass. The next was the following play, when instead of going for the game-tying PAT to send the game to a second overtime, the Broncos lined up for a two-point conversion and flawlessly ran the "Statue of Liberty" play to score the game-winning points. 

Result: Appalachian State 34-Michigan 32

One of the great things about college athletics is that you get massive upsets you just can't get on the professional level. That's what happened in Ann Arbor on September 1, 2007.

App State were no slouches: they were the defending two-time FCS champions and the No. 1 ranked FCS team heading into this game. But ... this is Michigan. In Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were such an overwhelming favorite that the odds were thrown off the board. Then something weird happened -- the Mountaineers were controlling the game. After taking Michigan's first quarter punches, Appalachian State were able to move the ball and score and building a 31-20 lead in the second half.

Michigan stormed back behind two Mike Hart touchdowns that gave Michigan a 32-31 lead in the final five minutes of the game. Michigan would pick off Armanti Edwards to give them great field position to extend their lead. The Wolverines would miss their field goal attempt and App State would get the ball back with 1:37 left. The Mountaineers would work the ball down the field to set up the go-ahead field goal with :26 left. Down two, Michigan's Mario Manningham caught a 46-yard pass to help set up a 37-yard field goal to win the game.

The attempt was blocked, and the biggest upset in college football history was cemented. 

Result: Stanford 24-USC 23

While Appalachian State's win at Michigan is one of the greatest upsets in college football history, Stanford's win over USC in 2007 may be the biggest upset between two FBS schools. The USC Trojans were favored by 41 points for this matchup, and with good reason. The Trojans had won 35 straight home games and hosting a Cardinal team that went 1-11 the previous season and their quarterback was starting his first college game. All of that in the atmosphere of the LA Coliseum.

Stanford struggled to generate any offense, while USC could move the ball but were plagued by turnovers. USC turned the ball over five times on the day, including four John David Booty interceptions. USC's 9-0 halftime lead was dented on one of Booty's picks, which was returned 31 yards for a touchdown. The Trojans would build their lead back to 23-14, After a Stanford field goal, the Cardinal drove down the field in the closing minutes with a key 4th-and-20 converted on a Tavita Pritchard-to- Richard Sherman connection that netted exactly 20 yards. Mark Bradford's 10-yard TD reception with :48 left gave Stanford the lead, stunning the crowd.

Desperate, Booty would throw his final interception on 4th-and-16, completing the largest point spread upset of all-time. This was Jim Harbaugh's first season at Stanford and his game signaled a rebirth of Cardinal football. Stanford finished the season 4-8, but three years later would go 12-1, winning the Orange Bowl and finishing No. 4 in the rankings. 

Result: Texas Tech 39-Texas 33

What a game this was! Mack Brown's Longhorns entered the game 8-0 and the No. 1 team in the nation. Mike Leach's Red Raiders were also sitting at 8-0 and ranked 6th in the AP poll. Texas Tech came out with a ton of energy, tackling Chris Ogbonnaya  in the end zone for a safety, sparking a 19-0 lead early on and a 22-6 lead at halftime. 

Then the big plays happened.

*Texas: 35-yard punt return for a TD

*Texas Tech: pick-six

*Texas: Malcolm Williams scores on a 37-yard TD reception and a 91-yard TD reception.

Vondrell McGee's touchdown run with 1:29 left in the game gave the Horns their first lead of the game, 33-32. Tech QB Graham Harrell started to work the ball down the field to try to set up a field goal to win the game. After Harrell's pass was nearly intercepted by Blake Gideon with 8 seconds remaining, he found Michael Crabtree near the sideline, and the receiver barely stayed inbounds to tiptoe to the game-winning touchdown.

In an electric scene in Lubbock, the Red Raiders rushed the field after Crabtree's touchdown, but had to clear the field as the play was being reviewed to see if he stayed inbounds. When the touchdown was ruled good, fans rushed back on the field to celebrate. They were again told to leave the field (and Texas Tech was assessed two excessive celebration penalties on the kickoff. Texas' attempt to score was snuffed out and Tech won one of the biggest games in program history. 

Result: Nevada 34-Boise State 31 (OT)

This wasn't any ordinary WAC game. Boise State was ranked No. 3 in the country, on a 24-game winning streak, and had a shot at possibly playing in the BCS championship game. Nevada was ranked 19th, but that was the best team in Wolf Pack history. The quarterbacks for this game? Colin Kaepernick and Kellen Moore.

The heavily favored Broncos imposed their will early on, jumping to a 17-0 lead over the first 25 minutes of play and led 24-7 at halftime. Kaepernick would come out balling in the second half. An 18-yard touchdown run by Kaepernick and a 44-yard TD run by Rishard Matthews would bring the Pack within three. After a Nevada field goal tied the game, Moore found Doug Martin on a 79-yard touchdown catch and run to retake the lead. Kaepernick marched the team down the field and connected with Matthews for a 7-yard touchdown with :13 remaining in regulation. On the ensuing possession, Moore found Titus Young for a 53-yard reception. With two seconds remaining, Boise's Kyle Brotzman missed a 26-yard FG to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Brotzman again missed a field goal attempt to give the Broncos the lead. Nevada's Anthony Martinez hit his 34-yard attempt to complete the comeback upset. Moore finished the game with 348 yards passing and 2 TDs while Kaepernick passed for 259 yards, rushed for 61 yards, and scored twice. Boise State's Martin rushed for 157 yards and 2 scores; Nevada's Vai Taua rushed for 134 yards and Matthews had 172 receiving yards.

Nevada would finish 13-1, the only time in program history --before or after -- they've won more than nine games. Boise State would leave the WAC after the season for the Mountain West (Nevada would join them the following year).

Result: Auburn 28-Alabama 27

This one is simply known as the "Cam-back". Alabama exploded to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter behind touchdowns from Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Darius Hanks, and a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Alabama looked like they were about to end Auburn's dream season.

Then the second half happened. Cam Newton found Terrell Zachery  for a 70-yard touchdown to begin the second half. He would barrel in for a rushing touchdown and threw a TD pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen for the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter. But it wasn't just how well the offense played -- the defense essentially slowed one of the best offenses in the country to just six points over three quarters. Newton would go on to win the Heisman and the Tigers the national championship. 

Result: Auburn 34-Alabama 28

You remember it as the "Kick Six" game. Top-ranked Alabama headed to the Plains to take on No. 4 Auburn in what became not just a classic game but an iconic ending that rivals any one play in sports history. The game leading up to the final play was a back-and-forth affair, with teams trading blows after the Tide went on a 21-0 run in the second quarter. After the Tigers tied the game, 21-21, Amari Cooper caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from A.J. McCarron to give Bama back the lead. The score stuck while teams traded missed field goals and failed 4th down conversions until Sammy Coates caught a 39-yard TD with :32 left to tie the game.

Alabama drove down the field and decided to kick a 57-yard FG with one second remaining in regulation. Nick Saban benched his kicker (who had missed three field goals already and two in the 4th quarter) for freshman Adam Griffith. Auburn countered by putting DB/PR Chris Davis in the endzone to return the kick if it went short.

It was short. Davis caught it nine yards deep in the endzone and returned it. 109 yards. For a touchdown and the win. The Kick Six sits among the greatest plays in sports history. 

Result: Baylor 61-TCU 58

One of the greatest games in Big 12 history is also at the heart of controversy for the league. Let's start with the game, featuring No. 9 TCU traveling south to No. 5 Baylor in a Texas-sized shootout. While TCU controlled much of the game, they couldn't stop the Bears from scoring. The first half was filled with big scoring plays: TCU's Kolby Listenbee's 35-yard TD grab, Baylor's Antwan Goodley's 66-yard TD catch, Baylor's KD Cannon's 67-yard TD reception which was followed by TCU's B.J. Catalon's 94-yard kickoff return for a score. TCU would build up a double-digit lead and then Baylor would claw right back.

The Horned Frogs would start to stack a big lead in the 4th quarter on the strength of an Aaron Green touchdown run and a pick-six on the following drive to go up 58-37. The Bears went off after that. Over the next six minutes, Bears Devin Chafin rushed for a 7-yard score and QB Bryce Petty tossed two touchdown passes to tie the game, 58-58. After a failed 4th down attempt by the Frogs, Baylor took over, drove the ball down the field, and made the game-winning field goal as time expired for the comeback victory. Petty would throw for 510 yards and 6 touchdowns, Shock Linwood would rush for 178 yards and three Bears receivers went over 124 yards receiving. Baylor outgained TCU 782 to 485, but three turnovers kept the Horned Frogs around.

The controversy came after the season. In the first College Football Playoffs, both Baylor and TCU missed being selected over Ohio State. TCU entered the final weekend ranked ahead of Ohio State but were passed by the Buckeyes in the final rankings. At the time, the Big 12 had no championship game so while Baylor and TCU were co-champs, Baylor had won the tie-breaker. 

Result: Florida State 34-Auburn 31

The "Kick Six" helped lead the Auburn Tigers to this moment: playing Florida State for the final BCS national championship game. Just like three years ago, Auburn came out of nowhere to be a team of destiny and a title contender (the Tigers were 3-9 the previous season). Unlike three years ago, they weren't the ones with the dominating Heisman-winning quarterback. That was redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles, who were 13-1 and had an average margin of victory of 42.3 ppg.  

Auburn looked like the SEC would flex its muscle again after darting out to a 21-3 lead over the mighty Noles. Nick Marshall run and threw for a touchdown while Tre Mason scored the other. Devonta Freeman punched in a touchdown late in the first half for FSU to go into halftime down only 11. After a goal-line stand, Auburn would connect on a 22-yard field goal to give them a 24-21 lead with under five minutes left. On the ensuing kickoff, the Seminoles' Kermit Whitfield returned the kick 100 yards for the score, giving FSU their first lead since it was 3-0. Auburn struck back with a Mason 37-yard romp to take the lead with 79 seconds left.

Winston led his high-scoring Seminoles back down the field, with a 49-yard completion to Rashad Greene picking up a major chunk of yardage. After a pass interference penalty against Chris Davis (the "Kick Six" hero) placed the ball on the Auburn 2-yard line, Winston found Kelvin Benjamin in the endzone for the win.

This was the largest comeback in BCS championship history. 

Result: Clemson 35-Alabama 31

The Alabama-Clemson rivalry of the late-2010s was one of the most high-stakes and elite level competition we may have ever witness. The two schools met four consecutive years and all in the College Football Playoff with three of the meetings happening in the CFP championship game.

Alabama got the best of the upstart Tigers in the national championship game in 2016, but the two squared off again for the title in 2017. Just like the previous season, the game went down to the wire. The Tide started off strong, taking a 14-0 lead on two Bo Scarbrough touchdown runs and held a 24-10 advantage heading into the 4th quarter.

That's when Deshaun Watson took over. Watson (420 pass yds, 4 total TDs) found Mike Williams for a touchdown at the beginning for the 4th, then drove down the field for the go-ahead score with less than 5 minutes remaining. Alabama's Jalen Hurts looked like an assassin on the following drive, moving the Tide down the field and then bursting for a 30-yard TD run to give Bama a 31-28 lead with 2:01 left.

Watson would return the favor, marching the Tigers down the field with a pass interference giving Clemson the ball on the 1-yard like with :06 left. Feeling they had one quick pass play they could attempt before trying a game-tying field goal, Dabo Swinney took a gamble and had Watson roll out right and throw a touchdown pass to a wide-open Hunter Renfrow with a second remaining.

This game was stacked with future NFL talent -- 19 of Alabama's 22 starters were drafted into the NFL. Names like Watson, Hurts, Williams, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Daron Payne, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Marlon Humphrey, Dexter Lawrence and Jonah Williams played in this classic.

Result: Ohio State 30-Michigan 27 (2OT)

There was a time when Ohio State owned their rivalry with Michigan, and their 2016 showdown seemed like it was destined to stay that way. There was a lot on the line when the two met that season: Ohio State was ranked No. 2 while Michigan came in as the No. 3 ranked team (side note: neither team would play for the Big Ten title as Penn State owned the division tiebreaker). The Buckeyes had won the last four meetings between the two and 11 of the last 12.

In their typical physical fashion, the game was low scoring for a while before Michigan broke out to a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter. A Mike Weber touchdown run and a Buckeyes field goal with :01 left in regulation sent the game into overtime -- the only time this rivalry has gone into OT. The two would trade touchdowns in the first overtime before Michigan settled on a field goal to begin the second extra frame. Ohio State receiver Curtis Samuel took the hand-off and galloped 15 yards for the walk-off touchdown. 

Result: USC 52-Penn State 49

Some argue that the formation of the College Football Playoff has diminished the importance of the bowl system, and while there is some truth to this thought, the 2017 Rose Bowl was a fine example of just how great these games can still be. Not only did we get an old-fashioned Big Ten vs. Pac-12 showdown, but the Trojans and Nittany Lions gave us an offensive display filled with momentum swings and big plays that captivated anyone who tuned in.

USC began the game with a 13-0 lead that eventually turned into a 27-14 advantage midway through the second quarter. Then Penn State got rolling -- Mike Gesicki's TD grab cut the lead to six points at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, Penn State scored three touchdowns on the first play of each drive: Saquon Barkley broke away for a 79-yard touchdown run to give the Nittany Lions the lead; Chris Godwin caught a 72-yard touchdown; and immediately after a Sam Darnold interception, Trace McSorley ran the ball in for a score. After being down 13 points, Penn State had a 15 point lead in a matter of five minutes of game time. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Barkley traded touchdowns for both teams to set Penn State's lead to 49-35 heading into the 4th quarter.

USC would mount an 83-yard touchdown drive (Ronald Jones II) to get within one score. after a series of stalled drives, the Trojans would again run down the field with chunk plays, including two key pass interference penalties that placed the ball on the Nittany Lions' 27-yard line. Darnold found Deontay Burnett for a TD on the very next play to tie the game, 49-49, with 1:20 remaining. McSorley would throw a huge interception that gave USC the ball at the Penn State 33-yard line. Three plays later, Matt Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal to win the ballgame.

There were many Rose Bowl records broken in this game, including most touchdowns (both Darnold and McSorley), most points scored, most points scored by a losing team, and largest 4th quarter comeback, among others.

Result: Georgia 54-Oklahoma 48 (2OT)

Let's put this out there: We've seen quite a few duds in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff since its inception. The semifinal between Georgia and Oklahoma may be the best game in CFP history. At least it was the most fun.

Neither team could stop the other. On one hand, Oklahoma was known for playing in shootouts due to their lethal offense and below-average defense. Georgia, under Kirby Smart, has typically been known as one of the best defensive programs in the nation but they just couldn't stop all of the Sooners' horses. It wasn't just the scoring in this game -- there were these wild momentum swings. Oklahoma went up 31-14 after a CeeDee Lamb touchdown pass to Baker Mayfield (yeah, you read that right) with :06 left in the first half. The Sooners curiously squib kicked the ball to midfield and Georgia was able to connect on a 55-yard field goal on the next play.

That was the catalyst for a 24-0 run by the Bulldogs, which included a brilliant Nick Chubb 50-yard touchdown run and a Sony Michel 38-yard TD romp. Mayfield would tie the game with a touchdown pass, and then the Sooners defense (what?) forced a Michel fumble that they scooped and scored for a 46-yard TD return. Georgia would send the game into overtime on a Chubb score with less than a minute remaining.

After trading field goals in overtime, Georgia blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt and then watched Michel redeem himself with a 27-yard direct snap touchdown to end one of the wildest playoff games in history. 

Result: Alabama 26-Georgia 23 (OT)

Georgia wasn't done with playing in nail-biters just yet. After disposing of Oklahoma in double-overtime just one week earlier, the Bulldogs were facing SEC rival Alabama in Atlanta for the national championship. Georgia kept their momentum, scoring the game's first 13 points and holding a 13-0 halftime lead over the Tide. That's when one of the biggest coaching moves happened: Nick Saban benched QB Jalen Hurts in favor of freshman Tua Tagovailoa.

That move changed the game, as Georgia prepared to defend the dual-threat Hurts instead of a pocket passer with a lively arm. Tagovailoa made an instant impression, tossing a touchdown to Henry Ruggs. Georgia struck back with a Mecole Hardman 80-yard TD catch to take a 20-7 lead. After a couple of Bama field goals, Tua found Calvin Ridley for a 7-yard touchdown with less than four minutes left to tie the game.

In overtime, Georgia had the ball first and scored a field goal. On the first play of Alabama's possession, Tua took a horrible 16-yard sack, taking the Crimson Tide out of field goal range instantly and bringing up a 2nd-and-26. That's when it happened. Tua threw a dart to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith for the walk-off win.

It was quite a gutsy move in a strange game. Georgia controlled the game but you could tell they were getting a bit tight and conservative late in the game. Tagovailoa and Saban threw caution to the wind and took the game from the Bulldogs. 

Result: Texas A&M 74-LSU 72 (7OT)

This is the game that changed everything. After this 7-overtime affair, college football changed its overtime rules so we won't see a marathon like this ever again. The game took nearly 5 hours to complete, beginning at 6:39 pm local time and ending at 11:32pm.

For one night, it was a glorious battle between two teams that kept making plays when they needed them. The Tigers and Aggies exchanged blows all game, with four ties but no lead changes. Down 31-24 with :01 remaining, Texas A&M's Kellen Mond found Quartney Davis for a 19-yard touchdown to tie the game. In overtime, the two teams traded field goals (1st OT), traded touchdowns (2OT and 3OT), traded field goals (4OT), traded touchdowns and missed the two-point conversions (5OT), and traded touchdowns and scored on the two-point conversions (6OT). In the 7th overtime, Joe Burrow ran in a 10-yard touchdown to give LSU the 72-66 lead, but their two-point conversion pass failed. Davis would score on a 17-yard TD reception, and Mond's completion to Kendrick Rogers for two finally put this game to bed.

Burrow passed for three touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns, while Mond threw six TDs and ran in another. The game set the record for most combined points in an FBS game. Due to overtime rules changes (now after the second OT, teams alternate two-point conversion attempts) we have seen a 9OT game in 2021, but it didn't take nearly as long as this all-nighter. 

Result: Oklahoma 55-Texas 48

Oklahoma and Texas shocked the college football world during the summer when they announced they both were leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in a couple of years, so their annual Red River showdown at the Cotton Bowl had a little more juice in it. There was also a lot of buzz in the air as Oklahoma had won 5 of the last 6 meetings -- and 3 straight -- with all of them being closely contested. Their previous meeting was a Sooners 54-48 4OT win during the pandemic.

This edition didn't go four overtimes, but was an even better game. Texas blew out to a 28-7 first-quarter lead, starting on an Xavier Worthy 75-yard touchdown grab to open the game with Joshua Moore adding two TD catches. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley benched starter Spencer Rattler after a couple of turnovers in favor of freshman Caleb Williams, which calmed the Sooners. Williams opened up the second quarter with a 66-yard touchdown run. Rattler came back in and fumbled the ball away once more, and Williams took over for the rest of the game.

Trailing 38-21 at the half, Oklahoma's offense woke up. Williams threw for 212 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 88 yards and a score, while Kennedy Brooks took over with 217 rushing yards and two late rushing touchdowns to stun Texas, 55-48. Brooks first touchdown run gave the Sooners their first lead of the game, but Worthy -- who caught 9 passes for 261 yards and 2 TDs -- countered with a 31-yard touchdown reception late in the game. Brooks punched in the final score with just :03 remaining for the win. 

Result: Oklahoma State 37-Oklahoma 33

There was a lot going on in the 2021 edition of Bedlam. For starters, Oklahoma State entered the game 10-1 and had a shot at earning a College Football Playoff berth. Oklahoma was also 10-1 and needed a win to earn a spot opposite the Cowboys in the Big 12 championship game. The Sooners had won the last six games in this series and the last six Big 12 championships. There was also a little more bad blood attached to the game after Oklahoma and Texas announced their intention to leave the Big 12 for the SEC a few months earlier, likely ending the rivalry in the process.

The Sooners and Cowboys found themselves in an offensive shootout in the first half, matching scores (Oklahoma's Caleb Williams threw three TDs; OSU's Tay Martin scored twice and the Cowboys returned a kickoff for a TD) and reaching halftime for a 24-24 tie. The second half was more defensive-minded, starting with Oklahoma recording a safety and then recovering a fumbled punt in the end zone to take a 33-24 lead into the 4th.

That's when Spencer Sanders took over. Using his legs (a 37-yard touchdown run) and the good fortune of a fumbled Oklahoma punt, the Cowboys converted the late turnover into a Jaylen Warren go-ahead touchdown run.

Oklahoma State faced Baylor the following week for the Big 12 championship. The Cowboys failed to convert on the goal line (featuring one of the most thrilling plays to end a game at the pylon) and lost, 21-16.

Result: Tennessee 52-Alabama 49

One of the more fun rivalries in college football, The "Third Saturday in October" had grown stale. Going into their 2022 meeting, Alabama had won 15 straight meetings in the rivalry and most of those weren't even close. This meeting would feature the Vols best team in many years and a matchup of two of the top quarterbacks --Bryce Young, Hendon Hooker -- in the nation.

Those two were the ringmasters of one of the greatest offensive shootouts in a big game that we've ever witnessed. Young would throw for 455 yards and 2 TDs while Hooker countered with 385 pass yards and 5 pass TDs (he also rushed for 56 yards). The true star of the game was Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt, who caught just six passes, but five of them were for touchdowns (and they accounted for 207 yards).

The Volunteers jumped out to a 28-10 lead before the Crimson Tide came back with force to tie the game as the second half began. Then we were treated to a classic dual of haymakers. Tennessee strikes back with a 60-yard TD. Alabama counters with a Jahmyr Gibbs TD run. Hyatt turns around and scores on a 78-yard touchdown pass. Alabama would score to tie the game again, then felt the grabbed hold of the game's momentum with a fumble scoop and score to give the Tide a 49-42 lead halfway through the 4th quarter.

But Hooker found Hyatt for their fifth touchdown pass, then a 40-yard field goal as time expired gave the Vols the win and ended the long losing streak. 

Result: Georgia 42-Ohio State 41

Georgia was the defending champions and the favorites to repeat, but ran into a very talented and motivated Ohio State Buckeye squad. Those Buckeyes led most of the game, beginning with a 21-7 early in the second quarter -- led by Marvin Harrison Jr.'s two touchdown catches -- and then a 38-24 lead heading into the 4th quarter.

After a Jack Podlesny field goal, Stetson Bennett found Arian Smith for a 76-yard touchdown strike to pull the Dawgs within three. A 48-yard Noah Ruggles field goal would extend Ohio State's lead to six before Georgia's Adonai Mitchell  caught a TD pass from Bennett with 54 seconds remaining. Ohio State quickly moved down the field to set up a Ruggles' 50-yard field goal attempt with three second left. Ruggles' kick went wide left and the Bulldogs advanced to the College Football Playoff championship game. 

Result: Texas 39-Arizona State 31 (2OT)

This was the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff format and there were some quirks in the system. Since only conference champions received first-round byes, we got a situation where Big 12 champion Arizona State was waiting for No. 3-ranked Texas to beat Clemson in the first round to get to the Peach Bowl. Despite the seeding, Texas was a huge favorite to smack away the Sun Devils and early on it looked like that would be the case.

The Longhorns sped up to a 24-8 lead in the 4th quarter after a Quinn Ewers touchdown run. There was absolutely nothing to suggest that the Sun Devils offense was capable of mounting a comeback against the Horns' devastating defense. The Cam Skattebo happened.

The bowling ball back Skattebo, on 4th and 2, threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Malik McClain on a trick play to give Arizona State some life. After a Ewers interception, Skattebo caught a 62-yard pass that saw him fighting off his defender while having his helmet torn off for an extra 15-yard penalty. Skattebo would score a few plays later, tying the game at 24-24 and sending the game into overtime.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the first overtime -- guess who scored for Arizona State? Texas would end up with a 4th-and-13 on the 28-yard line and it looked like we were treated to one of the greatest comeback upsets in playoff history, but as the Devils sent the house on a blitz, Ewers found Matthew Golden in the endzone for a miracle touchdown pass.

On the first play of the second overtime, Ewers found Gunnar Helm for a touchdown (Golden would score the two-point conversion). On their possession, Arizona State's Sam Leavitt's pass would be picked off and the game ended as one of the greatest games filled with swings of momentum.