Top 300 Finishes in College Football History (200-151)
- Michael Miller
- 1 day ago
- 45 min read
Updated: 21 minutes ago
200. Oct. 10, 1992-Arkansas 25, #4 (12) Tennessee 24 (Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee)
The Build Up: Phillip Fulmer coached Tennessee through their first 3 games while normal head coach Johnny Majors was recovering from quintuple bypass surgery. The Vols beat then #14 Georgia and then #4 Florida in those first 3 game to get a leg up in the new SEC East. After Majors returned, UT shutout Cincinnati and LSU to take a 5-0 record and #4 ranking into this game. Meanwhile, Arkansas came into this game a miserable 1-4 and had embarrassing losses to The Citadel and Memphis St.
The Game: Barry Lunney Jr. started for the first time as Hogs QB and went 13-for-19 including a 50-yard TD pass to Ron Dickerson Jr. that gave the Razorbacks a 16-7 lead in the 3rd. However, Tennessee rallied to take a 24-16 lead in the 4th. Orlando Watters returned a punt 71 yards for a TD to give Arkansas a chance to tie with a 2-point conversion, but Lunney was sacked to leave the Hogs behind 24-22.
The Finish: The Razorbacks had to go for an onside kick and Darwin Ireland amazingly recovered it to give Arkansas a chance. Lunney then drove the Hogs in range for Todd Wright’s GW 41-yard FG that just barely snuck inside the right upright with 2 seconds left to give Arkansas the improbable win.
How they ended up: This was easily the high point of the Razorbacks’ season as they went just 3-7-1. Meanwhile, this was the first of a 3-GL skid for the Vols as they lost their hold on the SEC East to new rival Florida. Tennessee fans decided that they preferred Fulmer as head coach and drove Majors out and Fulmer became the new head coach for their Hall of Fame Bowl meeting against #16 BC, which they won 38-23 to finish 9-3 and #12.
199. Sept. 25, 1982-Stanford 23, #13 (12) Ohio St. 20 (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio)
The Build Up: Ohio St. was 2-0, while Stanford was 1-1, hoping to have a good season behind Sr. QB John Elway.
The Game: The first half was all Ohio St. as they scored twice after Elway interceptions on their way to a 13-0 halftime lead. However, Stanford came back when Mark Harmon made up for 2 1st half missed FGs by connecting on 2 in the 3rd. Then Elway threw a screen pass that went for an 11-yard score to Mike Dotterer to tie the game heading into the 4th. Stanford’s kicking woes struck again when a botched handled snap on a 37-yard FG attempt left the Cardinal off the board. Earle Bruce then went for a trick play when Gary Williams took a long lateral from Mike Tomczak and threw it deep to Cedric Anderson for a 63-yard gain that was finished off with a Tim Spencer 2-yard TD run for a 20-13 Buckeye lead with 8:47 left. Stanford drove for a FG to cut it to a 20-16 deficit. The teams traded interceptions with Ohio St. having a chance to put the game away at the Cardinal 25 with 2:23 left. After a run lost yards, Bruce decided to gamble and called a roll-out pass play. It backfired when Tomczak’s pass to Williams in the end zone was tipped and intercepted.
The Finish: Elway had 1:38 left and was 80 yards away from the GW score. Elway completed 2 passes for 28 yards then threw 2 incompletions. On 3rd & 10 from the Cardinal 48, Elway found Emile Harry over the middle who got all the way to the Buckeye 17. Two plays later, Elway rolled left and threw the ball across the field to Dotterer in the right corner of the end zone for the GW 18-yard TD pass with 35 seconds left to give Stanford the dramatic come from behind win. Elway finished with 407 passing yards for 2 TDs, while also throwing 3 picks.
How they ended up: This was the first of a 3-GL streak for the Buckeyes as they fell to 2-3 before winning the remainder of their games to finish 9-3. Meanwhile, Stanford had a roller coaster year starting 3-1, then lost 2 straight to ranked foes to fall to 3-3, then won 2 in a row, including a win against #2 Washington to climb to 5-3, and then lost their final 3 games, the last coming in the most crushing fashion imaginable to rival Cal (more on that later) to finish 5-6 and without a bowl appearance.
198. Nov. 8, 1997-#24 (15) Purdue 22, (once #11) Michigan St. 21 (Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana)
The Build Up: Purdue came into this game 6-2, while Michigan St. sat at 5-3 in the midst of a 3-GL skid.
The Finish: Michigan St. led 21-10 with 2:13 left before disaster struck for the Spartans. Purdue blocked a FG and Roosevelt Colvin returned it for a TD. Then the Boilers recovered an onside kick to suddenly give themselves a chance to win the game. They drove 55 yards for the GW Edwin Watson 3-yard TD run with 40 seconds left to pull off the shocking win.
How they ended up: The Boilermakers improved to 7-2 and #19 on their way to a 9-3 finish, while Michigan State’s losing streak reached 4 in a row before they finished 7-5.
The Build Up: Iowa came into this game 7-1 with their only loss at perennial national title contender Miami. They could all but clinch Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth with a win here. Meanwhile, Ohio St. had won 3 straight to come into this game 5-2-1.
The Game: This one went down as one of the more heart-wrenching losses in Iowa history that ended up not being as painful as it seemed at the time. They led 17-7 in the final seconds before halftime until Greg Frey heaved a 48-yard pass with 10 seconds left that should’ve been intercepted but instead bounced off a Hawkeye DB and into the arms of Jeff Graham for a TD to cut it to a 17-14 deficit at halftime. Iowa then led 26-14 midway through the 4th before Foster Paulk blocked a Jim Hujsak punt to set up a Frey 21-yard TD pass to Bobby Olive to cut it to a 26-21 Buckeye deficit with 6:34 left. Then late in the game, Ohio St. faced 4th & 15 from the Iowa 34 and Jason Olejniczak intercepted the Frey heave to the end zone with 2:31 left. However, the Hawkeyes went 3-and-out and a short punt gave the Buckeyes the ball at the Iowa 48 with 59 seconds left.
The Finish: The Buckeyes drove to the Iowa 3 with 7 seconds left where Frey found Olive for the GW TD pass with only 1-second left to give Ohio St. the win.
How they ended up: This not only ruined any national title dreams the Hawkeyes may have been holding but also put their Rose Bowl hopes in jeopardy. However, despite losing again to Minnesota in the final regular season game, Iowa ended up getting the Rose Bowl berth in a 4-way tie for the Big Ten title. They got the Rose Bowl nod based on wins over the 3 teams they shared the Big Ten title with. But the Hawkeyes lost the Rose Bowl 46-34 to Washington to finish 8-4 having lost 3 of their last 4 games. Meanwhile, the win was the 4th in a row for the Buckeyes to improve to 6-2-1 on their way to a 7-4-1 season.
196. Oct. 15, 1994-#6 (9) Auburn 36, #1 (7) Florida 33 (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
The Build Up: Florida came into this game 5-0 and ranked #1, while Auburn came into this game ranked #6 and in the midst of a 17-GW streak.
The Finish: Patrick Nix threw a 4th down conversion to Thomas Bailey and the GW 8-yard TD pass to Frank Sanders with just 30 seconds left to silence the “Swamp” and give Auburn the upset win.
How they ended up: The Tigers improved to 7-0 and #4 extending their GW streak to a school-record 18 games, while the Gators fell to 5-1 and #5. Auburn extended their GW streak to 20 before they had to settle for a tie against rival Georgia and a loss against rival Alabama to finish 9-1-1. Meanwhile, Florida went on to a 10-2-1 SEC title season.
195. Jan. 1, 1991-#1 (1) Colorado 10, #5 (6) Notre Dame 9 (Orange Bowl, Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida)
The Build Up: This was a rematch of the previous year’s Orange Bowl where Notre Dame cost Colorado the national title. The Buffs were in the midst of a 9-GW streak since starting 1-1-1 to sit at #1. Meanwhile, the Irish had been at #1 twice during the regular season before upsets knocked them to 9-2 and #5 heading into this game.
The Game: Ricky Watters scored on a 2-yard TD run, but Ronnie Bradford blocked what turned out to be a huge PAT to leave Notre Dame with a 6-3 lead. Craig Hentrich had made a school-record 73 straight PATs before that. Then things went south for Colorado when starting QB Darian Hagan left with a ruptured tendon in his knee just before halftime with the score still 6-3 in favor of the Irish. However, Charles Johnson came off the bench to lead Colorado on his way to game MVP honors. Hentrich kicked a 24-yard FG in the 3rd to give Notre Dame a 9-3 lead, but Colorado managed a go-ahead drive finished off with Eric Bieniemy’s 1-yard TD run for a 10-9 Buffs lead.
The Finish: This season wouldn’t be complete without some more controversy. Late in the game, Colorado was forced to punt, and it appeared that Raghib “Rocket” Ismail came through with a phenomenal, tackle-breaking GW 92-yard punt return for a TD with 43 seconds left. However, the Irish were flagged for a controversial clipping penalty, and the play came back. From there the Buffaloes hung on for the win and a share of the national championship.
How they ended up: Colorado clinched the AP national title, but not the Coaches title, while Notre Dame finished 9-3.
194. Sept. 5, 1998-#18 Washington 42, #8 Arizona St. 38 (Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona)
The Build Up: The was the opener for both teams, with each having high hopes, coming into the game ranked.
The Game: J.R. Redmond’s 61-yard punt return set up Ryan Kealy’s 4th down 8-yard TD pass to Tariq McDonald to put Arizona St. up 38-35 with 2 minutes left.
The Finish: On Washington’s ensuing possession, a bad pitch from Brock Huard resulted in a 14-yard loss and a 4th & 17 situation. However, Huard came through and hit TE Reggie Davis who outran defenders and avoided tackles on his way to a 63-yard TD pass with only 28 seconds left for a miracle finish to give the Huskies the big win.
How they ended up: UW moved up to #9, while the Sun Devils fell to #14. However, neither had the season they were hoping for as the Huskies went 6-6, and Arizona St. went 5-6.
193. Nov. 17, 1990-#19 (20) USC 45, UCLA 42 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)
The Build Up: USC came into this rivalry matchup 7-2-1, while UCLA was 5-5 looking to become bowl eligible after upsetting then #2 Washington in Seattle.
The Game: This game is known as “The Shootout” in southern California as Todd Marinovich and Tommy Maddox dueled with each team scoring 21 4th quarter points.
The Finish: UCLA took a 42-38 lead on a Kevin Smith 1-yard TD run with 1:19 left. However, USC came back and scored on Marinovich’s GW 23-yard TD pass to Johnnie Morton with 16 seconds left.
How they ended up: The Trojans improved to 8-2-1 and #18, but they lost their next game to #7 Notre Dame and then the Sun Bowl to Michigan St. to finish 8-4-1. Meanwhile, the Bruins wrapped up their season at 5-6. Maddox threw for a school record 409 yards in the loss.
192. Nov. 25, 1977-(13) USC 29, #17 UCLA 27 (LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California)
The Build Up: UCLA came into this game on a 5-GW streak. A win would clinch them a Rose Bowl berth and at least a share of the Pac-10 title. Meanwhile, USC climbed as high as #1 before they were upset in the Coliseum by #7 Alabama (see #224). A blowout loss to eventual national champion Notre Dame ended their national title hopes, and losses to Cal and Washington ended their Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl hopes.
The Game: UCLA had trailed 26-10 late in the 3rd, but they came back and took the lead on a 73-yard TD drive with 2:51 left to take a 27-26 lead and put UCLA in position to go to the Rose Bowl.
The Finish: With only 1 timeout, USC drove down field with sideline passes and a crucial pass interference call on a 3rd & 10. A Rob Hertel pass to Randy Simmrin got the Trojans to the Bruin 23 to put them in range for Frank Jordan’s 36-yard FG attempt with 2 seconds left. Jordan had missed 2 PATs on the day, but with the game on the line his kick was true to give USC the dramatic win to knock UCLA from the Rose Bowl and put Washington in.
How they ended up: Instead, the Bruins’ season ended here to finish 7-4, while the Trojans moved back into the polls at #20 for their Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl matchup with #17 Texas A&M, which they also won to finish 8-4.
191. Nov. 20, 1982-#11 (5) UCLA 20, #15 (15) USC 19 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)
The Build Up: The Pac-10 title was on the line for both teams coming into this game, although UCLA would need help to clinch a Rose Bowl berth. This was also the first time this rivalry game was played in the Rose Bowl, the Bruins’ new home, which added some significance to this game.
The Game: UCLA took a 17-10 lead at halftime and 20-10 heading into the 4th. USC drove to the Bruin 6 but would have to settle for a FG to cut it to a 20-13 deficit. However, the Trojans got a stop and got the ball back with 5:28 left.
The Finish: Scott Tinsley drove USC down field to the 1-yard line with 3 seconds left and time for one more play. He threw a TD pass to his 3rd string TE Mark Boyer to cut it to a 20-19 deficit as time expired and John Robinson decided to go for 2 and the win. However, when Tinsley dropped back to pass, Karl Morgan came up with the sack to give UCLA the win in the first ever USC/UCLA game played in the Rose Bowl.
How they ended up: To clinch a trip back to the Rose Bowl, UCLA would need 2-7-1 WSU to beat Washington in the Apple Cup and Arizona to beat Arizona St. in the Territorial Cup, both unlikely upsets. However, both happened, and the Bruins stayed home for the Rose Bowl and beat Michigan 24-14 to finish 10-1-1. Meanwhile, USC went on to beat Notre Dame the next week to end their season 8-3.
190. Oct. 11, 2003-(once #14) NC St. 31, UConn 24 (Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina)
The Build Up: NC St. came into the season ranked, but fell out after back-to-back losses, one of them in 3 OT at #3 Ohio St. They came into this game 3-3. Meanwhile, UConn was trying to build on some momentum they’d built under Randy Edsall in just their 4th season at the Division I-A level.
The Game: Not only had UConn stuck with the Wolf Pack to make it tied at 24 late, but they were driving for a chance to win.
The Finish: With UConn driving to set up a potential GW FG, Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay picked off a pass and returned it 56 yards for the GW score with just 5 seconds left to give the Wolf Pack their 500th win in program history.
How they ended up: This was the first of a 4-GW streak for NC St. as they went on to an 8-5 season. Meanwhile, UConn didn’t lose again as the Huskies went on to by far the best season yet at the Division I-A level, finishing 9-3.
189. Sept. 5, 2010-ECU 51, (24) Tulsa 49 (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina)
The Build Up: This was the opener for both teams.
The Game: G.J. Kinne threw for 399 yards and 5 TDs, his last a 3-yarder to Charles Clay with 1:22 left to give Tulsa a 49-45 lead.
The Finish: However, Dominique Davis threw for 383 yards and 5 TDs of his own, including a 33-yard Hail Mary to a leaping Justin Jones as time expired to give ECU a thrilling win.
How they ended up: This early conference game ended up keeping the Golden Hurricane out of the C-USA Championship Game as they went on to a 10-3 season without a conference title game appearance. Meanwhile, ECU went 6-7.
188. Dec. 4, 2014-UCF 32, (once #18) ECU 30 (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, North Carolina)
The Build Up: Both teams came into this game 8-3.
The Game: ECU came back from a 26-9 deficit in the 4th quarter with 3 TDs including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Shane Carden to Justin Hardy with 2:17 left to give the Pirates a temporary 30-26 lead.
The Finish: Breshad Perriman caught the GW 51-yard Hail Mary from Justin Holman as time expired to give UCF the miraculous win.
How they ended up: UCF finished 9-4, while ECU finished 8-5.
187. Nov. 7, 1998-#3 (8) UCLA 41, Oregon St. 34 (Parker Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon)
The Build Up: UCLA came into this game 7-0 and in the midst of a 17-GW streak. Meanwhile, Oregon St. was 4-5 in the midst of a 3-GL streak.
The Finish: After Oregon St. had tied the game at 34 with a 28-yard FG with 31 seconds left, Cade McNown found a wide-open Brad Melsby for the GW 61-yard TD with 21 seconds to allow UCLA to survive a scare.
How they ended up: UCLA’s winning streak extended to 18 games and went on to 20 before being upset at Miami. Then the Bruins lost to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl to finish 10-2. Meanwhile, Oregon St. finished 5-6.
186. Oct. 28, 2000-#9 (3) Washington 31, Stanford 28 (Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California)
The Build Up: This is the first of 3 entries to take place on this date. Only Oct. 15, 2005 would match Oct. 28, 2000. Washington came into this game 6-1 with their only loss coming to rival Oregon and a signature win over then #4 Miami. Meanwhile, Stanford was 3-4.
The Game: Stanford rallied from an 18-point deficit in the final 6 minutes behind QB Randy Fasani who ran for 2 TDs and threw for another to give the Cardinal a stunning 28-24 lead with 53 seconds left.
The Finish: However, Washington saved their best for last as Marques Tuiasosopo drove the Huskies 80 yards in just 3 plays for the GW 22-yard TD pass to Justin Robbins with 17 seconds left to allow the Huskies to escape Palo Alto with the win.
How they ended up: The win was the 4th in a row for UW to improve to 7-1 and #8 on their way to a 3-way tie for the Pac-10 title and a win in the Rose Bowl for an 11-1 season. Meanwhile, Stanford went 5-6.
185. Nov. 10, 2012-#7 (9) Florida 27, Louisiana-Lafayette 20 (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
The Build Up: Florida came into this game 8-1 with one of the toughest schedules in the country. This matchup with Louisiana-Lafayette was expected to be merely a formality.
The Game: Louisiana-Lafayette not only hung in there, they led 20-13 with less than 4 minutes left before backup Gator QB Jacoby Brissett threw a 39-yard pass to TE Jordan Reed to set up his 3-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar to tie the game at 20 with 1:42 left.
The Finish: The Gators forced a punt and blocked it. Jelani Jenkins returned it 36 yards for the GW TD with 2 seconds left to give Florida the miraculous win.
How they ended up: The Gators improved to 9-1 and remained at #7. They finished the regular season 11-1 but were left out of the SEC Championship Game due to their head-to-head loss to Georgia. Thus, despite the tough schedule, they were left out of the BCS National Championship Game. Instead, they went to the Sugar Bowl where they were stunned by #22 Louisville to finish 11-2. Meanwhile the Ragin’ Cajuns went 9-4 but later had to vacate 4 of their wins.
184. Jan. 2, 1939-#7 (7) USC 7, #3 (3) Duke 3 (Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)
The Build Up: The “Iron Dukes” of Duke had not allowed a single point all season on their way to a 9-0 record heading into this Rose Bowl. They faced PCC co-champion USC (8-2) based on their head-to-head win over co-champ Cal.
The Game: The game was scoreless after 3 quarters before Duke took a 3-0 lead on a 23-yard FG from Tony Ruffa early in the 4th.
The Finish: Backup QB for USC, Doyle Nave, completed 4 straight passes, including to “Antelope” Al Krueger, who got around Eric “The Red” Tipton and scored the GW TD with only a minute left. It was the only points Duke allowed all season.
How they ended up: USC finished 9-2, while Duke finished 9-1.
183. Nov. 2, 1995-#24 (16) Virginia 33, #2 (4) Florida St. 28 (Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Virginia)
The Build Up: Florida St. came into this game 7-0 and a perfect 29-0 as a member of the ACC. Meanwhile, Virginia was 6-3.
The Game: Virginia took a stunning 33-28 lead late into the game.
The Finish: Warrick Dunn was stopped inches short of the goal line on the last play of the game as the Cavaliers handed Florida St. their first ever ACC loss.
How they ended up: These teams went on to share the ACC title. FSU’s only other loss came at rival Florida, while they beat #6 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to finish 10-2. Meanwhile, Virginia went 9-4 with a dramatic win over Georgia in the Peach Bowl (see #231).
182. Sept. 16, 2006-#18 Oregon 34, #15 (11) Oklahoma 33 (Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon)
The Build Up: Both teams came into this early season showdown unbeaten.
The Game: Dennis Dixon had a 16-yard touchdown run with 1:27 left to pull Oregon within 33-27.
The Finish: The Ducks then recovered a controversial onside kick where Oklahoma should’ve been awarded the ball after Oregon touched it before it went 10 yards, but instead Oregon was given possession even after a review. An OU pass interference penalty set up Dixon’s GW 23-yard TD pass to Brian Paysinger with 46 seconds left to suddenly put Oregon up 34-33. However, the game wasn’t over yet when Reggie Smith returned the ensuing squib kick 55 yards all the way to the Oregon 27. After an Adrian Peterson run and a spike, the Sooners lined up for Garrett Hartley’s 44-yard FG attempt, but the kick was blocked as Oregon pulled off a miracle win. Dixon threw for 341 yards and 2 TDs, while Jonathan Stewart ran for 144 yards. Peterson finished with 211 rushing yards, including an incredible 145 in the 4th quarter alone.
How they ended up: Oregon went on to 7-2 before their season unraveled and they lost their last 4 games to finish 7-6. Meanwhile, Oklahoma went on to win the Big 12 title to earn a trip to the Fiesta Bowl where they lost a memorable game against upstart Boise St. (more on that later). The Sooners finished 11-3.
181. Jan. 10, 2011-#1 (1) Auburn 22, #2 (3) Oregon 19 (BCS National Championship Game, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona)
The Build Up: Both teams were perfect coming into this BCS National Championship Game, Auburn 13-0 and Oregon 12-0. Both teams were known for lighting up the scoreboard, so many expected a shootout for the national title.
The Game: This was not the high-scoring shootout many were expecting between two of the nation’s top offenses. Neither team scored in the opening quarter after trading interceptions. Eventually Cam Newton threw a 35-yard TD pass to Kodi Burns for a 7-3 Auburn lead, but Oregon responded in only 4 plays finished with an 8-yard TD catch from LaMichael James and a 2-point conversion for a Ducks 11-7 lead. Auburn drove to the Oregon 1-yard line but turned the ball over on downs. However, James was tackled in the end zone for a safety to cut it to an 11-9 Ducks lead. Then Newton threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Emory Blake to give the Tigers a 16-11 lead at halftime.
On the opening drive of the 2nd half, Wes Byrum kicked a 28-yard FG to give Auburn a 19-11 lead. Oregon eventually drove to the Auburn 1, but just like the Tigers earlier, turned the ball over on downs. The Ducks got their chance when they recovered a fumble at the Auburn 40-yard line with 5:05 left. They turned it into Darron Thomas’ 2nd TD pass to LaMichael James and the 2-point conversion tied the game at 19 with 2:33 left.
The Finish: On Auburn’s ensuing drive, Michael Dyer appeared to be tackled after a 7-yard gain but somehow kept his feet. Everyone stopped playing assuming he was down, but when no whistle ever sounded, Dyer kept going for a 37-yard gain to put the Tigers in FG range. The play was reviewed and indeed somehow Dyer’s knee never touched down. Then it appeared that Dyer ran for a TD, but another review ruled that he was down at the 1-yard line. From there Auburn ran the clock down and set up Byrum’s GW 19-yard FG as time expired to give Auburn the national championship.
How they ended up: This was Auburn’s 2nd national championship recognized by the school, their first since 1957 after coming so close in 1983 and 2004 (and going undefeated while on probation in 1993). Meanwhile, Oregon is still searching for their first national championship in football. Auburn finished 14-0, while Oregon finished 12-1.
180. Aug. 31, 2019-#16 (14) Auburn 27, #11 (5) Oregon 21 (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
The Build Up: Both teams came into their opener with high hopes with both being ranked in the preseason top 20.
The Game: Darrian Felix had a 6-yard touchdown run to give Oregon a 21-6 lead with 9:23 left in the 3rd. True freshman Bo Nix threw an 11-yard touchdown to Eli Stove to cut it to 21-13, and then Joey Gatewood’s 1-yard touchdown run cut it to 21-20 with 9:48 left. After exchanging punts, Auburn came down to their last chance at their own 40 with just over 2 minutes left.
The Finish: Nix rolled out and dove to barely convert a 4th & 3 with a 3-yard run and later on 3rd & 10 Nix completed a 13-yard pass to Seth Williams to move down to the Oregon 26 with 16 seconds left. That’s when Nix found Williams at the goal line for the GW 26-yard touchdown with only 9 seconds left to give the Tigers the dramatic win.
How they ended up: Auburn went on to a 9-4 season, while Oregon went on to win the Pac-12 title and the Rose Bowl to finish 12-2. Nix would later transfer to Oregon to finish his college career.
179. Nov. 25, 1939-(20) Michigan 21, #6 (15) Ohio St. 14 (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
The Build Up: Ohio St. came into The Game 6-1 having already clinched the outright Big Ten title with their only loss coming to Eastern power #7 Cornell. Meanwhile, Michigan was 5-2.
The Game: Ohio St. took a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter before Michigan slowly rallied. A 49-yard pass from Tom Harmon to Joe Rogers set up a Harmon to Forest Evashevski TD to cut it to 14-7. Then a Harmon TD tied the game at 14 in the 3rd.
The Finish: Ohio St. fumbled to give the Wolverines the ball at the Buckeye 38 with time running low. Michigan was stopped at the 24-yard line and set up for a GW FG. Fred Trosko was set to hold and Harmon set to kick. Instead, Harmon faked the kick, and Trosko took off running with Harmon blocking ahead of him. He went all the way for the GW TD with 50 seconds left to give the Wolverines the thrilling win over their rival from the south.
How they ended up: Both teams ended their season 6-2.
178. Dec. 15, 2012-(once #22) Arizona 49, Nevada 48 (New Mexico Bowl, University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico)
The Build Up: Both teams came into the New Mexico Bowl 7-5 and looking for a win after losing their last game of the season to big rivals.
The Game: Nevada kicked a FG for a 48-35 lead with 1:48 left. Surely the game was over.
The Finish: A questionable pass interference penalty led to a 2-yard touchdown pass from Matt Scott to Austin Hill to cut it to 48-42 with 42 seconds left. Then Arizona recovered the ensuing onside kick to suddenly give them a chance. Scott hit back-to-back passes of over 20 yards to set up his GW 2-yard TD pass to Tyler Slavin with 16 seconds left to give the Wildcats one of the most unbelievable wins of the season.
How they ended up: Arizona finished 8-5, while Nevada fell to 7-6.
177. Oct. 7, 1950-#5 (1) Oklahoma 34, (once #12) Texas A&M 28 (Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma)
The Build Up: Oklahoma took national title hopes and a 22-GW streak into this game. Meanwhile, Texas A&M was coming off a 1-8-1 1949 season, but they were showing improvement having gotten off to a 2-0 start here in 1950.
The Game: Texas A&M took a 28-21 lead with 11 minutes left to play with a 50-yard TD run. However, OU QB Claude Arnold engineered two late game drives to keep the Sooners’ unbeaten streak intact. Arnold threw a 32-yard TD pass to Billy Vessels with 3:36 left to play, but the PAT missed to leave the Sooners behind 28-27.
The Finish: Oklahoma’s defense shut down the Aggie offense and forced a punt with 1:46 left. Arnold then led a GW 69-yard drive, completing 4-of-5 passes for 65 yards before Leon Heath took a pitch and ran in for the GW TD with 37 seconds left to keep Oklahoma’s national title hopes alive.
How they ended up: OU’s winning streak improved to 23 and the next week to 24 with a big win over #4 Texas in Dallas, 14-13. They won out the rest of the regular season to put their winning streak at 32 games to give them both the AP national title and the new Coaches poll national title. However, both were awarded prior to bowl games. The Sooners went on to lose the Sugar Bowl to #7 Kentucky to end their 32-GW streak. Because of the bowl loss and Tennessee’s win over that same Kentucky team, and the Vols’ 20-14 win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, some post-bowl national title selectors have chosen Tennessee as the champ of 1950.
176. Sept. 11, 1999-UNLV 27, Baylor 24 (Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, Texas)
The Build Up: Both of these teams were terrible. Baylor had been a bottom feeder since the formation of the new Big 12 where they had only 3 conference wins (1 each in each season) and none on the road. Meanwhile, UNLV had finally put an end to a 16-GL streak the week before against North Texas in their 1999 opener.
The Game: Darrel Bush had a 9-yard touchdown run to give Baylor a 24-21 lead with 6:06 remaining.
The Finish: That lead held with the Bears in possession at the UNLV 8 with less than 20 seconds left and the Runnin’ Rebels out of timeouts. All the Bears had to do was take a knee and the game would be over. However, Baylor 1st year coach Kevin Steele was trying to establish a new winning culture and opted to go for style points and decided to give Bush another run. However, this time when Bush struggled to get into the end zone, LB Tyler Brickell forced a fumble and Kevin Thomas picked up the ball in the end zone and went 100 yards as time expired for the GW walk-off fumble return for a TD. It was UNLV’s first win over a Big 12 program.
How they ended up: Baylor went on to a 1-10 season with their only win coming against that same North Texas team that UNLV beat. Meanwhile, the Runnin’ Rebels wouldn’t fare much better going 3-8.
175. Nov. 30, 1946-#1 (2) Army 21, Navy 18 (Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
The Build Up: Army came into the game having not lost since they lost to Navy to close the 1943 season. Army had since gone on to win 2 consecutive AP national titles. They took a 25-GW streak into their #1 vs. #2 showdown against #2 Notre Dame. The “Game of the Century” ended in perhaps the greatest scoreless tie in college football history as Army’s winning streak came to an end, but their unbeaten streak continued to 27 games as they maintained their #1 ranking heading into this matchup with a Navy team that was on a 7-GL streak after winning their opener to sit at 1-7. Still over 100,000 fans packed into Municipal Stadium.
The Game: Army took an expected lead, but Navy cut it all the way to 21-18 and had the ball late in the game with a chance to pull off the shocking upset.
The Finish: Navy was driving deep into Army territory with the clock running dangerously low when Pete Williams took a pitch and tried to run out of bounds to stop the clock. With fans packed along the sideline and security more concerned with getting US President Harry Truman to his train, Williams tried to get out of bounds amongst the fans, but the officials ruled that he was tackled in bounds at the 5-yard line and the clock ran out on a Navy comeback attempt and Army kept their undefeated streak alive.
How they ended up: Army’s unbeaten streak reached 28 games, but the close call cost Army a 3rd consecutive AP national championship. Army barely beating a Navy team that finished 1-8, juxtaposed with Notre Dame’s 26-6 win over #16 USC was enough to give the Irish the boost to finish #1 in the final AP poll, while Army had to settle for #2.
174. Nov. 30, 1918-Cleveland Naval Reserve 10, Pitt 9 (League Park, Cleveland, OH)
The Build Up: In 1917 Pitt and Georgia Tech were the clear 2 best teams in the country, so when they finally met in 1918, it was considered the national championship game. John Heisman and the Yellow Jackets took a 33-GW streak into that game, and Pop Warner and Pitt took a 30-GW streak. However, these were not the same teams as 1917, and the Yellow Jackets had lost several key players to World War I. A crowd of 30,000 gathered at Forbes Field to see Pitt hammer Georgia Tech 32-0. Pitt had seemingly won the national championship, although they had the formality of a couple of more games yet to play in a season shortened by the Spanish flu pandemic. Pitt beat Penn St. 28-6 to move the GW streak to 32, and the Cleveland Naval Reserve was not expected to be a threat.
The Game: This is one of the most controversial games in the pre-poll era of 20th century football. The official claimed his stopwatch was broken and ended the 1st half arbitrarily before Pitt could score again.
The Finish: Then the official allowed Cleveland extra time in the 4th quarter for Moon Ducote’s GW FG to end Pitt’s 32-GW streak.
How they ended up: Judy Harlan, formerly of Georgia Tech, played for the Cleveland Naval Reserves and played for the Georgia Tech teammates who lost to this Pitt team. He had a key interception in the 4th quarter. Cleveland Naval Reserve finished 5-1. Meanwhile, Pitt didn’t acknowledge the loss due to the controversial nature of the ending and still claimed a national championship despite a 4-1 record. Several national title selectors still selected Pitt as the national champion of 1918 despite the loss.
173. Oct. 24, 2020-(12) Indiana 36, #8 Penn St. 35 (((OT))) (Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana)
The Build Up: From one pandemic to another, this was the opener for both teams in late October due to the Covid pandemic shortening the season. Even the worst college football season in recent memory had great endings despite the empty stands.
The Game: Indiana took a 17-7 lead into halftime, but a Sean Clifford 35-yard TD run cut it to 17-14 heading into the 4th. Charles Campbell kicked a 48-yard FG to give the Hoosiers a 20-14 lead early in the 4th, but Clifford threw a 60-yard TD to Jahan Dotson to give Penn St. a 21-20 lead with 2:30 left. After Indiana went 4-and-out, Devyn Ford broke a 14-yard TD run to give the Nittany Lions a 28-20 lead with 1:42 left.
The Finish: Michael Penix Jr. led Indiana downfield for his 1-yard TD run with 22 seconds left to pull the Hoosiers within 2. Penix then ran in the 2-pointer to tie the game at 28. Penn St. got in range for a 57-yard FG attempt from Jordan Stout, but he couldn’t connect so the game went to OT. The Nittany Lions had the ball first in OT and scored on 3rd & 7 with a 9-yard TD from Clifford to Parker Washington for a 35-28 lead. Indiana faced 3rd & goal when Penix threw a 9-yard touchdown to Whop Philyor to seemingly send the game to another OT. However, they opted to go for 2 and the win. Penix outran a defender to the pylon where he just barley reached the ball to the pylon for the GW, walk-off 2-pointer to give Indiana one of their biggest wins in recent memory.
How they ended up: The Hoosiers moved into the rankings at #17 and stayed in the rankings the remainder of the year, reaching as high as #9 and finishing #12. Meanwhile, Penn St. had a rare off season under James Franklin. They lost their first 5 games and won their last 4 to finish 4-5.
172. Nov. 25, 2006-#21 (16) BYU 33, Utah 31 (Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah)
The Build Up: After starting the year 1-2, BYU had rattled off 8 straight wins to sit at 9-2. Meanwhile, Utah was 7-4 and on a 3-GW streak.
The Game: Utah took a 31-27 lead on Brett Ratliff’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Brent Casteel with just 1:19 left.
The Finish: BYU drove to the Utes’ 11 with only 3 seconds left. John Beck rolled to his left, scrambled, and went to his right before he threw across his body to TE Jonny Harline for the GW TD long after time had expired to give BYU the dramatic win over their arch-nemesis.
How they ended up: The win was the 9th in a row for the Cougars which went on to blowout Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl to finish 11-2. Meanwhile Utah finished 8-5 after beating Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl.
171. Dec. 3, 1999-#11 (10) Marshall 34, Western Michigan 30 (MAC Championship Game, Marshall University Stadium, Huntington, West Virginia)
The Build Up: Marshall was having one of their best seasons ever coming into this MAC title game a perfect 11-0. Meanwhile, Western Michigan was 7-4 having already been beaten 31-17 a few weeks earlier against this Thundering Herd squad in Kalamazoo.
The Game: Western Michigan led 23-0 before Marshall came storming back. With a post-season berth on the line, Sr. QB leader Chad Pennington led the comeback. He threw two 2nd half TDs on the Herd’s way to 4 unanswered TDs for a 27-23 lead. The Broncos reclaimed the lead on Tim Lester’s 4-yard TD pass to Jake Moreland with 7:20 left for a 30-27 WMU lead.
The Finish: Marshall had their last chance at their own 25 with 3:08 left. Pennington led a signature drive to his GW 1-yard TD to Eric Pinkerton with 4 seconds left to give the Thundering Herd their 3rd consecutive MAC title to preserve an undefeated season.
How they ended up: Marshall took a 12-0 record and #11 ranking into the Motor City Bowl against BYU where they won 21-3 to complete a perfect 13-0 campaign to finish ranked in the final AP top ten. Meanwhile, WMU’s season ended there in Huntington at 7-5.
The Build Up: BYU was just coming off a miracle Hail Mary win at Nebraska (more on that soon) when backup QB Tanner Mangum came off the bench to provide the heroics. Meanwhile, Boise St. was ranked after beating former head coach and current Washington coach Chris Petersen in their opener.
The Finish: On 4th & 7, Mangum threw up a prayer that Mitchell Juergens came down with for the 35-yard GW TD with 45 seconds left. It was the second essential Hail Mary that Mangum threw in as many weeks. Kai Nacua had a 50-yard pick-six to complete the scoring and put the game away.
How they ended up: Both teams went on to 9-4 seasons.
169. Oct. 24, 1953-(UPI #20) Ohio St. 20, (15) Wisconsin 19 (Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin)
The Build Up: Ohio St. had just dropped from the polls after climbing to #3 due to a loss to Illinois and a close call on a trip to Penn for a 3-1 start. Meanwhile, Wisconsin was also 3-1 after a loss at #6 UCLA.
The Game: A TD from Howard “Hopalong” Cassady gave Ohio St. an early 7-0 lead, but Wisconsin rattled off 19 straight points to take a 19-7 lead into the 4th. However, the first play of the 4th quarter was a Bobby Watkins 3-yard TD run to cut it to a 19-14 Buckeye deficit. Neither team could get anything going for a few drives until Wisconsin faced 4th & 2 at the Buckeye 40 and Ivy Williams decided to go for it.
The Finish: Mike Takacs dropped Alan Ameche for no gain to put Ohio St. 60 yards from a win. All they needed was one play as Dave Leggett found a streaking Cassady for a 60-yard TD pass to give the Buckeyes the 20-19 lead with less than 3 minutes left. Wisconsin drove in range for a 23-yard FG attempt, but Bill Miller kicked it just inches wide right to give Ohio St. a huge win.
How they ended up: Ohio St. eventually got back into the polls, but losses to Michigan St. and rival Michigan kept them out of the finals polls to finish 6-3. Meanwhile, Wisconsin wouldn’t lose again all year, although they did suffer a tie to rival Minnesota to end the season to finish 6-2-1 and #15.
168. Jan. 2, 2017-#9 (3) USC 52, #5 (7) Penn St. 49 (Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)
The Build Up: Both teams came into this game having resurgent seasons. USC started 1-3, but hadn’t lost since having won 8 straight, including a win over CFP bound Washington. Meanwhile Penn St. started 2-2, having won 9 straight including a win over CFP bound Ohio St. on a blocked kick for a TD (there were still 4 minutes left so it didn’t make the list), and a dramatic comeback in the Big Ten Championship Game against #6 Wisconsin to clinch their spot in this game.
The Game: This ended up being one of the best Rose Bowls ever. USC jumped out to a 13-0 1st quarter lead and took a 27-14 lead with 6:16 left in the 2nd before Penn St. rattled off 4 TDs on 4 consecutive snaps in about a 6-minute span between the 2nd and 3rd quarters. First Trace McSorley threw an 11-yard TD pass to Mike Gesicki to cut it to 27-21 with 54 seconds left in the 1st half. Then Saquon Barkley broke a 79-yard TD run, followed shortly thereafter by a 72-yard TD connection from McSorley to Chris Godwin for a 35-27 Penn St. lead. Then Brandon Bell returned a Sam Darnold pick all the way to the USC 3 to set up McSorley’s 3-yard TD run for a sudden 42-27 Nittany Lion lead. USC finally stopped the bleeding with a 13-yard TD pass from Sam Darnold to JuJu Smith-Schuster. A Darnold 2-point pass to Taylor McNamara cut it to 42-35. However, Penn St. answered with a 7-yard TD pass from McSorley to Barkley to take a 49-35 lead into the 4th quarter. The Trojans went on a 10-play, 83-yard drive capped with Ronald Jones’ 3-yard TD run to cut it to 49-42 with 8:15 left. After an exchange of punts, USC got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:59 left.
The Finish: Two Darnold completions and two pass interference penalties set up Darnold’s 27-yard TD pass to Deontay Burnett to tie the game at 49 with 1:20 left. Three plays later, on 3rd & 9, McSorley was picked off by Leon McQuay III who returned it 32 yards to the PSU 33 with 27 seconds left. Matt Boermeester had missed 2 FGs already, but this time his kick was true for the GW 46-yard FG as time expired to give USC the win in the highest scoring Rose Bowl game ever.
How they ended up: The teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense with freshman Darnold throwing for 453 yards and 5 TDs, and with 20 rushing yards he broke Vince Young’s previous Rose Bowl record of 467 yards of offense. USC won their 9th in a row for their first Rose Bowl win since 2009, while the Nittany Lions’ 9-GW streak came to an end. USC finished 10-3 and ranked all the way up to #3 despite the 3 losses, while Penn St. finished 11-3.
167. Nov. 9, 2024-#24 (22) Missouri 30, Oklahoma 23 (Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri)
The Build Up: This is the first game these two rivals played against each other since 2011 after Mizzou left the Big 12 to join the SEC. Now with Oklahoma joining them in the SEC, this rivalry began again. The Tigers came into this game 6-2, while OU was going through some growing pains of life in the SEC with a 5-4 record.
The Game: Drew Pyne threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brett Norfleet to give Missouri a 16-9 lead with 8:47 left. Oklahoma answered with Taylor Tatum’s 18-yard TD to Jackson Arnold on a trick play to knot the game at 16 with 3:18 left. Then Billy Bowman returned a fumble 43 yards for a TD to suddenly give the Sooners a 23-16 lead with 2 minutes left.
The Finish: Drew Pyne answered with his 10-yard touchdown to Theo Wease Jr. to tie the game at 23 with 1:03 left. Then Zion Young had the GW 17-yard fumble return for a TD with just 22 seconds left to give the Tigers the unlikely win.
How they ended up: Mizzou improved to 7-2 but lost a heartbreaker to South Carolina the next week before winning their last 3 games to finish 10-3. Oklahoma stunned then #7 Alabama in their next game, but that was their only win in their last 4 games to finish 6-7.
166. Sept. 12, 2015-#9 (11) Notre Dame 34, Virginia 27 (Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Virginia)
The Build Up: Notre Dame came into 2015 with CFP aspirations and blew out Texas 38-3 to open the season. Meanwhile, Virginia wasn’t expected to be much of a threat.
The Game: Virginia not only hung in there with the Irish, but Albert Reid had a 1-yard TD run to put Virginia up 27-26 with 1:54 left after failed 2-point conversion.
The Finish: Backup QB DeShone Kizer led Notre Dame to the UVA 39-yard line where he dropped back to pass and found Will Fuller behind the defense for the GW TD with only 12 seconds left to allow Notre Dame to survive a scare. Kizer hit Torii Hunter Jr. for the 2-pointer to make it a 7-point win.
How they ended up: Notre Dame went on to take a 10-1 record into their season finale at #9 Stanford where they lost a heartbreaker to cost them a possible CFP spot (see #292). They got a bid to the Fiesta Bowl but lost to #7 Ohio St. 44-28 to finish 10-3. Meanwhile, Virginia went just 4-8 in 2015. The image of a deflated young Virginia fan draped over the Scott Stadium wall in defeat has gone on to be a classic meme and has since been used in advertising to show the misery of defeat.
165. Nov. 14, 1992-#8 (4) Notre Dame 17, #22 (UPI #24) Penn St. 16 (Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana)
The Build Up: Notre Dame came into this game 7-1-1, while Penn St. was 6-3.
The Game: This game is known as the “Snow Bowl” in Notre Dame circles due to the driving snow that came down for much of the game.
The Finish: By the end of the game the snow had tapered off, but the Irish trailed 16-9 with 25 seconds left before Rick Mirer threw a TD pass to Jerome Bettis to pull within a point with 20 seconds left. Lou Holtz elected to go for 2 and the win and used a timeout to draw up a play on the sideline for the 2-point try. Mirer dropped back and fired a pass right before he got hit to a diving Reggie Brooks who made the catch for the GW 2-pointer to give Notre Dame the 17-16 win.
How they ended up: The Irish won their remaining games, all against ranked competition to finish 10-1-1 and #4 in the final AP. Meanwhile, Penn St. beat rival Pitt but lost the Blockbuster Bowl to Stanford to finish 7-5 and ranked only in the final Coaches poll.
164. Dec. 23, 1983-#9 (7) BYU 21, (once #19) Missouri 17 (Holiday Bowl, Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California)
The Build Up: BYU had won 10 straight since losing their opener to Baylor. Meanwhile, Missouri was 7-4 having finished tied for 2nd place in the Big 8.
The Game: Missouri took a 17-14 lead in the 4th with a 2-yard Eric Drain TD run.
The Finish: With 23 seconds left, Steve Young handed off to Eddie Stinnett who then turned and passed back to Young. The pass back to Young was just barely out of the reach of a Mizzou defender, and then Young took it all the way for the GW TD to give BYU their 11th consecutive win to finish 11-1 and ranked #7.
How they ended up: Steve Young finished as offensive MVP with 314 passing yards, a throwing TD, a running TD, and a receiving TD. The Cougars took the momentum and their 11-GW streak into a 1984 undefeated national championship season with their winning streak reaching 25 games before they finally lost in September 1985. Meanwhile, the Tigers finished 7-5.
163. Nov. 14, 1998-#1 (1) Tennessee 28, #10 (16) Arkansas 24 (Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee)
The Build Up: Tennessee survived tough tests in their first 2 games, blasted then #7 Georgia on the road, and came into this game 8-0 and the newly ranked #1 team in the AP poll. They faced a tough test in #10 Arkansas, which was also 8-0.
The Game: Arkansas led 21-3 at halftime and could’ve led by more if not for a Tennessee interception in the end zone to end a great scoring chance for the Razorbacks. Tennessee slowly clawed their way back into the game and cut it to a 24-20 deficit before they blocked an Arkansas FG attempt and got a good return but were unable to capitalize. However, they forced a punt, and the snap went over the punter’s head who then kicked it through the end zone for a safety to cut it to a 24-22 deficit with still over 2 minutes left, plus they got the ball back around midfield.
The Finish: However, the Vols went 4-and-out to give Arkansas the ball back with 1:54 left to seemingly seal the game. Tennessee still had 2 timeouts left so Arkansas had to run the ball. However, on 2nd down, QB Clint Stoerner faked a hand-off and got his feet tripped up by a lineman and lost the ball as he tried to maintain his balance and Billy Ratliff recovered for Tennessee with 1:43 left at the Arkansas 43-yard line to miraculously keep Tennessee’s national title hopes alive. Just needing a FG to win the game, the Vols just handed off to Travis Henry 5 consecutive times, who eventually punched it in from a yard out with 28 seconds left to send Neyland Stadium into hysterics. (Tennessee took an excessive celebration penalty after the TD, which pushed the PAT back, so Tennessee opted to just kneel on the PAT rather than attempt a long PAT.)
How they ended up: The Vols improved to 9-0 and remained at #1 for the remainder of the season on their way to their first ‘consensus’ national title since 1951 (they lost the Sugar Bowl to #3 Maryland; 1950 was a better claim for the Vols). Meanwhile, Arkansas fell to 8-1 and actually moved up a spot to #9 despite the loss. However, they lost 3 of their last 4 games to finish 9-3.
162. Sept. 10, 2022-Texas Tech 33, #25 Houston 30 (((2OT))) (Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas)
The Build Up: These former SWC rivals were slated to become conference foes once again the following year when Houston was going to join Texas Tech in the Big 12. For now, though, this was a non-conference game. Houston had barely survived a 3OT thriller against UTSA in their opener where they gave up a tying FG in regulation after coming up with the seeming GW score in the final minute. Meanwhile, Texas Tech was 1-0, but this would be their first test.
The Game: Houston’s Jayce Rogers had a 54-yard pick-six to tie the game at 17 with 12:25 left. Texas Tech’s Gino Garcia missed a 46-yard field goal to keep the game tied, and later Donovan Smith was intercepted to set up Bubba Baxa’s seeming GW 35-yard FG with 37 seconds left to give Houston a 20-17 lead.
The Finish: However, just like last week, the Cougars couldn’t come up with a last-minute stop as Smith came up with gains of 27, 11, and 10 yards to set up Trey Wolff’s 47-yard FG with 3 seconds left to send the game to OT. Houston scored first in OT on Clayton Tune’s 15-yard TD to Matthew Golden. Texas Tech faced 4th & 20 when Smith found Jerand Bradley short of the line to gain, but he had enough room to reach the first down marker for a 21-yard completion to keep the game alive. Tahj Brooks punched in a 4-yard touchdown run to send the game to a 2nd OT tied at 27. Houston had to settle for Baxa’s 20-yard FG for a 30-27 lead. Smith answered with the GW, walk-off 9-yard TD run to give the Red Raiders the wild win.
How they ended up: Houston fell from the AP poll for good on their way to a 2-3 start before salvaging an 8-5 season. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders also went 8-5.
161. Oct. 7, 2017-#13 (13) Miami 24, (once #3) Florida St. 20 (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida)
The Build Up: Florida St. began the season with national titles hopes and ranked #3. However, in their opening loss to #1 Alabama, starting QB Deondre Francois suffered a season ending knee injury and the Noles’ hopes took a big hit. They were off to a shaky 1-2 start and were looking to wright the ship. Meanwhile, Miami was 3-0 but hadn’t been tested yet.
The Game: Malik Rosier threw a 6-yard TD to Braxton Berrios with 5:09 left to give Miami a 17-13 lead. However, Florida St. drove for James Blackman’s 20-yard TD pass to Auden Tate for a 20-17 lead with 1:24 left.
The Finish: Miami answered with their own drive that was capped with Rosier’s GW 23-yard TD to Darrell Langham with only 6 seconds left to give the Canes the dramatic win over their arch-nemesis.
How they ended up: Miami survived another thriller the following week (just missed the cut for this list) as the Canes rode the team of destiny thing to a 10-0 start. However, they lost their final 3 games to finish 10-3. Meanwhile, FSU fell to 1-3 and struggled to 3-6 before they won their last 4 games to earn an Independence Bowl berth, which they won against unranked Southern Miss to finish 7-6.
160. Jan. 2, 2023-#16 (9) Tulane 46, #10 (12) USC 45 (Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)
The Build Up: USC ended the regular season 11-1 and just needed to win the Pac-12 Championship Game to earn a spot in the CFP. However, Utah beat them 47-24 to send the Trojans to something of a consolation prize in the Cotton Bowl. Meanwhile, Tulane was having perhaps their best season since their undefeated 1998 campaign, ending the regular season 10-2 and then got revenge for a regular season loss by beating #22 UCF for the AAC title (their first conference title since 1998) to improve to 11-2. The win also gave Tulane got the nod for the Cotton Bowl berth for their first major bowl game since the 1940 Sugar Bowl.
The Game: USC jumped out to a 28-14 lead at halftime. Tulane cut it to 28-24 before Caleb Williams threw a 19-yard TD to Brenden Rice to make it a 35-24 Trojan lead. Then after the Green Wave cut it to 35-30, USC scored 10 unanswered points to take a 45-30 lead on Denis Lynch’s 43-yard field goal with 4:30 left. Tulane answered quickly with Michael Pratt’s 59-yard pass to Duece Watts setting up Tyjae Spears’ 4-yard touchdown run to cut it to 45-37 with still 4:07 left.
The Finish: Mario Williams botched the kickoff return to give USC the ball at their own 1. Austin Jones was stuffed for a safety to make it a 45-39 Trojan lead with 3:20 left. Plus, the Green Wave now had possession. Tuli Tuipulotu sacked Pratt to immediately put Tulane in a 2nd & 21 hole. They got it to 4th & 6 where Pratt converted with an 8-yard run. However, another sack put Tulane in another 4th & 10 situation. Pratt converted with a 24-yard pass to Alex Bauman. A 24-yard pass to Watts moved Tulane to the USC 6 with time ticking under 18 seconds. A Pratt pass to Bauman in the end zone was initially ruled incomplete, but it was reviewed and somehow Bauman got his hands underneath the ball for the GW 6-yard TD catch with 9 seconds left to give Tulane the comeback Cotton Bowl win.
How they ended up: Tulane completed a remarkable 12-2 campaign, while USC finished 11-3 losing their final 2 games.
159. Oct. 8, 1988-(19) LSU 7, #4 (8) Auburn 6 (Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
The Build Up: Auburn came into this game 4-0 and ranked #4. Meanwhile, LSU was coming off back-to-back losses to sit at 2-2.
The Game: In a defensive struggle, Auburn held a 6-0 lead late in the game. QB Tommy Hodson led LSU down to the Auburn 11 where they faced 4th down with 1:47 left.
The Finish: That’s when Hodson found Eddie Fuller in the end zone for the GW 11-yard TD pass to give LSU the 7-6 win.
How they ended up: The crowd reaction was so immense that the seismograph on LSU’s campus registered an earthquake around the stadium. Thus, the game became known as the “Earthquake Game.” LSU improved to 3-2 and #19 in the next poll, while Auburn fell to 4-1 and #12. This ended up being the only regular season loss for Auburn. These teams ended up sharing the SEC title, but despite the head-to-head win, Auburn got the Sugar Bowl nod where they lost to Florida St. to finish 10-2. Meanwhile, LSU finished 9-4.
The Build Up: Auburn was 7-0 and ranked #5 having just dismantled #13 Mississippi St. on the road 35-6. Meanwhile, Florida was just 3-4.
The Game: Auburn looked well on their way to another easy win when they led 17-0 behind 166 rushing yards and a TD from Brent Fullwood. But then a hobbled Kerwin Bell led one of the more famous comebacks on Florida Field. They cut it to a 17-10 deficit with a Bell 1-yard TD run and a Roberty McGinty 51-yard FG. Then Auburn fumbled the ball back to the Gators on their own 34 with 1:41 left.
The Finish: A facemask penalty moved the ball past midfield, and then Bell hit passes of 11, 14, and 25 yards to get down to the 5. Bell hit Ricky Nattiel in the left corner of the end zone with 36 seconds left to pull within 1. Coach Galen Hall opted to go for 2 and the win, and Bell ran in for the GW 2-point conversion to cap a remarkable comeback. The Tigers had one more chance, but Chris Knapp’s 52-yard FG was wide right with 1-second left to clinch the Gator upset.
How they ended up: The win was the 3rd straight for Florida to improve them to 4-4 and salvaged a 6-5 season. Meanwhile Auburn lost their first game and fell to #9 at 7-1. This loss combined with a loss to rival #17 Georgia cost them a share of an SEC title on their way to a 10-2 season.
157. Nov. 15, 1975-#6 (1) Oklahoma 28, #18 Missouri 27 (Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri)
The Build Up: Oklahoma had just suffered a demoralizing loss at home to unranked Kansas 23-3 to fall to 8-1. If their national title hopes weren’t shot yet, they would be with a loss or even a tie here to Missouri. The Tigers were 6-3 and ranked #18.
The Finish: Facing 4th & 1, and trailing 27-20 in the final 2 minutes, Joe Washington broke a 71-yard TD run and then ran in for the GW 2-point conversion to allow Oklahoma to eke out a win, but the close call dropped them to #7 for their showdown with #2 Nebraska in Norman.
How they ended up: The Sooners beat down #2 Nebraska 35-10 the next week to keep their national title hopes alive, clinch a share of the Big 8 title with the Huskers, and earn a trip to the Orange Bowl ranked #3. They beat #5 Michigan in Miami and got some help with #11 UCLA stunning #1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and #2 Texas A&M losing twice since the final regular season AP poll to give OU the #1 ranking in the final AP and Coaches poll for their first consensus national title since 1956 and their 2nd consecutive AP national title.
156. Sept. 3, 2017-UCLA 45, Texas A&M 44 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)
The Build Up: This was the opener for both teams.
The Game: Texas A&M jumped out to a 31-3 lead before UCLA finally found the end zone to cut it to 31-10. However, on the next play from scrimmage Trayveon Williams broke a 61-yard TD to put the Aggies up 38-10 heading into the half. Another sack and fumble on Rosen led to a Texas A&M FG for a 41-10 lead. Another Aggie FG gave them a 44-10 lead with 4:08 left in the 3rd. Rosen led a drive that was finished by Soso Jamabo’s 6-yard touchdown run to cut it to 44-17 heading into the 4th. UCLA added another quick TD when Darren Andrews broke a tackle on a screen pass and took it 9 yards into the end zone to cut it to 44-24 with 13:22 left. The Bruins forced a punt, but they were pinned at their own 4-yard line. A 28-yard pass from Rosen to Andrews and a 17-yard run from Jamabo set up Rosen’s bomb that went through the hands of a defender right to Andrews who went in for the 42-yard TD to suddenly cut it to 44-31 with 8:12 left. Texas A&M mounted a drive, but when it appeared that Kellen Mond broke a TD run, he was ruled to have just barely stepped out of bounds. However, they still had good field position until a sack from Keisean Lucier-South moved the Aggies back to a 43-yard attempt from Braden Mann who left it short to keep A&M up 44-31 with 4:41 left. UCLA quickly faced 4th & 3, but Rosen converted with a 26-yard pass to Caleb Wilson to move into Aggie territory. A late hit penalty moved them all the way to the A&M 26. After getting to the 16, Rosen avoided a sack and then threw a pass up for grabs as he got hit, and Theo Howard came down with it for the miraculous TD to suddenly cut it to 44-38 with 3:10 left. After being down 34 points with 4:08 left in the 3rd, UCLA suddenly had a chance. They got the ball back with a quick 3-and-out when Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and Jaelan Phillips combined on a sack on 3rd & 8.
The Finish: UCLA got the ball back at their own 34 with 2:39 left. Rosen completed 4-of-5 passes to move to the Texas A&M 24 before a batted ball was almost intercepted before it fell incomplete. After a completion near the marker and a couple of penalties, the Bruins faced 4th & 6 at the 20. Rosen avoided the rush and threw a screen to Jamabo who gained 10 yards to move down to the 10. With time running low, Rosen faked a spike and found Lasley just inside the left corner of the end zone for the incredible GW TD with 43 seconds left. Mond threw 3 incompletions on the ensuing drive to set up 4th & 10 where Mond scrambled and initially appeared to have the 1st down, but replays showed he was brought down just short of the line to gain to clinch the Bruins’ incredible comeback win.
How they ended up: This remains the second largest comeback in FBS history only trailing the 35-point comeback of Michigan St. against Northwestern in 2006 and is the largest comeback to make this list. The Bruins went on to a 6-7 season, while the Aggies went 7-6.
155. Nov. 23, 2024-#25 (16) Illinois 38, Rutgers 31 (SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey)
The Build Up: Illinois had fallen out of the rankings for a week after back-to-back losses, but a win over Michigan St. bumped them up to 7-3 and back into the polls at #25. Meanwhile, Rutgers was 6-4 having won 2 straight.
The Game: Luke Altmyer had a 30-yard TD run and 2-point pass to Josh McCray to give Illinois a 30-24 lead with 3:07 left. However, Rutgers converted a 4th & 10 and responded with Athan Kaliakmanis’ 13-yard TD to Kyle Monangai to give Rutgers a 31-30 lead with 1:08 left.
The Finish: Illinois drove to the Rutgers 40 where they faced 4th & 13 with 14 seconds left. They lined up for a long FG until Rutgers called timeout to ice the kicker. Illini coach Bret Bielema had second thoughts about the long FG and sent the offense back on the field. Altmyer proceeded a pass to Pat Bryant to the 23 for what would have been a 1st down, but Bryant reversed his field and took it all the way to the end zone for a 40-yard TD with just 4 seconds left to give the Illini a 36-31 lead with a failed 2-pointer. A safety on the final play provided the final margin.
How they ended up: Illinois won their final 2 games to finish 10-3, while Rutgers finished 7-6.
154. Oct. 11, 1986-Army 25, (once #8) Tennessee 21 (Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee)
The Build Up: Tennessee was coming off their famous “Sugar Vols” season of 1985, but 1986 wasn’t looking so good as they sat at 2-2. Army also sat at 2-2 but wasn’t expected to be a threat.
The Game: It had appeared that the game was over when Tennessee picked off a Cadet pass with 1:18 left, but Army forced a punt with under a minute left.
The Finish: Charles Williams blocked the Tennessee punt and Reggie Fullwood took it 2 yards in for the GW TD with only 35 seconds left to give Army a stunning upset win over the Vols.
How they ended up: This was the first of a 3-GL streak for the Vols as they fell to 2-5 only to win their final 5 games to salvage a 7-5 season. Meanwhile, Army went 6-5.
153. Sept. 18, 2021-(once #19) SMU 39, Louisiana Tech 37 (Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, Louisiana)
The Build Up: SMU was 2-0, while LA Tech was 1-1 with already 2 wild games under their belt.
The Game: Austin Kendall threw a 6-yard TD to Marcus Williams to give Louisiana Tech a 34-33 lead with 5:07 left. Jacob Barnes kicked a 47-yard FG with 36 seconds left to extend the Bulldogs lead to 37-33.
The Finish: Tanner Mordecai completed passes of 11, 15, and 14 yards to move to the LT 33-yard line with time for one more play. Mordecai lobbed a pass to the end zone that was deflected by an SMU player to teammate Reggie Roberson as time expired to give the Mustangs the miraculous win.
How they ended up: SMU went on to a 7-0 start to climb into the rankings before they lost 4 of their last 5 games to finish 8-4. Meanwhile, Tech only went 3-9.
152. Sept. 17, 2022-Appalachian St. 32, (19) Troy 28 (Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, North Carolina)
The Build Up: App St. came into this game having lost a classic to North Carolina (just missed making the list) and having upset #6 Texas A&M in College Station. Meanwhile, Troy was 1-1 with their only loss coming at then #21 Ole Miss.
The Game: Kimani Vidal had a 1-yard TD run to give Troy a 28-24 lead with 10:10 left. Appalachian St. drove to the Trojans 2-yard line in the closing minutes when they were stopped on 4th down.
The Finish: Troy took an intentional safety with 20 seconds left to leave little time for App St. to do anything to make it 28-26. Chase Brice threw 3 straight incompletions to leave it 4th down with 2 seconds left. Brice had no other option left but to heave up a 53-yard Hail Mary as time expired, and Christian Horn came down with it for the GW TD.
How they ended up: Troy fell to 1-2 but they ended their season on an 11-GW streak to finish 12-2, Sun Belt champs, and ranked #19 in the final AP poll. Meanwhile, App St. went on to a roller coaster 6-6 season.
151. Oct. 28, 2000-#23 Northwestern 41, Minnesota 35 (Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Build Up: This is the second entry to take place on this date. Northwestern was 5-2 coming off a loss to a #21 Purdue team that would end up in the Rose Bowl. Minnesota started 5-2 after an upset of then #6 Ohio State to move into the rankings at #22, but they promptly got upset at Indiana to fall to 5-3 with the Wildcats coming to town for this matchup.
The Finish: Sam Simmons caught a 45-yard Hail Mary TD pass that was deflected by a teammate to give Northwestern a miracle win.
How they ended up: Northwestern won another thriller over Michigan the following week (more on that later) as they went on to a 3-way tie for the Big Ten title with Michigan and Purdue. The Boilermakers got the Rose Bowl nod, and the Wildcats got smoked by Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl (66-17) to finish 8-4. Meanwhile, Minnesota went 6-6, winning only once in their final 5 games.
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