The 10 Most Dramatic Bowl Games of All Time

Every true fan of college football, regardless of whether they’re an ardent supporter of the BCS or an advocate of a playoff, can’t get enough of late December and early January. Bowl season is the most wonderful time of the year, when a veritable buffet of games is at your fingertips. Given the sheer amount of bowls in existence — 35 for the 2010 season — there are sure to be a few dramatic moments that’ll carve their place in college football lore. The following games have done just that, as evidenced by their endless airings on ESPN Classic. Hopefully, if we’re lucky, we’ll see one this year worthy of supplanting the lowest-ranking game on this list.  

1. 2006 Rose Bowl — Texas 41, USC 38: Defending champion USC was dubbed "the greatest college football team of all-time" by some media members during the ’05 season despite its apparent vulnerabilities and the presence of an equally talented Texas team. During the second half of the BCS Championship Game, the Trojans seemed to be on their way to meeting the hype, leading by 12 with 6:42 remaining in the contest. But Vince Young’s presence ensured the Horns were never out of it. After he ran in a 17-yard touchdown with 4:03 left, the Longhorns defense made a dramatic fourth-down stop on an up-the-middle run by LenDale White, who had gashed them all evening long. Young proceeded to orchestrate a 56-yard drive that ended on an eight-yard, fourth-down touchdown run with 19 seconds remaining. He passed for 267 yards and ran for 200 in the game, and all three of his touchdowns came on the ground. His memorable performance helped earn Texas its first national title in 35 years.




2. 2003 Fiesta Bowl — Ohio State 31, Miami 24: The ’03 BCS Championship Game wasn’t supposed to be close. The vaunted Miami Hurricanes were the defending champs, while the upstart Ohio State Buckeyes overcame a few close games to remain undefeated and in contention. The game had everything — a nasty knee injury suffered by Hurricanes star running back Willis McGahee, Maurice Clarett’s awesome strip of Sean Taylor after an interception that put the Buckeyes in control of the game, a game-tying Miami 40-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, two overtimes, and of course, a controversial fourth-down pass interference call at the end of the first overtime that cost Miami the title. The Canes’ 34-game winning streak was ended and second-year Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel was only beginning his successful career with the storied program.




3. 1984 Orange Bowl — Miami 31, Nebraska 30: Miami’s great run of success that spanned two decades started in the ’84 Orange Bowl. The Canes played ahead of the undefeated and favored Huskers for most of the game, but Tom Osborne’s squad rallied and put itself in position to win the game. In the fourth quarter, backup I-back Jeff Smith scored two touchdowns, the latter of which occurred on a fourth-and-eight pitch from Turner Gill with less than a minute left, bringing the Huskers to within a point of tying the game. Then, Osborne made perhaps the gutsiest call of all-time, deciding to go for two, the win and the undisputed national championship. Gill’s pass was broken up and the Canes went on to win their first of five national championships. Earlier in the game, Osborne made another memorable call, successfully executing the trick-play known as the fumblerooski. Never before has a coach been so praised after a loss.



4. 2007 Fiesta Bowl — Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42: The ’07 Fiesta Bowl was a classic David versus Goliath matchup. Oklahoma had just won its fourth Big XII Championship under Bob Stoops. Boise State, the WAC champion, had just earned its first BCS bowl appearance. The Broncos stunned the Sooners and most of the nation by dominating most of the game. Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos held a commanding 28-10 lead after Marty Tadman’s interception return for a touchdown. But the Sooners made ferocious comeback, scoring the next 25 points. The game was seemingly over after Jared Zabransky’s pick-six to Marcus Walker with 1:02 left, but the Broncos regrouped and completed the first of the their memorable plays — a hook-and-ladder with seven seconds remaining that led to the tie. At the end of the first overtime, the Broncos responded to an Adrian Peterson touchdown by scoring on a touchdown throw made by backup receiver Vinny Perretta. Ian Johnson’s subsequent two-point conversion on a Statue of Liberty play capped of a huge win for the little guys.




5. 1973 Sugar Bowl — Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23: Two of football’s elite programs and elite coaches met for the first time during the ’73 Sugar Bowl. Both Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide and Ara Parseghian’s Fighting Irish were undefeated and loaded with All-Americans. The game lived up to the billing, as the teams exchanged leads during most of the game. Early in the fourth quarter, the Tide took a 23-21 lead after a trick play in which halfback Mike Stock connected with second-string quarterback Richard Todd from 25 yards out. Bill Davis failed to make the extra point, which enabled Notre Dame to go ahead with 4:26 remaining. It was the sixth and final lead-change of the game. The Irish sealed the deal with 2:12 left after an ultra-risky 36-yard pass — from inside their own five yard line — from quarterback Tom Clements to receiver Robin Weber. Notre Dame proceeded to finish No. 1 in the AP Poll while Bama, previously No. 1, dropped to No. 4.



6. 1963 Rose Bowl — USC 42, Wisconsin 37: The ’63 Rose Bowl featured the first No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in a bowl game, so it was, in effect, an early national championship game. Trailing 42-14 in the fourth quarter, the second-ranked Badgers made a ferocious comeback, scoring 23 unanswered points and reducing the Trojans lead to six points. Ron Vander Kelen threw for 401 yards and orchestrated key drives that enabled Wisconsin to get back in the game. Despite outgaining USC 32-15 in first downs and 486 to 367 in total yardage, the Badgers fell short and Trojans coach John McKay secured his first national championship in just his third season with the program.

7. 1965 Orange Bowl — Texas 21, Alabama 17: When two mammoth programs like Texas and Alabama come together, there’s bound to be drama. The ’65 Orange Bowl matched-up Darrell Royal and the ’63 national champion verses Bear Bryant and the ’64 national champion. It was the first primetime college bowl game, making stakes even higher as everyone involved knew it would be must-see TV. The Horns jumped out to an early 14-0 lead after tailback Ernie Koy Jr. ran for a 79-yard touchdown and quarterback Jim Hudson connected with receiver George Sauer on a 69-yard touchdown pass. Alabama quarterback Joe Namath, who hadn’t started the game due to a knee injury he suffered in practice, was sent in by Bryant to right the ship. He immediately led an 87-yard touchdown drive in which 83 yards were through the air, and eventually brought the Tide within four points of Horns. The game’s most significant play came in the fourth quarter, when Texas made a goal line stand in which Joe Namath was met head-on by linebacker Tommy Nobis, apparently short of the endzone. Namath finished the game and his college career with a valiant effort, tallying 255 yards and two touchdowns.




8. 1980 Holiday Bowl — BYU 46, SMU 45: Although the Holiday Bowl has never been considered a first-tier bowl, it has certainly provided some heart-stopping games through the years. The ’80 edition brought together two very different teams. Brigham Young, the Mormons who did things the right way, led the nation in total offense, passing offense and scoring. Southern Methodist, who would receive the death penalty later in the decade, featured an unstoppable running attack led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James. The duo combined to run for 335 yards against the Cougars defense, enabling the Mustangs to establish a comfortable lead. With just four minutes left in the fourth quarter, SMU led 45-25 and BYU was preparing to punt on fourth and long to concede the game. Quarterback Jim McMahon, however, had other plans, throwing for a touchdown pass instead. The Cougars proceeded to recover the onside kick and score another touchdown. Down 45-39, BYU forced SMU to punt on the next possession, and Bill Schoepflin’s block put the ball on SMU’s 41-yard line. The game culminated with a miraculous Hail Mary completion from McMahon to tight end Clay Brown as time expired. The extra point gave BYU the victory, capping off a 21-point rally in the final two minutes and 33 seconds of the game.



9. 1979 Cotton Bowl — Notre Dame 35, Houston 34: The legend of the Comeback Kid began in the icy ’79 Cotton Bowl — also known as the Chicken Soup Game. Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana, who was suffering from the flu, battled hypothermia during the game as his body temperature plummeted to just 96 degrees. In order to warm up, he was taken back the Notre Dame locker room, covered with blankets and given warm chicken soup. That facilitated his return midway through the fourth quarter, when the Irish were trailing the Cougars 34-12. The team then proceeded to score 23 unanswered points, including Montana’s game-tying touchdown pass to receiver Kris Haines. The extra point, which took two tries due to a penalty, won the game for the Irish, completing the most dramatic Cotton Bowl of all-time.



10. 1987 Fiesta Bowl — Penn State 14, Miami 10: Very few games in the history of college football have received the hype and anticipation of the ’87 Fiesta Bowl. Previously considered a minor bowl game, it had maneuvered to accommodate the match-up between undefeated independents Miami and Penn State, which were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. The two teams couldn’t have been more different and that was especially evident during the lead-up to the game. During Miami’s flight to Arizona, the team changed into military-style fatigues. Penn State players, on the other hand, wore suits and ties to the pregame steak-fry. It was at that event that Miami defensive tackle Jerome Brown revealed his fatigues and attempted to lead a walk-out after Penn State punter Joe Bruno made jokes at the Canes’ expense during a skit. The game proved to be a close-fought contest despite Miami outgaining the Nittany Lions 445 yards to 162. Trailing 14-10 with 3:07 left in the game, Heisman-winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde began to lead the Canes downfield, eventually moving inside of Penn State’s five yard line with 45 seconds remaining. On fourth-and-goal, Testaverde’s pass into the endzone was intercepted by linebacker Pete Giftopoulos, ending the game and securing the national championship for Joe Pa and Penn State. The pick was Testaverde’s fifth, Giftopoulos’ second, and Miami’s astounding seventh turnover of the game. Despite the sloppy play, the telecast earned the largest TV audience in the history of college football.




This article was offered via courtesy of bestcollegesonline.com.

New USC AD Pat Haden Could Be Trouble For Lane Kiffin

Today, the USC Trojans did some house cleaning and, in the process, sent a message to the NCAA and the college football world that "Playtime Is Over" in Southern California.

Athletic Director Mike Garrett was fired,  replaced by the clean-cut, wholesome, image of Pat Haden—a former Trojan and member of the USC board of trustees. He has since resigned from the latter.


He is a well-respected figure in the community and, at USC, few will find any reason to disagree with the choice—especially given the recent turmoil the program has suffered with Garrett at the wheel.

Also gone is any material memory of Reggie Bush. His No. 5 jersey along with the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005 have both been removed from Heritage Hall. Said president-elect Max Nikias, "The Trojan Family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes,". 

USC is certainly following the guidelines set forth by the NCAA which advised them to disassociate themselves from Bush in the wake of the scandal. However, it does make you wonder, will they return all the revenue they reaped as a result of his jersey sales? Will they return the money that was likely generated from the boosters and alumni who gladly opened their checkbooks thanks to his greatness on the field?

Don't get me wrong, Reggie Bush was a punk for what he did and he deserves to be stripped of the Heisman, but lets not be naive to how much money USC made off his success either—just saying.

But, I digress.

It's all business now at USC and that means there will be a lot less hand-wringing and side-chatter surrounding the program and it's dealings where the athletes and coaches are concerned. Which naturally leads us to new head coach, Lane Kiffin.

I seriously doubt that his "dream job" entailed him having a semi-permanent set of eyes looking over his shoulder. However, that may very well be the case now that J.K. McKay will be appointed the associate athletic director of football.

McKay's primary job will be to act as the liaison between new AD, Pat Haden, and the football program. In other words, Kiffin's freedom just got a whole lot more restrained.

It's no secret that McKay and Haden have a close relationship and that leaves little doubt as to where McKay's loyalty will be.  He will surely scrutinize Kiffin's every move and that could make Kiffin's time on the sidelines a lot less enjoyable.

It doesn't help that Kiffin has already come under fire for his, somewhat, questionable recruiting tactics at USC already.

The first red flag came after he accepted the job. One of his assistants, with Kiffin's blessing, was rumored to have called some of Tennessee's (Kiffin's former employer) best prospects in an effort to get them to switch their commitment to USC instead.

Then came the Seantrel Henderson debacle.

Kiffin was, allegedly, dishonest with Henderson about the severity of the upcoming sanctions. Henderson never did sign with the Trojans due in large part to deception.

Add to that, the recent transfer of a number of junior and senior players to other Division I schools, and Kiffin has already been through the wringer without having called a snap.

If more of these shenanigans continue, I foresee swift and definitive action by Haden to cut Kiffin loose.  After all, USC can undoubtedly find a more experienced, less media-obsessed coach for $4 million.

Either way, I set the over/under on Kiffin's departure at 2-years because his dream just turned into a nightmare.

Lane Kiffin Is Still Trying To Prove He's Got The Bigger...Uh..Boat

Lane Kiffin has seen his USC Trojans in the news a lot. That would be fine if the news were not always so darn negative lately.

First there was the transfer of linebacker Jordan Campbell—a talented but, likely, dispensable player on USC's defense. Then came the news that Seantrel Henderson wished to try his wares elsewhere—specifically at a school without sanctions.

Next came the karma police who seemed to have no problems transporting defensive end Malik Jackson from the sunny skies of California to the Rocky Tops of Tennessee—the location of Kiffin's former employer.

That last point gave me such a laugh that I found it hard not to give a point to both Derek Dooley and the Vols for being able to exact a little revenge on ol' Kiffy—that was a good one.

Well, not to be outdone, Kiffin decided to let it leak that the Vols were offered the opportunity to play the Trojans in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff game—they declined the challenge. The hidden message: Tennessee is afraid of USC—end of story—Lane Kiffin wins again, right? Well...not exactly.

Tennessee's 2011 schedule is already top-heavy with quality opponents and if they replaced their current opening opponent, North Texas, with USC they could stand to have one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the nation.

Here is how 2011 would looks with USC added:

vs USC
vs Cincinnati
at Florida
at North Carolina,
vs Georgia
vs LSU

That would be brutal. There would be zero need for the Vols to play the Trojans and I think that Derek Dooley would agree. It's a lose-lose for the Vols.

Sure, it would prove to some that AD Mike Hamilton has faith in the Tennessee football program and, if the Vols won, it would do wonders for the tradition that Kiffin stepped on when he slithered away late last winter. However, other than proving whose band is bigger, the game has absolutely no purpose for Tennessee.

The Vols aren't looking to establish a strong west coast presence in recruiting nor do they have to buoy the strength of the SEC by playing a Pac-10 power. The game would be nice from an ESPN hype standpoint but, in every other facet, it has zero meaning.

Honestly, it wouldn't even be that great a deal if USC's head coach wasn't named Lane Kiffin.

By contrast, Kiffin always feels a need to be in the spotlight and he knows that giving his old team a royal beating, on southern soil, would go a long way towards establishing good public relations for not only his conference but his team.

He could become the new ambassador of the Pac-10—a la Pete Carroll—and could, potentially, set his team up for a slew of big name prospects in 2012.

Even more, it might make the way easier for him when recruiting against the true big boys of the SEC, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.

Meyer, in particular, gets under Kiffin's skin and he would love nothing better than to keep the Gators from stealing away any more of California's best talent (i.e. Ronald Powell in 2010).  Playing, and beating, Tennessee could open doors on the southern recruiting trail—particularly in Georgia and Florida—where the talent is plentiful.

There's always a motive with Kiffin—always.

In the end, it's just a good story about two programs that suddenly have a very ugly cross-country rivalry. One that, at some point, could find it's end on the football field. For now, the score stands tied—we'll see who casts the next stone.

Charlie Strong Is Doing Whatever He Can To Make Louisville A Contender

The Louisville Cardinals were once a program on the rise.

Bobby Petrino took over the reigns in 2003 and led the Cardinals to four straight winning seasons—including a Big East Championship and an Orange Bowl win in 2006.

That was then, this is now.

Charlie Strong was named head coach of the Cardinals program in December 2009 and he's been hard at work trying to make the team competitive again (they finished 4-8 last year)—he's got plenty of work to do.

The Cardinals were ranked near the bottom of the Big East in nearly every offensive and defensive category last season and need help everywhere. As a first-time head coach, Strong doesn't seem shy about bringing in that help—no matter how character flawed—if it means his team could benefit.

His first major pick-up was Demar Dorsey.

The former four-star defensive back who signed with Michigan this past February, failed to qualify for entry into the Wolverines program and was released from his commitment. Charlie Strong, who recruited Dorsey while he was the defensive coordinator at Florida, was more than willing to swoop in and claim the cast-off.

He will be a nice addition to a Louisville secondary that was respectable in 2009 but lacked any significant playmakers. It was a big grab for Strong and his staff as Dorsey will make the secondary considerably better and is likely to start immediately.

He will be joined by Jordan Campbell, a former linebacker for the USC Trojans.
He appeared in six games for the Trojans last season, netting nine tackles.

His decision to transfer to Louisville had a little to do with his familiarity with the defensive scheme. The Cards run a system similar to that of USC. Plus, he won't be required to sit out a year due to the sanctions imposed on the Trojans—he will have two years of eligibility left.

Campbell was rated a four-star linebacker out of California and will add game experience to a Louisville corps that lost both of its starters to graduation.

However, he doesn't come without baggage.

Like Dorsey, Campbell also has not been a stranger to trouble. Just this past spring, he got into hot water with new head coach, Lane Kiffin, after he missed some tutoring sessions. He was given a warning and told to get his act together—to no avail.

After a second violation of team rules, it was thought that Lane Kiffin might even consider kicking Campbell off the team. Enter the sanctions and Campbell was ready to fly the coup. 

He decided on Louisville after looking at both Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Ole Miss—among others.

It is clear that Strong is making a statement about how serious he is taking his goal to rebuild Louisville into a Big East powerhouse.

If his gambles pay off, he may very well have the last laugh.

Pete Carroll Is Lying and Everybody Knows It—Shame On Him!

In the wake of the sanctions placed on the USC Trojans football program, former head musketeer, Pete Carroll released a video statement to the Trojan family. In the video, he states that he is "absolutely shocked and disappointed" and goes on to say that he "knew nothing" and this was just another case of outside forces tampering with a student-athlete.

Yeah, and see, it's that kind of bologna that will make him a prime candidate to run for political office someday—or at least give it some heavy consideration—because clearly his name is mud in college football if the NFL doesn't work out for him.

For those of you who didn't know, Pete Carroll is lying through his whitened teeth. That's right, I'm saying it: He's lying!

I don't believe for one minute that he had no idea what was going on with Reggie Bush—his star player. No, Hollywood Pete not only knew what was going on, he turned a blind eye to it because he wouldn't dare jeopardize the greatness that was USC football from 2004-2005—he figured, no harm, no foul as long as everything remained status quo.

Don't ask. Don't tell.

The first clue to his knowledge was his decision to leave Southern California for Seattle—no offense to the great northwest, but who does that? Seattle may be beautiful and bountiful but Pete had it made at Southern Cal. He was a rock star and the team was his band—they always played to a full house and everyone bought the record.

Furthermore, of all the NFL teams in the league, Seattle is in need of the most repair. Building an NFL team is nothing like the college ranks. It's going to take a lot more than a smile and a shuck and jive for him to sell big time free agents on his dream.

He's going to be sleepless in Seattle for sure and the reality of his mistake will hit him much sooner than many think. However, I digress.

The NFL will offer nothing close to the lifestyle or the environment that he built for himself at USC. He may feel like a hot commodity right now, but, just ask Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban how long that lasts with an NFL fan once their team starts losing.

He'll be looking for a new job in about four years, if that long, and he will find the pickings much slimmer after this debacle.

Secondly, the lackadaisical atmosphere he introduced to the sideline of USC was tailor made for slime. No one was outlawed—heck, I could have gotten in there if I wanted to—the more the merrier. He liked the spotlight and so did his players.

That said, how on earth would he expect anyone to believe that he "knew nothing"? He knows an agent when he sees one and he has been around long enough to know when they are lurking and trying to make a deal.

If Reggie Bush was doing deals, you can be sure that people knew about it—the players, coaches, and even the administration had some idea and Pete Carroll was likely in on that memo.

"Knew nothing?", give me a break, he can barely look into the web cam and say that with a straight face.

Pete Carroll should change his name to Pinocchio, but, then again that would give the impression that he's just about ready to become something that he hasn't proven to be so far in this situation: a real man.

Honestly, Pinocchio deserves better company.

Stay Classy, Pete.

See the full Associated Press (AP) video statement below and judge for yourself:

Forget Pac-10 Expansion, USC's Sanctions Just Altered The Landscape of College Football

The NCAA has released its report on the USC Trojans and the findings have netted the following sanctions:

1. USC is banned from post-season play for two seasons. 
2. They will lose 10 scholarships per year over the next three (30 total)
3. The team will have to forfeit all games in which Reggie Bush appeared, starting from December 2004 to the 2006 Rose Bowl. This includes the national championship win over Oklahoma.

Reggie Bush was said to have been "disappointed" with the outcome and he "disagrees" with the findings. Those findings were, in short, that Bush and his family accepted more than $300,000 in gifts and monies from an agent while he was enrolled at USC.

The money was given to Bush in order to secure a spot as his agent once his college career was over.

In light of the sanctions, coach Lane Kiffin was quoted as having said the following:

"I don't think it's going to have an impact on our recruiting," Kiffin said. "We've talked to a lot of people from our team, to our signees, to recruits, and we have not felt an impact at all, because USC is still USC. We're still going to play an extremely high level of football. You can still get a great education if you come to USC. I don't feel an impact at all so far today, talking to a lot of people, talking to our staff, a lot of different kids." (USA Today, 6/10/10)

Let me just say that whatever Lane Kiffin is drinking, give me a sip, because he is clearly wasted in LA LA land.

He thinks it won't have an impact?...Of course it will have an impact. Very few players on that USC roster are there for academic reasons. So, it doesn't matter how great the education opportunities are at USC.

If education were the primary goal of every top notch football player in the nation, then both Stanford and Notre Dame would be more relevant each year, Duke and North Carolina would rule the ACC in more than just basketball, and Vanderbilt would be the SEC Champion on a regular basis.

In truth, these guys go to school to play football. The education is a lovely perk but, at the end of the day, they are trying to make dollars.

How do you make dollars? You go to a winning program with a national reputation, you dominate in conference play, and you make an appearance in the best bowls that the post-season has to offer—period.

That said, USC and Lane Kiffin are screwed for the next two years as the Pac-10 just became an equal opportunity employer. Stanford, UCLA, and Cal have to be salivating at the possibility of netting some of the guys who may now reconsider their interest in USC.

Even more, the NCAA will allow any junior or senior who wishes to transfer from the program, in light of this decision, to do so without imposing their traditional one-year ban on play. I don't know that any player will necessarily do so, but the option is there and it may prove to be tempting.

It's got to be a sad day for the Trojan fan, but the Tennessee fan has to be laughing his collective backside off. Lane Kiffin finally got a little visit from the karma fairy and, for once, the joke appears to be on him.

Ha. Ha. Ha.