2013 Iron Bowl: I know the kick six gets all the love, and rightfully so, but it's had this weird effect that people forget just how good the actual game was before that. Both teams playing for a championship berth, a 99 yard Amaril Cooper TD, missed field goals and fourth down stops, peak Auburn rushing attack, the best RPO of all time from nick marshall, all in addition to the kick six.
2024 Arizona State vs BYU: another game with higher stakes than is remembered, and turned into an absolute slugfest. This is personal bias for sure because the Javan Robinson interception at the end is the coolest moment I've seen live, and I'll never forget the double field storming.
2006 Rose Bowl: peak college football. Don't have anything else to add here that hasn't been said before
2006: Boise State - Oklahoma. The game that took a passion and turned it into an addiction for me and started a lifelong belief in the underdog be it football or life in general.
2002: Ohio State - Miami (National Title Game): Turned me from a 10 year old kid in Ohio who "liked" the Buckeyes to a lifelong passionate fan who couldn't conceive of attending any other college
2011: Wisconsin at Ohio State. Not just a bad Ohio State team, the ONLY bad Ohio State team since I really locked in to fandom in 2002 (lucky timing right?). Also my freshman year and the pseudo Hail Mary to beat a team that I still think was good enough to compete for the National Championship is still the most fun I've ever had at a live sporting event.
Arizona State @ USC (2014) - a high scoring back and forth affair with a classic Hail Mary finish.
Arizona State @ Arizona (2018) - the good guys overcome a 19-point 4th quarter deficit on the road with bowl eligibility on the line. Khalil Tate was unstoppable until he imploded with turnovers, and UofA missed a 41-yard FG attempt at the buzzer to lose.
Arizona State vs. Texas (2025 Peach Bowl) - Sparky doesn't come out on top this time, but this game had EVERYTHING. Fake punts, a punt return for a TD, a running back throwing a 42-yard touchdown, a bullshit non-targeting call, and two OT periods. This was Cam Skattebo's "puke and rally" game.
Adding a few Honorable Mentions that I was surprised didn't come up on the pod:
Boise State 69, Nevada 67 (2007) - Kaepernick's coming out party, this game was bonkers
Arkansas 50, LSU 48 (2007) - DMac goes off
Auburn 43, Georgia 38 (2013) - the Prayer at Jordan Hare
Auburn 28, Alabama 27 (2010) - the Camback
Auburn 65, Arkansas 43 (2010) - the game that really got Cam's Heisman buzz started. Ryan Mallett got concussed by Nick Fairley and Tyler Wilson led the Hogs to an early 4th quarter lead but fell apart in the end. It was, at the time, the highest scoring game in SEC history.
Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (2006) - hook & lateral, statue of liberty, Ian Johnson.
1. Louisville 44, Boise State 40 — 2004 Liberty Bowl
This was one of the first games that made Boise State feel like Boise State. Louisville came in after absolutely destroying almost everyone it played: Kentucky, North Carolina, East Carolina, South Florida, TCU, Houston, Cincinnati, Tulane, and others. Boise was undefeated and still a couple years away from the Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, but you could already see what that program was becoming. It was a great back-and-forth New Year’s Eve afternoon game that has always stuck with me.
Peak mid-2000s SEC football. Both defenses were ferocious, every yard felt difficult, and neither offense could do much of anything. On the final play, JaMarcus Russell hit Craig Davis inside the five, and Davis was immediately met by a. Auburn defensive backbefore he could get into the end zone. One of the best pure defensive games I can remember.
This felt like the Big 12 offensive boom arriving in full. Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, elite skill talent everywhere, explosive plays, and constant momentum swings in the Cotton Bowl. Texas really announced itself as a national-title-level team that day, and the game still stands out to me as one of the best examples of what late-2000s Big 12 football looked like.
A quick note on the 2000 season. Gather 'round, young pups.
Following Barry Switzer's dismissal in 1989, Oklahoma wandered through the wilderness in a way that hadn't ever happened. They were suddenly VERY BACK in 2000, beating three top 11 teams in three consecutive games to gain and never relinquish the #1 spot in the polls on the way to the national championship win over FSU.
They beat the everloving dogshit out of #11 Texas 63-14, then beat #2 K-State 41-31 in Manhattan, then beat #1 Nebraska (back when that was still a very big rivalry) 31-14 in Norman with College Gameday on site. Then they were basically a ten win team for 20+ years after averaging six wins per year from 1989 to 1999.
If you find better versions of the game ( I tried to find the 1-hour version of as many as I could but if you want the full version, those are out there also), I have no issues inviting collaborators to the playlist.
I dont own any of the videos nor havent watched them all in their entirety, so I can't comment on quality.
Texas vs USC Rose Bowl has to be there regardless of Fandom.
As a Georgia fan, three games stand out aside from the gt game y'all talked about. 2012 SEC championship where a tipped pass turned the season. 2018 Rose Bowl UGA vs. Oklahoma was an outstanding game by 2 great teams going back and forth. And UGA vs Ohio State 2022 Peach Bowl. The comeback, the end of the game timing up with midnight NYE on the east coast.
And as a Wake fan, one I want to highlight is the 2018 Belk Bowl, Wake vs A&M, 55-52. I was at that game, and it was a ton of fun, back and forth, breakneck game. Both qbs threw for over 400 yards. And a fun clash of cultures, too. It just was the same year as that uga rose bowl, so it doesn't get a lot of attention.
#2 Oklahoma State @ Iowa State (2011) - double OT thriller that helped kill the BCS and gave me a glimmer of hope for the future as a young Cyclone fan
Not my actual top 3 but fun ones that could've been included.
The LSU-a&m 7OT game was mentioned but you youngins skipped over two other 7OT that were arguably crazier (oddly both Arkansas wins)
2001: Arkansas 58 Ole Miss 56. QB Matt Jones (1st round draft pick at WR) outduels Eli Manning
2003: Arkansas 71 Kentucky 63. Matt Jones outduels the hefty lefty, Jared Lorenzen (RIP). Lorenzen infamously yelled at Kentucky fans heading for the exits when down 21-7 "Y'all are gonna miss one helluva game!"
2022: Utah 43 USC 42 (regular season matchup). Utah honoring the late childhood friends Ty Jordan & Aaron Lowe with their portraits hand painted on their helmets. Epic late comeback. Dalton Kincaid 234 yards. Pure raw emotion from the entire team, coaching staff, and fanbase as they stormed onto the field. One of the coolest and best games I've watched this decade but just happened to be completely overshadowed by the instant classic earlier in the day with Tennessee taking down Alabama at Neyland
I'd nominate the 2012 SEC championship game, or as it was called at the time, the real national championship. Bama and Georgia were back and forth, neither managed to pull away. Bama took a late lead and Georgia drove down to the goal line. The game ended on what was supposed to be a quick pass to the sideline, but a Bama defender tipped the ball at the LOS, the Georgia WR came back, caught it inbounds and went down causing the clock to run out.
2002 Ohio State vs. Miami (FL) I was a Buckeye before this game but this game turned my into an addict.
2006 Ohio State vs. Michigan the best game of my life and one of the most important personally.
2014 Ohio State vs. Alabama A decade later the Buckeyes were back
The three games that most clearly show my trajectory as a college football fan
2013 Iron Bowl: I know the kick six gets all the love, and rightfully so, but it's had this weird effect that people forget just how good the actual game was before that. Both teams playing for a championship berth, a 99 yard Amaril Cooper TD, missed field goals and fourth down stops, peak Auburn rushing attack, the best RPO of all time from nick marshall, all in addition to the kick six.
2024 Arizona State vs BYU: another game with higher stakes than is remembered, and turned into an absolute slugfest. This is personal bias for sure because the Javan Robinson interception at the end is the coolest moment I've seen live, and I'll never forget the double field storming.
2006 Rose Bowl: peak college football. Don't have anything else to add here that hasn't been said before
That weird intermission between field storms in Tempe was a true classic of the genre
2006: Boise State - Oklahoma. The game that took a passion and turned it into an addiction for me and started a lifelong belief in the underdog be it football or life in general.
2002: Ohio State - Miami (National Title Game): Turned me from a 10 year old kid in Ohio who "liked" the Buckeyes to a lifelong passionate fan who couldn't conceive of attending any other college
2011: Wisconsin at Ohio State. Not just a bad Ohio State team, the ONLY bad Ohio State team since I really locked in to fandom in 2002 (lucky timing right?). Also my freshman year and the pseudo Hail Mary to beat a team that I still think was good enough to compete for the National Championship is still the most fun I've ever had at a live sporting event.
Homer Picks:
Arizona State @ USC (2014) - a high scoring back and forth affair with a classic Hail Mary finish.
Arizona State @ Arizona (2018) - the good guys overcome a 19-point 4th quarter deficit on the road with bowl eligibility on the line. Khalil Tate was unstoppable until he imploded with turnovers, and UofA missed a 41-yard FG attempt at the buzzer to lose.
Arizona State vs. Texas (2025 Peach Bowl) - Sparky doesn't come out on top this time, but this game had EVERYTHING. Fake punts, a punt return for a TD, a running back throwing a 42-yard touchdown, a bullshit non-targeting call, and two OT periods. This was Cam Skattebo's "puke and rally" game.
Adding a few Honorable Mentions that I was surprised didn't come up on the pod:
Boise State 69, Nevada 67 (2007) - Kaepernick's coming out party, this game was bonkers
Arkansas 50, LSU 48 (2007) - DMac goes off
Auburn 43, Georgia 38 (2013) - the Prayer at Jordan Hare
Auburn 28, Alabama 27 (2010) - the Camback
Auburn 65, Arkansas 43 (2010) - the game that really got Cam's Heisman buzz started. Ryan Mallett got concussed by Nick Fairley and Tyler Wilson led the Hogs to an early 4th quarter lead but fell apart in the end. It was, at the time, the highest scoring game in SEC history.
Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (2006) - hook & lateral, statue of liberty, Ian Johnson.
Morning ruined thinking about that peach bowl again, thanks 😂 (I agree with you though)
Just as a quick note, 2018 LSU-A&M was in College Station, not Death Valley
- 2017 Ohio State vs. Penn State
- 2012 Texas A&M @ Alabama
- 2015 Michigan St. @ Michigan (woah he has trouble with the snap)
My three favorite games of the century so far:
1. Louisville 44, Boise State 40 — 2004 Liberty Bowl
This was one of the first games that made Boise State feel like Boise State. Louisville came in after absolutely destroying almost everyone it played: Kentucky, North Carolina, East Carolina, South Florida, TCU, Houston, Cincinnati, Tulane, and others. Boise was undefeated and still a couple years away from the Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, but you could already see what that program was becoming. It was a great back-and-forth New Year’s Eve afternoon game that has always stuck with me.
https://youtu.be/34v6LnU0IJ0?is=IXEJ1wrVh5BrA8eX
2. Auburn 7, LSU 3 — 2006
Peak mid-2000s SEC football. Both defenses were ferocious, every yard felt difficult, and neither offense could do much of anything. On the final play, JaMarcus Russell hit Craig Davis inside the five, and Davis was immediately met by a. Auburn defensive backbefore he could get into the end zone. One of the best pure defensive games I can remember.
https://youtu.be/jwRGwyI5Gx4?is=qH0zshDHEFFOTOA4
3. Texas 45, Oklahoma 35 — 2008 Red River
This felt like the Big 12 offensive boom arriving in full. Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, elite skill talent everywhere, explosive plays, and constant momentum swings in the Cotton Bowl. Texas really announced itself as a national-title-level team that day, and the game still stands out to me as one of the best examples of what late-2000s Big 12 football looked like.
https://youtu.be/qIouIlhh4jY?is=WqefEYCL3mOS9Cjq
I had no memory of the first one on your list. Thank you.
A quick note on the 2000 season. Gather 'round, young pups.
Following Barry Switzer's dismissal in 1989, Oklahoma wandered through the wilderness in a way that hadn't ever happened. They were suddenly VERY BACK in 2000, beating three top 11 teams in three consecutive games to gain and never relinquish the #1 spot in the polls on the way to the national championship win over FSU.
They beat the everloving dogshit out of #11 Texas 63-14, then beat #2 K-State 41-31 in Manhattan, then beat #1 Nebraska (back when that was still a very big rivalry) 31-14 in Norman with College Gameday on site. Then they were basically a ten win team for 20+ years after averaging six wins per year from 1989 to 1999.
Hey friends
I got bored and attempted a YouTube Playlist of the games here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeM8AwkpWLz8&si=TqzCcN3xq_Ui1EK1
If you find better versions of the game ( I tried to find the 1-hour version of as many as I could but if you want the full version, those are out there also), I have no issues inviting collaborators to the playlist.
I dont own any of the videos nor havent watched them all in their entirety, so I can't comment on quality.
This is sweet! Might have to throw this out on socials if that's cool
Texas vs USC Rose Bowl has to be there regardless of Fandom.
As a Georgia fan, three games stand out aside from the gt game y'all talked about. 2012 SEC championship where a tipped pass turned the season. 2018 Rose Bowl UGA vs. Oklahoma was an outstanding game by 2 great teams going back and forth. And UGA vs Ohio State 2022 Peach Bowl. The comeback, the end of the game timing up with midnight NYE on the east coast.
And as a Wake fan, one I want to highlight is the 2018 Belk Bowl, Wake vs A&M, 55-52. I was at that game, and it was a ton of fun, back and forth, breakneck game. Both qbs threw for over 400 yards. And a fun clash of cultures, too. It just was the same year as that uga rose bowl, so it doesn't get a lot of attention.
Gotta be:
#2 Oklahoma State @ Iowa State (2011) - double OT thriller that helped kill the BCS and gave me a glimmer of hope for the future as a young Cyclone fan
#1 Texas @ #7 Texas Tech (2008) - Crabtree, 'nuff said
#9 Florida State @ Georgia Tech (2015) - "WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE"
Not my actual top 3 but fun ones that could've been included.
The LSU-a&m 7OT game was mentioned but you youngins skipped over two other 7OT that were arguably crazier (oddly both Arkansas wins)
2001: Arkansas 58 Ole Miss 56. QB Matt Jones (1st round draft pick at WR) outduels Eli Manning
2003: Arkansas 71 Kentucky 63. Matt Jones outduels the hefty lefty, Jared Lorenzen (RIP). Lorenzen infamously yelled at Kentucky fans heading for the exits when down 21-7 "Y'all are gonna miss one helluva game!"
2022: Utah 43 USC 42 (regular season matchup). Utah honoring the late childhood friends Ty Jordan & Aaron Lowe with their portraits hand painted on their helmets. Epic late comeback. Dalton Kincaid 234 yards. Pure raw emotion from the entire team, coaching staff, and fanbase as they stormed onto the field. One of the coolest and best games I've watched this decade but just happened to be completely overshadowed by the instant classic earlier in the day with Tennessee taking down Alabama at Neyland
I'd nominate the 2012 SEC championship game, or as it was called at the time, the real national championship. Bama and Georgia were back and forth, neither managed to pull away. Bama took a late lead and Georgia drove down to the goal line. The game ended on what was supposed to be a quick pass to the sideline, but a Bama defender tipped the ball at the LOS, the Georgia WR came back, caught it inbounds and went down causing the clock to run out.
I like this as a very slightly off the board pick.
2006 Oklahoma v Boise St Fiesta Bowl
2016 Ohio St v Michigan
2024 Georgia v Georgia Tech