Greatest College Football Games of All Time

Northeast Stinger

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Several games in college football have been described as “The Game of the Century.” Though there is no objective criteria as such for this designation, several factors come into play. Obviously, media hype is important. Fan interest and viewership are necessary ingredients. And the game should have national championship implications and usually involves the number one team versus the number two, though the latter is not required.

In this thread I am primarily interested in the fan’s subjective experience of the game. Did it live up to the hype? After watching it did you have a sense of satisfaction that the game represented an example of the game played at its best, a kind of masterful, artistic achievement, as it were?

Obviously, being an older fan, I remember almost reverently many climatic battles of the past. One factor, in addition to impressionable youth, was that back in the day, getting two titans to battle was somewhat rare.

My most memorable “games of the century” would be roughly as follows:

2006 Texas 41 - Southern Cal 38
1971 Nebraska 35 - Oklahoma 31
1966 Notre Dame 10 - Michigan State 10
1967 USC 21 - UCLA 20
1969 Texas 15 - Arkansas 14
2018 Alabama 26 - Georgia 23
1970 Texas 21 - Notre Dame 17
1994 FSU 18 - Nebraska 16
2017 Clemson 35 - Alabama 31
1973 Notre Dame 23 - Alabama 21

Other notable games come to mind but thought I would just limit to ten games my examples. Thoughts? What makes a memorable, all time great college football game to you?
 

TampaBuzz

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Your list is clearly flawed since Georgia Tech is not mentioned anywhere and therefore none of those games are memorable. :D
 

TampaBuzz

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You could revise the list....I don't know how "game of the century" is defined, but:
Georgia Tech at Virginia - 1990
Georgia Tech/Nebraska - Citrus Bowl
Georgia Tech/Notre Dame - 1980? I still smile thinking about our 0-everything team tying #1 Notre Dame 3-3.

I's sure there are GT national title games in early days before my time.
 

Northeast Stinger

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You could revise the list....I don't know how "game of the century" is defined, but:
Georgia Tech at Virginia - 1990
Georgia Tech/Nebraska - Citrus Bowl
Georgia Tech/Notre Dame - 1980? I still smile thinking about our 0-everything team tying #1 Notre Dame 3-3.

I's sure there are GT national title games in early days before my time.
Well, to be honest, this is not a Georgia Tech specific question. “Games of the Century” are somewhat arbitrary but almost always involve a national title game with teams that were either undefeated and/or ranked #1 and #2.

Anyway, I gave the criteria before. Tech might have such a game but would be before my time.
 

DeepSnap

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The 1971 OU-Nebraska game, Johnny Rodgers's punt return aside, was memorable for GT as the afternoon lead-in game on ABC for our game vs UGAg in prime time.
 

Northeast Stinger

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The 1971 OU-Nebraska game, Johnny Rodgers's punt return aside, was memorable for GT as the afternoon lead-in game on ABC for our game vs UGAg in prime time.
That Oklahoma vs Nebraska game was cataclysmic 😊 with either team capable of being national champions. The Rodgers punt return was an example of one player putting a team on his back to win it.

The Tech game that followed was a heart breaker.
 

4shotB

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There are several "da U" games that popped into my mind...including some of their 'wide right" classics with FSU when those two teams were at the top of the food chain. But the Doug Flutie/BC "Hail Mary" game may be the most epic of them all.
 

Northeast Stinger

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There are several "da U" games that popped into my mind...including some of their 'wide right" classics with FSU when those two teams were at the top of the food chain. But the Doug Flutie/BC "Hail Mary" game may be the most epic of them all.
Yeah, I thought of those epic FSU and Miami games. They fit the pattern. Two undefeated, nationally ranked teams, with championship aspirations and a desirable game for TV viewers and sports pundits.

I keep meaning to look up what year it was (I was young) but I recall a TV night game in which Archie Manning and Ole Miss traded touchdowns with Alabama in a game that was close to the end. Both teams left it all on the field. It felt pretty epic at the time.
 

4shotB

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Yeah, I thought of those epic FSU and Miami games. They fit the pattern. Two undefeated, nationally ranked teams, with championship aspirations and a desirable game for TV viewers and sports pundits.

I keep meaning to look up what year it was (I was young) but I recall a TV night game in which Archie Manning and Ole Miss traded touchdowns with Alabama in a game that was close to the end. Both teams left it all on the field. It felt pretty epic at the time.
Looking at the games you reference it appears that we grew up at about the same time. While not specifically throwing any single games into the list, in my childhoood there were three games that were "must see" TV back then....Texas- OU, USC - ND, and OSU-Michigan. I can still hum the fight songs to those 6 teams from watching them so much as a kid. Those rivalries defined college FB back then.

A a nod to nostalgia, can I nominate any game ever called by Keith Jackson to your list?? He was the VOICE of college FB in our day.
 

DeepSnap

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Yeah, I thought of those epic FSU and Miami games. They fit the pattern. Two undefeated, nationally ranked teams, with championship aspirations and a desirable game for TV viewers and sports pundits.

I keep meaning to look up what year it was (I was young) but I recall a TV night game in which Archie Manning and Ole Miss traded touchdowns with Alabama in a game that was close to the end. Both teams left it all on the field. It felt pretty epic at the time.
1969 UM-UA game was one of the 1st prime time (820PM CST start) National telecasts. We'd later in the year do a similar 920 start vs Notre Dame where everyone learned how fast Jeff Ford was.

Archie Manning & Scott Hunter combined for about 1000 yards passing, but Hunter & Bryant won 33-32.
 

Northeast Stinger

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Looking at the games you reference it appears that we grew up at about the same time. While not specifically throwing any single games into the list, in my childhoood there were three games that were "must see" TV back then....Texas- OU, USC - ND, and OSU-Michigan. I can still hum the fight songs to those 6 teams from watching them so much as a kid. Those rivalries defined college FB back then.

A a nod to nostalgia, can I nominate any game ever called by Keith Jackson to your list?? He was the VOICE of college FB in our day.
Whoa nelly!
 

Northeast Stinger

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1969 UM-UA game was one of the 1st prime time (820PM CST start) National telecasts. We'd later in the year do a similar 920 start vs Notre Dame where everyone learned how fast Jeff Ford was.

Archie Manning & Scott Hunter combined for about 1000 yards passing, but Hunter & Bryant won 33-32.
I remember feeling sorry for Manning but also blown away at how great that game was. I would totally watch a replay of that today.
 

Southern psu fan

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Several games in college football have been described as “The Game of the Century.” Though there is no objective criteria as such for this designation, several factors come into play. Obviously, media hype is important. Fan interest and viewership are necessary ingredients. And the game should have national championship implications and usually involves the number one team versus the number two, though the latter is not required.

In this thread I am primarily interested in the fan’s subjective experience of the game. Did it live up to the hype? After watching it did you have a sense of satisfaction that the game represented an example of the game played at its best, a kind of masterful, artistic achievement, as it were?

Obviously, being an older fan, I remember almost reverently many climatic battles of the past. One factor, in addition to impressionable youth, was that back in the day, getting two titans to battle was somewhat rare.

My most memorable “games of the century” would be roughly as follows:

2006 Texas 41 - Southern Cal 38
1971 Nebraska 35 - Oklahoma 31
1966 Notre Dame 10 - Michigan State 10
1967 USC 21 - UCLA 20
1969 Texas 15 - Arkansas 14
2018 Alabama 26 - Georgia 23
1970 Texas 21 - Notre Dame 17
1994 FSU 18 - Nebraska 16
2017 Clemson 35 - Alabama 31
1973 Notre Dame 23 - Alabama 21

Other notable games come to mind but thought I would just limit to ten games my examples. Thoughts? What makes a memorable, all time great college football game to you?
1983 Penn St 27-Georgia 23
Just because Georgia lost lol
 

DeepSnap

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I remember feeling sorry for Manning but also blown away at how great that game was. I would totally watch a replay of that today.
Here's a YT link of that game.

Just as a CFB fan, you also get to see how good a player Johnny Musso (#22) was for the Bammers.......

Our GT players from Mississippi - Smylie Gebhart, Larry Studdard (Older brother Vernon was a prime target of Manning's), Pete Cordrey, Glenn Costello, et al - either knew or had played with or against about half the starters at Ole Miss & a few at Alabama. Gebhart & George Ranager, who IIRC caught the winning TD pass from Hunter, had been teammates at Meridian HS.
 

stinger78

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Green Bay v. Dallas, 1966 Ice Bowl.

ETA: Sorry just saw college. I’d have to say the 1971 Nebraska-OU game.
 
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