Game of the Century ( college football ) The phrase " Game of the Century " is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century , the first full century of college football in the United States . It is a subjective term applied by sportswriters to describe the most notable games of the period . Why does the title " The Game of the Century " cover multiple games ? The phrase " Game of the Century " is usually placed in quotation marks to indicate the irony or emphasize the incorrectness of the term as it applies to college football games . What makes the phrase subjective is that sportswriters and fans list the games that they remember or attended . Games that were played before radio and television broadcasts are only preserved in print . Working sportswriters have a history that goes back at most to the middle of the 20th century . Television and the Internet have made broadcasts of more recent games available to all . Unlike the " Game of the Century " in college basketball , or the 1958 NFL Championship Game , which is commonly called " The Greatest Game Ever Played " , there has been no specific college football game that changed the sport as dramatically . What makes a game " The Game of the Century " ? # 1 vs # 2 . Some of the games were a # 1 vs # 2 in the AP Poll , which happened only 31 times in the 20th century . Quite often a winning streak is on the line and the winner goes on to win the national championship . The prospect of two juggernaut teams on a roll , or " unstoppable force meets immovable object " , creates a high - interest spectacle . While the Bowl Championship Series was created to produce a matchup of the top two teams in the nation at the end of the year , a BCS championship game does not automatically constitute a " Game of the Century . " Otherwise , every year ' s championship game would be a " Game of the Century . " Great players . Although college football is a team game , individual performances can be the difference maker in a great game . The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the greatest players in the game . A top player , having the best game or best play of his career , is another common theme in the " Game of the Century " . Unexpected outcome . The " Game of the Century " is not always a decisive win . The lure of sport is that the outcome is in doubt until the game is played . A dramatic finish makes the game memorable . " Some matchups are " Game of the Century " before being played because of what ' s on the line . Some become " Game of the Century " because people can ' t believe what they saw . " - David Leon Moore The Games of the 20th Century . When sportswriters are asked to list the top college football games ever played , the games below usually appear on their lists . In each listing , the visiting team is listed first unless the game was played at a neutral site , in which case the teams are listed in alphabetical order . 1935 Notre Dame vs . Ohio State . November 2 , 1935 : A then Ohio Stadium record crowd of 81 , 018 witnessed what was billed as The Game of the Century , the first ever meeting between Ohio State and Notre Dame . Ohio State led 13 - 0 heading into the fourth , but ND rallied with three fourth - quarter touchdowns and fed off several OSU miscues to pull out the win . ND ’ s Bill Shakespeare , a Cincinnati native , threw the game - winning 19 - yard pass to Wayne Millner with 32 seconds left . Tickets for this game sold for $ 50 each and there were widespread reports of counterfeit tickets . OSU officials said they could have sold 200 , 000 tickets for the game if they had room . 1945 Army vs . Navy . With both Army and Navy ranked # 1 and # 2 respectively , this game had all the earmarkings of a potentially great game . President Harry Truman even decided to attend . However , the game did not live up to its pre - game " Game of the Century " billing as Army won in a rout , 32 - 13 . 1946 Army vs . Notre Dame . November 9 , 1946 : Army ( the football program of the United States Military Academy ( Army ) Cadets at West Point , New York ) , then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press college football poll , played the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , of South Bend , Indiana , ranked Number 2 , at Yankee Stadium in New York City . This matchup , with the national attention it got in the era before the service academies ceased to be major football powers , was usually played at a neutral site , often in New York City . The 1924 game between the schools , a Notre Dame victory at the Polo Grounds , was the game at which sportswriter Grantland Rice christened the Fighting Irish backfield — quarterback Harry Stuhldreher , halfbacks Jim Crowley and Don Miller , and fullback Elmer Layden – the " Four Horsemen . " The 1928 edition , with Notre Dame trailing Army at halftime at Yankee Stadium , was the game where Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne delivered his " Win one for the Gipper " speech , resulting in a comeback win for the Fighting Irish . Both teams were undefeated going into the 1946 game at Yankee Stadium . Both teams averaged over 30 points per game . Army had a 25 - game winning streak over 4 years , last losing to Notre Dame in 1943 ( 26 - 0 ) , but had won the last two contests between the schools by scores of 59 - 0 and 48 - 0 . Army had the defending Heisman Trophy winner , Doc Blanchard , also known as " Mr . Inside " , the man who would win it that year , Glenn Davis , also known as " Mr . Outside " , and one of the nation ' s top quarterbacks in Arnold Tucker . Notre Dame had the quarterback who would win the Heisman the next year , Johnny Lujack . Both Tucker and Lujack were also outstanding defensive backs at a time when football players , college as well as professional , usually played both offense and defense . Just the previous year , in a game also labeled the " game of the century " before it was played , Army defeated a 7 - 0 - 1 Navy team 32 - 13 . Navy ' s lone tie was against Notre Dame . Despite the high - scoring and much - hyped offenses , the game ended in a scoreless tie , with each school ' s best chance at a scoring drive coming back - to - back : Tucker intercepting Lujack , and Lujack then making a touchdown - saving tackle on Blanchard a few plays later . Notre Dame ' s defense did something no other team had ever done — it held the famous " Touchdown Twins " , Blanchard and Davis , to a total of 79 yards . As an indication of how the defense of both teams dominated , seven linemen in that game were nominated for Lineman of the Week honors in the weekly Associated Press poll . Joe Steffy , an Army guard who helped shut down the Notre Dame running game , won the honor , followed closely by Notre Dame right tackle George Sullivan and freshman lineman Jim Martin who helped stifle Army ' s running attack and dropped Davis on consecutive plays for losses totalling 17 yards . Both Notre Dame coach Leahy and Army coach Blaik called the game " a terrific battle of defenses . " Both teams would finish the season undefeated with this one tie , but it was Notre Dame that was awarded the National Championship by the Associated Press , with Army coming in second . Neither school accepted bowl bids during that era , although a bowl loss would not have affected the national championship outcome since these were named before the postseason at the time . Army declined an invitation to play in the 1947 Rose Bowl . The Army Black Knights Football media guide lists the 1946 team as national champions . With Blanchard , Davis and Tucker having graduated , Army ' s winning streak would be broken the next year , by Columbia University . Notre Dame would not lose until early in the 1950 season . Sporting News named the 1944 - 45 Army Cadets and 1946 Fighting Irish the second and fifth greatest teams of the 20th Century respectively . 1966 Notre Dame vs . Michigan State . November 19 , 1966 : Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs . Michigan State Spartans , at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing , Michigan . Notre Dame , which hadn ' t won a National Championship since 1953 ( a long drought by their standards ) , was ranked # 1 in one poll and # 2 in the other . Defending National Champion Michigan State , who had finished the season # 1 in the UPI poll , but was upset by UCLA in the Rose Bowl the previous year , entered the game ranked # 2 in one poll and # 1 in the other . The Fighting Irish , whose bid for a National Championship two years earlier was snuffed out by USC , were hungry , while the Spartans had history and home - field advantage on their side . This was the first time in 20 years that a college football was given the " Game of the Century " tag by the national media , and ABC had the nation ' s viewers in its grip , with equal parts Notre Dame fans and Michigan State fans . Interestingly enough , the game was not shown live on national TV . Each team was allotted one national television appearance and two regional television appearances each season . Notre Dame had used their national TV slot in the season opening game against Purdue . ABC executives did not even want to show the game anywhere but the regional area , but pressure from the West Coast and the South ( to the tune of 50 , 000 letters ) made ABC air the game on tape delay . Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty was knocked out after getting sacked in the first quarter by Spartan defensive lineman Bubba Smith . Starting Notre Dame running back Nick Eddy was out entirely after hurting his shoulder getting off the train in East Lansing . Michigan State held a 10 - 0 lead by early in the second quarter . But the Irish came back , scoring a touchdown right after Michigan State ' s field goal and tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter . Notre Dame had the ball on its own 30 - yard line with 1 : 10 to go , needing about 40 yards for a game - winning field goal . But Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian chose to run the clock out , not wanting to risk a turnover , preserving the tie and Notre Dame ' s # 1 ranking . The game ended in a 10 - 10 tie . For nearly 45 years , Parseghian has defended his end - of - the - game strategy , which left many fans feeling disappointed at the game not having some sort of resolution : Michigan State fans and others who wanted Michigan State to win calling him a coward , and college football expert Dan Jenkins leading off his article for " Sports Illustrated " by saying Parseghian chose to " Tie one for the Gipper . " Others chided Notre Dame by calling them the " Tying Irish " instead of the " Fighting Irish . " However , it was a road game , Notre Dame was without its starting quarterback , and one of its starting running backs was out of the game . Furthermore , the backup quarterback , Coley O ' Brien , was a diabetic and was exhausted to the point where he couldn ' t throw . Thus , settling for a tie may have been in Notre Dame ' s best interest . Notre Dame beat Rose Bowl bound USC 51 - 0 in Los Angeles the next week , completing an undefeated regular season and moving them to # 1 in both polls . The Irish did not accept bowl bids until 1969 , and Michigan State was the victim of a pair of Big Ten rules that would be rescinded a few years later : The same school could not represent the league in the Rose Bowl in back - to - back seasons , and only the league Champions could accept a bowl bid , unless they refused the Rose Bowl bid or , because it was on probation , were prohibited from accepting the bid , which , in either case , would then go to the second - place team . So despite being Big Ten Champions and undefeated in the regular season , in each case for two seasons in a row , the Spartans could not play in the Rose Bowl . " The Sporting News " named the 1966 Fighting Irish and 1965 - 66 Spartans the eleventh and thirteenth greatest teams of the 20th Century respectively . 1967 USC vs . UCLA . November 18 , 1967 : The UCLA Bruins , ranked Number 1 in both polls , played the USC Trojans , ranked Number 2 in the coaches poll and 4 in the AP poll . The Bruins had senior quarterback Gary Beban as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate and the Trojans had junior running back O . J . Simpson also as a strong Heisman candidate in a showcase game for player of the year . This is widely regarded as the signature game in the UCLA - USC rivalry . The game would be broadcast live and in color in ABC ' s second season of covering college football . At the time , both teams played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ( until 1982 when UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl stadium ) . Both teams wore their home uniforms , as was their custom for this rivalry when they shared a common home field . This game was for the " championship of Los Angeles " , for the championship of the AAWU conference ( now the Pacific - 12 ) , and for Rose Bowl berth . This was also for the National Championship , since this was the last year where the final AP poll would be published before the bowl games . With the game tied 14 - 14 early in the fourth quarter , an injured Beban gamely threw a touchdown pass , but the extra point attempt was blocked , resulting in a 20 - 14 UCLA lead . Trojan quarterback Toby Page called a pass play , then saw the Bruin linebackers drop back into pass coverage . He changed the signals before the snap , and handed off to Simpson , who ran 64 yards for a touchdown . USC kicked the extra point and held on to win 21 - 20 . As a result of this game , USC finished the season ranked # 1 in both polls and would go on to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1968 Rose Bowl . UCLA would finish the season unranked in the AP poll ( at the time , this poll only ranked the top ten teams ) and # 11 in the UPI poll . Despite the loss , Beban would win the Heisman ; Simpson would win it the next season . Simpson would go on to a Hall of Fame professional career in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills . Beban was a bust as a pro ; he was drafted by the Washington Redskins , who already had a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Sonny Jurgensen . The Redskins moved Beban to wide receiver , and he lasted only two seasons . Keith Jackson , who covered the game for ABC , declared it many years later to be the greatest game he has ever seen . So did Giles Pellerin , a USC graduate who attended every game USC played from 1926 until his death at the 1998 USC - UCLA game at the Rose Bowl , 797 straight games over 72 years . Both USC broadcasters Tom Kelly and Pete Arbogast also stated that it was the greatest win in Trojan Football history - the latter attended the game at the age of 12 and lost his voice that day . The Sporting News named the 1967 Trojans one of the greatest team of the 20th Century . 1969 Texas vs . Arkansas . December 6 , 1969 : University of Texas at Austin vs . University of Arkansas . In a game between unbeatens played at Arkansas ' Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville , the Texas Longhorns were ranked # 1 in the country , having won 18 straight games . The Arkansas Razorbacks were ranked # 2 , having won 15 straight . This game would decide the Southwest Conference Championship , as well as its berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic , setting it up to win the National Championship . Sensing that the matchup might be a possible 1 - vs . - 2 showdown , ABC offered to move the game from October 18 to December 6 to give it more of a national audience to showcase the 100th year of college football , and the schools , enjoying the publicity , accepted . Thanks to a fortuitous upset of top - ranked Ohio State by Michigan , which elevated Texas and Arkansas to the top two spots , the move worked , making their game the focus of the entire American sporting scene . The game pulled a television rating of a 50 share , meaning half the TV sets in the country were tuned to this game . President Richard Nixon attended the game along with several members of his staff and U . S . Representatives George H . W . Bush of Texas and John Paul Hammerschmidt of Arkansas , having announced that he would give a plaque to the winner , proclaiming it to be the National Champion — to the chagrin of observers who thought it premature to do so before the New Year ' s Day bowl game s , and of fans of Pennsylvania State University , which would also end the season undefeated . Arkansas took a 14 - 0 lead , and held it into the fourth quarter , but Texas came from behind to win , 15 - 14 , and accepted Nixon ' s plaque . The signature play of the game came in the 4th quarter with Texas trailing 14 - 8 . The Longhorns , normally a conservative , power running team , faced 4th and 3 and chose to gamble with a deep play action pass . Quarterback James Street was so surprised by the call that he asked head coach Darrell Royal " Are you sure ? " before heading to the huddle . Despite double coverage , Street hit Randy Peschel with a 44 yard pass to keep the drive alive . Texas scored to take the lead 2 plays later . Texas beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl Classic , and removed any doubt as to whether it deserved consideration as National Champion , although Penn State fans still insist that their team , also undefeated and winner of the Orange Bowl , was better . However , it is worth noting that the Cotton Bowl Classic first invited Penn State to play the Southwest Conference champions . The Nittany Lions declined the invitation , which would have resulted in them playing Texas and only one team ending the year undefeated , preferring to spend New Year ' s Day in warm Miami , where they defeated Big 8 champion Missouri . The 1969 Texas - Penn State conflict , never settled on the field , remains one of the lasting arguments in College Football history . Arkansas lost the Sugar Bowl to Ole Miss . The entire Texas - Penn State debate and Nixon ' s involvement led to a quote from Penn State coach Joe Paterno , a conservative Republican , during a commencement speech at Penn State in 1974 about Nixon , " How could Nixon know so much about college football in 1969 and so little about Watergate in 1974 ? " This game has been nicknamed " Dixie ' s Last Stand " , since it was the last major American sporting event played between two all - white teams , although two schools in the Southeastern Conference , LSU and Ole Miss , did not integrate their varsity football squads until 1972 . With the Vietnam War still raging and Nixon in attendance , protestors came to the game , and one of them got into a tree overlooking the stadium and held up an antiwar sign . The racial and political implications and the build - up to the game were the subject of a 2005 book , " Horns , Hogs and Nixon Coming " , which paid special attention to the demonstrations by anti - war and anti - racist groups . An urban legend grew up around this game , claiming that this protestor was Arkansas native and future President Bill Clinton . Clinton , however , was not at the game , as he was then a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford in England , and was listening to the game on a shortwave radio with some American friends . The two coaches in this game , Darrell Royal of Texas and Frank Broyles of Arkansas , both retired after the 1976 season and became athletic directors at their respective schools . Broyles , who retired as the Razorbacks ' men ' s athletic director on December 31 , 2007 , spearheaded Arkansas ' move from the Southwest Conference to the SEC in 1990 . Broyles was instrumental in the Razorbacks and Longhorns playing a two - year series in 2003 ( at Austin ) and 2004 ( at Fayetteville ) . " The Sporting News " named the 1969 Longhorns the seventh greatest team of the 20th Century . 1971 Nebraska vs . Oklahoma . November 25 , 1971 : The best lead written about the 1971 Game of the Century came from Dave Kindred , who back then wrote for the " Louisville Courier - Journal " . He wrote , " They can quit playing now , they have played the perfect game . " - ESPN ' s Beano Cook The defending national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers , top - ranked with a 20 - game winning streak , played the Oklahoma Sooners , ranked # 2 with a national prominence dating back to the 1950s , when they won 3 national championships and an NCAA record 47 straight games . The teams combined for 17 of 22 first - team All - Big Eight players . Nebraska had the nation ’ s top - ranked defense . Oklahoma had the nation ' s most productive offense , with their Wishbone averaging over 472 rushing yards per game , an NCAA record . The cover of " Sports Illustrated " ( Nov . 22 , 1971 ) published the week of the game included photographs of Nebraska linebacker Bob Terrio and Oklahoma running back Greg Pruitt , nose - to - nose , beneath the headline : " Irresistible Oklahoma Meets Immovable Nebraska . ’ ’ The cover story in that issue labeled it the " Game Of The Decade " and listed 25 of the greatest college football games played to that point . The Husker " Blackshirts " defense included seven first - team All - Big Eight selections , four players who would earn consensus All - America recognition during their careers and two Outland Trophy winners : tackle Larry Jacobson and middle guard Rich Glover . Glover would win both the Outland and Lombardi awards in 1972 and eventually be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . They were joined in the starting lineup by end Willie Harper , like Glover , a two - time All - American . John Dutton , an All - American in 1973 , was a sophomore backup . This defense is still considered by many to be the greatest in college football history . The Sooner ' s record setting wishbone was led by all - American QB Jack Mildren , who rushed for over 1 , 000 yards , but was also a very good passer . His weapons were Heisman Trophy candidate HB Greg Pruitt who averaged a stunning 9 . 5 yards per carry and speedy split end Jon Harrison . Future College Football Hall of Famer Tom Brahaney was the anchor at center . The Husker offense was led by flanker Johnny Rodgers , who would go on to win the Heisman the next season and bullish tailback Jeff Kinney , a future NFL first round draft pick . The Sooner defense was anchored by all - Big 8 defensive tackle Derland Moore , a future all - American and NFL Pro Bowler . ABC - TV would broadcast the game nationally to an estimated 55 million viewers ( at the time the largest television audience ever for a college football game ) with Chris Schenkel doing the play - by - play . Joining him in the booth for color analysis was Oklahoma ' s legendary former coach , Bud Wilkinson , with Bill Flemming reporting from the sidelines . Before the game , Schenkel and Wilkinson emerged from the tunnel leading to the field , and when the Oklahoma crowd spotted Wilkinson , they erupted into applause . They came to their feet with admiration for the coach who had guided the Sooners to prominence with three national championships and an NCAA record 47 - game winning streak in the 1950s . The game was played at Owen Field in Norman , Oklahoma , on Thanksgiving Day . Not only at stake was the Big Eight title , but also the # 1 ranking in the polls . However , the bowl trips had already been determined before the game , with Nebraska going to the Orange Bowl in Miami and Oklahoma headed for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans . Two days after Thanksgiving , # 5 Auburn ( 9 - 0 ) would host # 3 Alabama ( 10 - 0 ) for the Southeastern Conference title , the two opponents that Oklahoma and Nebraska would play . [ 8 ] . Given the magnitude of the game , Devaney had his players ' food flown in from Lincoln , in case gamblers attempted to induce a hotel chef to give the Huskers food poisoning . The game went back and forth . The Cornhuskers struck first , with Rodgers shocking the Sooners with a 72 - yard punt return for a touchdown after the Sooners ' first possession was stopped . The punt return remains one of college football ' s signature moments , though it remains controversial . Some observers and many Sooner fans claim Nebraska cornerback Joe Blahak appeared to clip Sooner receiver Jon Harrison as Rodgers stormed for the touchdown . No penalty was called , primarily because Blahak blocked Harrison at an angle , which was not a penalty . Referees for the game have continued to deny that there was a clip on the play , even after having studied film footage of it , which is inconclusive due to Blahak ' s trajectory . The first half was atypical for both teams , as the Cornhuskers ' potent offense was stymied by the underrated Sooner defense ; meanwhile , Oklahoma ' s devastating Wishbone offense was blunted by the brutal Cornhusker defense , as the Sooners had several turnovers and were continually frustrated by Husker middle guard Rich Glover , who would end up with twenty - two tackles on the day , despite lining up across from Sooner all - American center Tom Brahaney . Nebraska held a 14 - 3 lead , but Oklahoma came back , relying almost entirely on Jack Mildren ' s arm and legs , and the Sooners grabbed the lead at halftime , 17 - 14 , on two long passes from Mildren to Harrison with just seconds left in the first half . For the first time all season , the Cornhuskers were trailing in a game . Relying on a power running game , the Huskers retook the lead and led 28 - 17 going into the fourth quarter . Quarterback Jack Mildren led the Sooners back , and Oklahoma led 31 - 28 with 7 : 05 to play . The Huskers got the ball back on their own 26 - yard line . Getting to the Oklahoma 48 , Husker quarterback Jerry Tagge threw to Rodgers , who broke tackles and ran all the way to the 15 . Jeff Kinney then carried four times , the last resulting in his fourth touchdown of the game , and Nebraska led 35 - 31 with 1 : 38 left to play . Sacks of Mildren on third and fourth down in Sooner territory finished the game off as a Nebraska win . This game , much more than the previous year ' s national championship , made Nebraska a program with a national following . Already having sold every seat available at their Memorial Stadium since coach Bob Devaney arrived from Wyoming in 1962 , they would be a perennial national championship contender and a frequent presence on national TV , with fans across the country seeing banners at Memorial Stadium reading " Californians for Nebraska " , " Floridians for Nebraska " , " Alaskans for Nebraska " , and so on . Nebraska native Johnny Carson ( an alumnus of NU ) took pride in the Cornhuskers ' accomplishments during his monologue as host of " The Tonight Show " on NBC , and fellow Nebraskan Dick Cavett also mentioned them on his talk show . The Cornhuskers went on to soundly defeat the Alabama , by then ranked # 2 , 38 - 6 in the Orange Bowl , completing their back - to - back national championships . Devaney coached for one more year , going 9 - 2 - 1 and winning a third straight Orange Bowl , before becoming Nebraska ' s athletic director and handing the reins over to 36 year - old assistant Tom Osborne in 1973 . Pruitt did not win the Heisman , which went to Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan in 1971 . By a coincidence , Auburn met Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl , and the Sooners won , 40 - 22 . ( By another coincidence , these two arch - rivals , Nebraska and Oklahoma , would end up playing each half of another nasty rivalry , Alabama and Auburn , and beat them both . ) Despite the defeat , Oklahoma ' s program was also relaunched by this game , and they would be a perennial national championship contender throughout the 1970s and much of the 1980s . Oklahoma coach Chuck Fairbanks left the Sooners following the 1972 season to become the head coach of the New England Patriots of the NFL . Offensive coordinator Barry Switzer succeeded Fairbanks and compiled a 157 - 29 - 4 record from 1973 – 88 , and guided the Sooners to national championships in 1974 , 1975 , and 1985 . The top three teams in the final AP poll for 1971 were from the Big Eight : Nebraska , Oklahoma , and Colorado . The fourth - ranked team was Alabama , Nebraska ' s bowl opponent , making the 1971 Nebraska team the only team ever to finish the season ranked # 1 after beating the other three teams ranked in the top four . " The Sporting News " named the 1971 Cornhusker team the greatest team of the 20th Century in 1988 . ESPN . com has named the 1971 Nebraska Cornhusker team the greatest team of all time . 1987 Miami vs . Penn State . January 2 , 1987 : In the next " Game of the Century " , the largest television audience in college football history watches as the undefeated and # 1 Miami Hurricanes battle the undefeated and # 2 Penn State Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship . The game garnered a 25 . 1 television rating , with an average of 21 , 940 , 000 viewers watching the NBC telecast per minute . Of the two teams , Miami had the starpower , as it was led by Heisman Trophy - winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde , running back Alonzo Highsmith , and defensive tackle Jerome Brown , all of whom would be selected within the first nine picks of that April ' s NFL Draft . Miami was seldom challenged during the regular season and was considered a prohibitive favorite over the gritty Nittany Lions . Tensions between the teams were heightened when Miami players attended a Fiesta Bowl barbecue held days before the game dressed in fatigues . The game played out in surprising fashion . Miami ' s offense had little trouble moving the ball , yet the vaunted Penn State defense was able to pressure Testaverde enough ( four sacks ) that the Hurricanes committed a whopping seven turnovers ( five interceptions , two fumbles ) . Miami scored first to take a 7 - 0 lead , but Penn State would answer with a touchdown of its own to tie it up at 7 at halftime . Miami added a field goal early in the fourth quarter to take a 10 - 7 lead , but momentum swung when Penn State linebacker Shane Conlan intercepted a pass from Testaverde and returned it 38 yards to the Miami 5 . D . J . Dozier would then score on a six - yard run to give Penn State its first lead of the night at 14 - 10 . The score was still 14 - 10 when Miami took over at its own 23 with just over 3 minutes left . Testaverde was masterful on the drive , converting a key 4th - and - six pass from Miami ' s own 27 to Brian Blades for a 31 - yard gain and at one point completing six straight passes to take the Canes all the way down to the Penn State 6 with just 18 seconds remaining in the game . But on the next play , Penn State fooled Testaverde when the Lions decided to drop eight men back in pass coverage and rushed just three . Testaverde failed to read the coverage and his pass was intercepted at the goal line by linebacker Pete Giftopoulos , sealing the upset win for Penn State . Miami dominated the game statistically , racking up 445 total yards and 22 first downs to just 162 yards and 8 first downs for Penn State . But in the end , it was Penn State that walked away with the victory — and the national championship — in this " Game of the Century . " 1991 Florida State vs . Miami . In a game that featured in - state rivals Florida State University and the University of Miami , ranked # 1 and # 2 in the nation respectively , Miami won by one point after Florida State ' s kicker Gerry Thomas missed a field goal wide right with 29 seconds left in the game . Because of this dramatic ending , the game became known as the " Wide Right " game . 1993 Florida State vs . Notre Dame . November 13 , 1993 : In a matchup of unbeatens , Florida State University was ranked # 1 , and Notre Dame was ranked # 2 . The winner of this game , at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend , Indiana , was certain to play Number 3 Nebraska ( which would then move up to Number 2 ) in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship . Florida State had quarterback Charlie Ward , who would win the Heisman Trophy . Notre Dame was an underdog , but had the home - field advantage . It was a game between the most - hyped program of the era and the most - hyped program in college football history , and NBC , which had exclusive rights to Fighting Irish home games ( and was thus mocked by some as the " Notre Dame Broadcasting Company " , much as CBS was ripped as the " Cowboys Broadcasting System " in the 1970s and 1980s ) , tried to market this matchup as the " Game of the Century . " There was considerable media discussion as to whether the game would live up to the hype , and , if not , how bad NBC would look . ESPN would also hype the game , showing FSU players touring the Notre Dame campus that week wearing green hats with shamrocks and gold - embroidered FSU initials on the front , and having the first on - campus edition of " College GameDay " from South Bend . The Peacock Network did not have to worry , because they got the classic they hoped for . The Irish appeared to be riding those mystiques the entire game , leading 31 - 17 as the Seminoles got the ball with 1 : 39 to play . But Ward drove the ' Noles down the field , and hit Kez McCorvey on 4th - and - 20 for a touchdown that bounced off Irish safety Brian McGee . Notre Dame got the ball back , but went three - and - out , giving FSU one last shot . In just three plays , they got to the Irish 14 with three seconds to play . Ward rolled out and had a wide open receiver in the end zone , but did not see him , and his pass was batted down . Notre Dame won , 31 - 24 , and a sellout crowd stormed the field . The Irish were now Number 1 , and set up to play Number 2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl , leaving now - Number 3 Florida State in a lesser bowl . All Notre Dame had to do was beat Boston College the next week . But BC won on a last - second field goal , and the Irish were knocked out of the top spot . Nebraska advanced to Number 1 and Florida State to Number 2 , and their National Championship showdown was set . Ironically , having blown potential National Championships by missing last - second field goals in their games against the University of Miami in each of the two previous seasons , Florida State won the game 18 - 16 , after hitting a last - minute field goal and Nebraska ' s miss of a last - second field goal try . The Seminoles earned their first National Championship . Cornhusker fans , having had several close calls since their last title in 1971 , would have to wait one more year . The Games of the 21st Century . 2006 Texas vs . USC . The 2006 Rose Bowl Game , played on January 4 , 2006 , was a college football game that served as the national championship of the 2005 – 2006 Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) . It featured the only two unbeaten NCAA Division I - A teams : the defending Rose Bowl Champion and Big 12 Champion Texas Longhorns played Pac - 10 titleholders and 2 - time defending AP National Champions , the Southern California Trojans . The game was a back - and - forth contest , and the Texas victory was not secured until the final nineteen seconds of the game . Vince Young , the Texas quarterback , and Michael Huff , a Texas safety , were named the offensive and defensive Rose Bowl Players Of The Game , respectively . Young ' s game winning touchdown run was named the fifth greatest play in college football history by ESPN . The game is widely considered one of the greatest games in the history of college football . Texas ' Rose Bowl win was the 800th victory in school history and the Longhorns ended the season ranked third in Division I history in both wins and winning percentage ( . 7143 ) . It was only the third time that the two top - ranked teams had faced each other in the history of the Rose Bowl , with the 1963 Rose Bowl and 1969 Rose Bowl games being the others . The 92nd annual occurrence of the Rose Bowl Game was played , as it is every year , at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena , California in the United States . This was the final game ever called by longtime broadcaster Keith Jackson ( as well as the final Rose Bowl to telecast under ABC Sports branding ) ; the 2007 Rose Bowl would be an ESPN on ABC presentation . 2006 Ohio State vs . Michigan . On November 18 , 2006 , Ohio State and Michigan met for their annual showdown , each carrying an 11 – 0 record . For the first time in the history of the rivalry , the two rivals faced off while holding the top two spots in the Bowl Championship Series rankings . Ohio State won the game 42 – 39 and became the outright Big Ten champion , earning the right to play for a national championship at the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale , Arizona . Michigan struck first blood with a touchdown run by junior running back Mike Hart , but the Buckeyes then scored 21 unanswered points , and at halftime , they were up 28 – 14 . However , the Wolverines weren ' t ready to back down . Thanks to an interception and a fumble recovery by junior defensive tackle Alan Branch , Michigan made it 35 - 31 Ohio State with 14 minutes to go in the fourth quarter . But after appearing to have forced Ohio State into a fourth down situation with six minutes to go , junior outside linebacker Shawn Crable was called for roughing the QB , giving the Buckeyes a fresh set of downs . Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith then passed to Brian Robiskie for a touchdown , increasing the Buckeyes ' lead to 42 - 31 with five minutes remaining in the game . The Wolverines still had fight in them , and after Ohio State was called for pass interference on a failed 4th down attempt , giving Michigan an automatic 1st down , junior quarterback Chad Henne found senior tight end Tyler Ecker for a 16 - yard touchdown with two minutes to go to cut the OSU lead to 42 - 37 . Senior wide receiver Steve Breaston caught the two point conversion to bring the Wolverines within a field goal . Michigan needed to recover the ensuing onside kick , and they failed to do so . The Buckeyes ran out the clock for the victory , and a trip to the BCS national championship game . Troy Smith completed 71 % of his passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns , essentially clinching the Heisman trophy . Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn caught eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown . Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman ran for 139 yards on 18 carries for a 7 . 7 yards - per - carry average . Michigan running back Mike Hart carried the ball 23 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns against a stout Buckeye defense . Chad Henne also turned in an excellent performance with 267 yards , two touchdowns , and no turnovers on a 60 % completion percentage . Neither performance was , however , sufficient to turn the tide in favor of the Wolverines . The game was highly touted by ESPN / ABC ( there was even a game countdown clock for a week before kickoff ) and was viewed by the largest television audience for a regular season college football game since 1993 , averaging 21 . 8 million viewers . The victory marked the first time in 43 years that the Buckeyes had won three consecutive games in the series . The game gained even more significance when , on the eve of the meeting , legendary Michigan head coach and former Ohio State assistant coach Bo Schembechler died . Schembechler was honored with a video tribute at Ohio Stadium as well as a moment of silence before kickoff . Half an hour after the game ended , the Ohio Lottery PICK 4 evening drawing was 4 - 2 - 3 - 9 , matching the final score of the game and paying out up to $ 5 , 000 per winner , for a total payout of $ 2 . 2 million . Following the game , there was a chance of a rematch in the BCS title game , but Florida was chosen over Michigan to be Ohio State ' s opponent . The game ' s long - term significance may have been diminished after disappointing post - season results for both teams - Ohio State would lose the 2007 BCS Championship Game to Florida 41 – 14 , while Michigan suffered their sixth Rose Bowl loss to Southern California , 32 - 18 . 2011 LSU vs Alabama . On November 5 , 2011 , BCS ranked # 1 LSU traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on # 2 Alabama . LSU won in a close game , with field goals encompassing all of the scoring drives . The final result , 9 – 6 was decided in overtime , with a kick from Drew Alleman . Another highlight was from special teams : A Brad Wing punt that went 72 yards and sailed over hobbled Crimson Tide player Marquis Maze ' s head . A decisive interception at LSU ' s one - yard line by Eric Reid saved the Tigers from being upset in Tuscaloosa . Alabama ' s kickers missed a total of four field goals in the game , including a 52 - yard attempt in overtime after being sacked by Sam Montgomery previous on 3rd down . LSU ' s OT victory seemingly came on what appeared to be a touchdown on a Michael Ford sweep to the sideline but it was revealed that he stepped out of bounds at the 7 yard line . This set up Alleman ' s game winning field goal . As a " Game of the Century " it has been " roundly criticized as a dud because neither team scored a touchdown . " It is the lowest scoring # 1 vs # 2 match - up since the 1946 Army - Notre Dame game , which ended 0 - 0 . These two teams met again in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game for a rematch , in which the Crimson Tide shut out LSU 21 - 0 .