Part II of this series ended
with Georgia’s classic victory over Virginia in the 1998 Peach Bowl. In
our final installment, we take a look back at all the bowls that will take
place on Jan. 2 or later this year and find the best game for each.
In order to maintain consistency, the year noted in each bowl game will be
the season it represents: For example, the Rose Bowl in 1962 is actually
the game that was played on Jan. 1, 1963. Also, from 1998-2005, the games
that were designated as the BCS national championship game will be
considered only for the BCS title game, and not for that particular bowl
game.
If all that makes sense, then you’re ready for some
Canadian Drugs and Part
III of our classic bowl games:
Ticket City Bowl (first played: 2010, this year: second edition):
Played at the Cotton Bowl to replace the eponymous game that’s moved to
Cowboys Stadium, the first edition (played Jan. 1, 2011) of the former
Dallas Football Classic wasn’t half bad. After taking a 38-17 lead against
Northwestern, Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville inexplicably called for an
onside kick. The Wildcats recovered and began a furious rally, twice
cutting the Tech lead to seven points. But the Red Raiders managed to earn
two big first down on their final drive to hold on to a 45-38 victory.
Capital One Bowl (1946, 66th): For sheer drama, the 2004 game
(played Jan. 1, 2005) had it in spades. It was Nick Saban’s final
appearance as LSU coach, as he would be headed to the Miami Dolphins after
the game. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz also had NFL suitors, but decided to
sign an extension that made him the highest-paid college football coach.
The Tigers rallied when freshman quarterback JaMarcus Russell came in the
game and threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to Skyler Green, the second of
which put them ahead, 25-24, with 46 seconds to go. Yet, Iowa quarterback
Drew Tate, on the last play of the game, tossed a 56-yard pass – and not a
Hail Mary – to a streaking Warren Holloway on a fly pattern to give the
Hawkeyes an improbable 30-25 victory.
Gator Bowl (1945, 67th): The 1978 game was most memorable for one
play: The punch. After Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman intercepted Ohio
State’s Art Schlichter’s pass to seal the Tigers’ 17-15 victory, he was
tackled near the Ohio State sideline. Then out of nowhere came an enraged
Woody Hayes, who slugged Bowman just below his facemask before being
restrained. The TV broadcasters made no mention of the incident that led
to a melee, but it was missed by nobody else, including the Ohio State
president and athletic director. After a quick and secret meeting at a
Jacksonville resort that night, Hayes’ reign as the Buckeyes coach – 28
seasons and two national titles – came to a swift and stunning end the
following morning.
Outback Bowl (1986, 26th): The 1987 game (played on Jan. 2, 1988)
featured two college football heavyweights finishing disappointing
seasons. Both Michigan and Alabama were 7-4 and coming off losses against
hated arch rivals (Ohio State and Auburn, respectively). The Wolverines
were also without coach Bo Schembechler, who was home recuperating from
heart surgery, as Gary Moeller took charge on the sideline. Michigan
dominated the first half with Jamie Morris scoring on three TD runs, but
Alabama came back to take a 24-21 lead late. Facing fourth-and-2 with
under a minute left, Michigan quarterback Demetrius Brown threw a 20-yard
TD pass to John Kolesar in the corner of the end zone to give the
Wolverines a 28-24 victory – a play that made Schembechler "jump off the
couch."
BBVA Compass Bowl (2006, 6th): The only game in this bowl’s short
history that wasn’t decided by double digits was the 2008 edition. N.C.
State jumped out to a 17-6 lead but lost quarterback Russell Wilson (yep,
the same one playing in the Rose Bowl this year for Wisconsin) to a knee
injury. As a result, Rutgers rallied, scoring three times in the fourth
quarter for a 29-23 victory.
GoDaddy.com Bowl (1999, 13th): Never mind the bowl’s second-rate
status, the 2001 game between Marshall and East Carolina was truly a
classic. In a game featuring two future Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks,
David Garrad led ECU early en route to an apparent rout, taking a 38-8
halftime lead. But Byron Leftwich directed Marshall’s comeback, scoring
four touchdowns in the third quarter and finally catching ECU when he
drove the Herd 80 yards in the game’s final 50 seconds – but Marshall’s
Curtis Head missed the game-winning PAT, sending the game to overtime. It
was finally settled when Leftwich hit Josh Davis in the second overtime to
cap a 64-61 comeback win, which still stands as the highest-scoring bowl
game in history. Leftwich’s 576 passing yards also tied BYU’s Ty Detmer
for a bowl record.
Cotton Bowl (1936, 76th): Before he won four Super Bowls with the
San Francisco 49ers, the legend of Joe Montana was born in the 1978 game
(played on Jan. 1, 1979), better known as the Chicken Soup Game. Suffering
from the flu, the Notre Dame quarterback was forced to stay in the locker
room and keep warm by eating chicken soup. Meanwhile, Houston seemed to
have taken an insurmountable 34-12 lead halfway through the fourth
quarter. But after a blocked punt sparked the Irish, Montana engineered
the epic comeback, hitting Kris Haines on a TD pass with no time remaining
on the clock. Joe Unis’ PAT gave the Irish an unthinkable 35-34 victory.
Sugar Bowl (1934, 78th): In terms of epicness, it doesn’t get much
bigger than the 1978 game (played on Jan. 1, 1979) that featured two
legendary programs and legendary coaches in a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2.
Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions were ranked No. 1, with the top-ranked defense
that’s pitched three shutouts. But it was the Tide’s defense that won the
game in a titanic defensive struggle. In the fourth quarter, Alabama
sealed its victory with a goal-line stand, stopping the Lions twice inside
the 1-yard line to preserve a 14-7 win.
Orange Bowl (1934, 78th): The 1983 game (played on Jan. 2, 1984)
put ‘The U’ on the map was perhaps the also best bowl game ever played.
The upstart Hurricanes found themselves in the last game of the season,
suddenly with a chance to win the national championship, with both No. 2
Texas and No. 4 Illinois having lost early in the day. They rode Bernie
Kosar’s arm to a 31-17 lead, before No. 1 Nebraska stormed back in the
fourth quarter. After scoring a touchdown in the final minute, ‘Huskers
coach could’ve opted to kick a PAT and a tie that would ensure his team
the national championship, but he decided to go for the win. When Turner
Gill’s 2-point conversion pass was broken up, the ‘Canes had a 31-30
victory and their first national title.
Fiesta Bowl (1971, 41st): The game that vaulted Fiesta Bowl into a
major player in the bowl season was the 1986 showdown (played on Jan. 2,
1987) between No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Penn State. It had the buildup of a
heavyweight title fight and lived up to it. It was memorable for the
‘Canes stalking out of a pre-game meal with Jerome Brown uttering the
infamous line of "did the Japanese go and sit down and eat with Pearl
Harbor before they bombed them?" It was remembered for Vinny Testaverde’s
five interceptions, the last of which sealed Penn State’s 14-10 victory.
It also remains television’s highest-rated college football game in
history.
Rose Bowl (1901, 98th): In John McKay’s third season, he had
returned USC to glory, taking the top-ranked and unbeaten Trojans into the
1962 game (played on Jan. 1, 1963) poised to win their first national
title in 22 years. And USC pounced on second-ranked Wisconsin, taking a
42-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Badgers staged an epic
rally, scoring three touchdowns and a safety and had one final chance at
an onside kick with over a minute left. The suddenly flustered Trojans
finally were able to catch their breath after recovering the kick to hold
on to a 42-37 victory.
BCS national championship (1998, 14th): Even if the NCAA wants you
to believe the 2005 game (played on Jan. 4, 2006) never happened, we
prefer to trust our own lyin’ eyes. No. 1 USC rode a 34-game winning
streak into the game, with two Heisman Trophy winners in tow, poised for a
three-peat. But No. 2 Texas, behind Vince Young’s magnificent play,
rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Trojans in
Pasadena. It’s still the most-watched college football game in the BCS
era.
