College Football Classics: Top Five Greatest NCAA Football Games Since 2000

August 15, 2023

College football season is almost upon us, and to fill the void, we had to look back at some of the classics. Aidin Ebrahimi looks at some of the best NCAA football games of the 21st century.

We're getting closer and closer to the start of yet another remarkable season of football. The hype for the 2023 season is through the roof, both for the NFL and for college football.

Speaking of college football, 2022 was a great season with a bunch of great games (one of them will even feature on this list). To celebrate the upcoming season, we're going to reminisce on the classics so that we can get ready for a wild new campaign.

With that in mind, this article will look at some of the best NCAA football games of the 21st century. Keep in mind that this list is entirely subjective.

#5. Tennessee 52-49 Alabama (October 15, 2022)

Let's begin our countdown with the most recent entry, the legendary clash between Tennessee and Alabama from last season. For the first time since 1989, both teams entered the "Third Saturday in October" undefeated. Still, some thought that this game was a foregone conclusion. Alabama had beaten their rivals every year since Tennessee's last victory in 2006, where they beat the Crimson Tide 16 to 13. Alabama and their fans were feeling a little too arrogant and believed they could extend this streak of wins against the Volunteers for a few more years. They were dead wrong.

The last time Tennessee beat Alabama, Bryce Young looked like this...🐘 pic.twitter.com/xxC74phEFm

— Roll Tide #18™ 🐘 (@jerrysandersRTR) October 14, 2022

Tennessee kicked things off with a bang, going up 7-0 after just a few minutes. 'Bama managed to tie things up a while later, but Jalin Hyatt caught back-to-back touchdown passes from Hendon Hooker to give Tennessee an unexpected 21-7 lead after the first quarter. Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide managed to claw their way back and the teams traded multiple touchdowns until midway through the fourth. Alabama then scored twice in 71 seconds to take a seven-point lead, but Hooker connected with Hyatt for their fifth TD connection of the day. Tennessee scored a field goal with no time left to seal this legendary victory.

#4. USC 34-31 Notre Dame (October 15, 2005)

This one happened exactly 17 years before the previous entry, and it's one of those games that everyone remembers fondly: "The Bush Push". Before we get to the game-winning play, we first have to remember how unreal the 2005 Trojans were. Their offense led by Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush was insane, and Notre Dame found out exactly why the entire nation was talking about Bush by his dominant performance in this contest, racking up 160 yards on just 15 carries (10.7 yards per attempt). He opened things off with a touchdown but Brady Quinn and the Fighting Irish showed some moxie by going up at the half.

Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn are still beefing over the ‘Bush Push’ 😂 https://t.co/LszK6UjIDI pic.twitter.com/hl5HIQULa5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2017

Bush broke off an impressive 45-yard TD run to tie things up heading into the final quarter. Notre Dame scored a field goal and Bush and Quinn exchanged touchdown runs, giving Leinart the ball back with two minutes left. Leinart threw a 61-yard dime and got his squad to the two-yard line, but failed to score as the clock seemingly ran out. Suddenly, it was ruled that the ball went out of bounds, giving USC one last play. Pete Carroll didn't call a pass play at the goal line (shocking, we know) and instead opted for a sneak with Leinart. Leinart struggled to get past the line at first, but with a little (albeit illegal) push from Bush, he managed to score and win the game.

#3. Appalachian State 34-32 Michigan (September 1, 2007)

Throughout the history of college football, an FCS team beating an FBS team has been a rare occurrence. It used to be more common in the early days but happens around 10% of the time today, a percentage that is likely to get even smaller in the decades to come. But, even back then, an FCS team beating a ranked FBS team was almost unheard of. Before this game, it had only happened once (1983). Michigan was ranked as the fifth team and looked like serious contenders, which makes this game even more shocking.

“One of the greatest upsets in sports history!”

App State stuns #5 Michigan (2007)

• The start of the craziest season in CFB
• Michigan dropped out of the AP Poll the following week, the first time a program dropped from top 5 to out of the poll because of one game pic.twitter.com/4aCUv83qx3

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) July 6, 2023

All eyes were on Michigan heading into the 2007 season, as team scouts and fans couldn't get enough of the generational prospect Jake Long. Long would go on to get picked first overall in the 2008 draft, so their loss to lowly Appalachian State was even more embarrassing. Chad Henne and Michigan looked to be on their way to a blowout after taking a 7-0 lead in less than three minutes, but the Mountaineers somehow managed to go ahead by 14 points late in the second. Michigan managed to retake the lead late in the fourth, but App. State went on a seven-play 69-yard game-winning field goal drive to secure this historic upset.

#2. Boise State 43-42 Oklahoma (January 1, 2007)

One of the craziest games of all time, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl will be remembered forever for that mind-boggling final stretch. In what would turn out to be the final game of 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson's collegiate career, almost 74,000 fans turned up to see the madness that would unfold that night. Boise State started the game off on fire as they took leads of seven, 11, and 18 points until the midway point in the third, but Peterson scored a touchdown and Oklahoma would eventually tie things up with 1:26 left in regulation. And then, the madness began.

The end of the 2007 @Fiesta_Bowl was absolutely legendary @BroncoSportsFB pic.twitter.com/ipSMSiviGX

— Cover 3 Podcast (@Cover3Podcast) July 11, 2020

Oklahoma intercepted Boise State's QB and scored a pick-six, which would have pretty much ended the game under normal circumstances. Emphasis on the word "normal", because this game was anything but. The Broncos would tie the game with seconds left after a lateral trick play. Then in the very first play of OT, AP scored another TD run. However, the Broncos were unfazed as they called a second trick play for the game-tying touchdown. Fearing that his team wouldn't last in the second overtime period, HC Chris Petersen called yet another successful trick play for the two-point conversion, sealing the win and the Fiesta Bowl for Boise State.

#1. Texas 41-38 USC (January 4, 2006)

We all knew that this would take the top spot: the irresistible force versus the immovable object. All three of the top three Heisman finalists on the field. This is the second time we're visiting the 2005 Trojans, who looked unstoppable all year long, and the only team that had a chance to stop them was the Longhorns, led by college superstar Vince Young. Texas went unbeaten in 2005 too, and had an abundance of talent with Young, Jamaal Charles, Michael Huff, and others, but were still considered a level below the Trojans, as USC was headed to the game as seven-point favorites.

USC took an early lead with a TD run but the Longhorns managed to take a lead into the half powered by their dominant run game. Lendale White and VY exchanged touchdown runs in the third and USC led by one point heading into the final stanza. Bush, who had looked mortal all night long, finally broke off a touchdown run. After a touchdown pass from Leinart with six minutes to go, it looked like USC would complete the most dominant season in CFB history, but Young clutched up and scored his second touchdown.

Pete Carroll was on the losing end of two of the most dramatic football games of all time: 2006 Rose Bowl and SB XLIX pic.twitter.com/dOJRpnlTPr

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 2, 2015

Pete Carroll might have made the right decision in the aforementioned "Bush Push" game, but just like Super Bowl 49, he made the wrong call when it mattered most, as he went for it on fourth down with two minutes left and trusted White to run instead of Bush. White failed to convert the ensuing run, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Young easily marched down the field and scored his third touchdown (and 200th rushing yard) of the game to win the national championship. Things would go downhill quickly for Young, Leinart, and Bush after this game during their NFL careers, but they'll always be remembered for that awesome 2005 season, and for being the main characters of the greatest (and most watched) college football game of all time.