Calvin Watkins ranks Ponies in top 10

[Pony Up]

Top finishes in college football history

I've been asked by Ted Mandell from the Film and Video Production department of Notre Dame to rank some of the top finishes in college football history for a new book.

It's still a work in progress, but here's a start:

1. Stanford vs. Cal, 1982 (The Elway rally followed by the Band play)
2. Texas vs. USC, 2006 (Vince Young carries the Longhorns in the final minutes)
3. Notre Dame vs. USC, 2005 (Bush pushes Leinart across the goal line for the winning touchdown)
4. Ohio State vs. Miami, 2003 (Double-overtime and a late flag for the National Championship)
5 . Boston College vs. Miami, 1984 (Flutie to Phelan wins shootout)
6. Nebraska vs. Miami, 1984 (Tom Osborne goes for two)
7. Colorado vs. Michigan, 1994 (Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook)
8. UNLV vs. Baylor, 1999 (100 yard fumble return as time expires)
9. SMU vs. Texas Tech, 1982 (miracle kickoff return beats Tech)
10. Holy Cross vs. Princeton, 1988 (HC laterals on final kickoff and finds end zone)

(And he also reported the Phillips-to-TE switch almost a week after PonyFans.com - nice work, webdudes.)

[MustangFan]

That game with Tech is one I don't think I'll ever forget. What a win that was!

[ponyboy]

Unfortunately, I'd also include the 1980 Holiday Bowl.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/lavell/0,3616,230012396_ART,00.html

[mrydel]

There was a Colorado game a few (10?) years back that was won on the last play of the game which afterwards was found to have been a 5th down play due to officiating error. I do not think that was the Colo./Mich one on the list. If not, I would consider that one along with another one from many years ago when Alabama was driving for a late score in a game and time was running down. The QB ( maybe Stabler) threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. Problem....it was 4th down..game over. I liked those 2 but they maybe should fall into a differenct category of last second blunders.

[dcpony]

Unfortunately, I'd also include the 1980 Holiday Bowl.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/lavell/0,3616,230012396_ART,00.html

Sometimes when he lets his mind wander further, Edwards will remember the frightful SMU offensive line, "that completely pushed us around in the first half."

This excerpt made me chuckle

[PonyPride]

Wouldn't put the Colorado win over Mizzou on there, because if the refs weren't brain-dead that day, it never happened.

The Colorado win at Michigan was amazing, but for some reason that I can't quite specify, I thought LSU's win over Kentucky was even better. Maybe it was the look on Gatorade-soaked Guy Morriss's face ....

Another game I'd add was about 6 or 8 years ago (I think): Nebraska/Mizzou. Late pass into the end zone goes in and out of the hands of a Nebraska receiver (I forget who), flies right onto his foot, gets kicked up in the air and caught by Matt Davidson (another Nebraska receiver) who had raced all the way over from the other side of the field, having never given up on the play. One of the most remarkable finishes ever, in my opinion.

Best one ever: about 20 years ago -- trailing by 30-something (or 40-some?) points, Maryland rallied to beat Miami in the final minutes. Don't know that it counts as a great finish, or merely stands on its own as the biggest comeback in NCAA history, but I was thoroughly exhausted after watching that one.

[CalallenStang]

Texas vs. Washington in the Holiday Bowl a few years back. Applewhite led the Longhorns from a huge deficit to win and shock the Huskies in the final game of his career.

I don't know if that would be considered a "great finish" though. That might be classified as a comeback.

[Dairy Crampus]

Bluebonnet Bowl 1968 one of the great moments in our football history!

[Arkpony]

I forgot the year but NotreDame was wayyy down to Houston in the Cotton Bowl on a horrible icey New Year's Day and Montana brought the Irish back from a huge deficit to win

[Stallion]

one game I'm surprised didn't make the list was Cotton Spreyer's 70 yard TD pass in the last :20 seconds to preserve a 23 game winning streak for UT over UCLA in 1970. Or how about Lindsey Scott's home run on just about the last play of the game as Georgia won perhaps the greatest Cocktail Party ever.

[GoRedGoBlue]

There was a Colorado game a few (10?) years back that was won on the last play of the game which afterwards was found to have been a 5th down play due to officiating error. I do not think that was the Colo./Mich one on the list. If not, I would consider that one along with another one from many years ago when Alabama was driving for a late score in a game and time was running down. The QB ( maybe Stabler) threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. Problem....it was 4th down..game over. I liked those 2 but they maybe should fall into a differenct category of last second blunders.

Mizzou.

And then a few years later, Nebraska won that one where the guy in the end zone kicked it off his feet upwards, and a true freshman snatched it about 2" off the ground to secure the tieing TD (and won in OT).

The kick was illegal. Mizzou lost again.

[GoRedGoBlue]

And the AFC playoff game where Houston lost after being up what 31-7 in the 4th? Lost 34-31?

Or Plano East's (?) amazing comeback by, what 24 points?, with 4 minutes to go...only to lose it on the last kickoff after the go-ahead score, returned 85 yards for a TD.