50 Greatest College Football National Championship Games of All Time

With the 2010-11 BCS National Championship pitting LSU and Alabama against one another in the rematch of the century only mere days away, it’s high time to hark back to the days of yore.

Yes, before we look forward why not take a long glance backwards in remembrance of more than a handful of the great championship games of the past?

Before we get started it’s prudent to mention that the identifying of actual “national championship” games for Division I-A or FBS college football is difficult for a myriad of reasons.

First, an actual FBS (Division I-A) national championship game was not officially sanctioned on a yearly basis until the Bowl Coalition ruled the postseason from 1992-94, a scheme which was supplanted by the Bowl Alliance from 1995-97 and then replaced by the current BCS in 1998.

Secondly, historically the major polls spent many years declaring a national champion prior to the bowl games actually being played.  The AP (which began in 1935) didn’t move its vote until after the postseason until 1965 (then they went backwards for two years and then shifted to the new timing for good in 1968) and the UPI (and its predecessor the Coaches’ Poll) didn’t do so until 1974.

Regardless of the intricacies, the following slideshow identifies 50 of the greatest “national championship” games in history spanning from the 20’s until present time.

Even though some of these contests certainly weren’t true title games, a champion participated and/or a title was decided either directly or indirectly in each of these stellar games.

2005-06: Texas vs. USC

One of the more iconic moments in recent college football history came in the 2006 Rose Bowl/BCS National Championship when Texas QB Vince Young took a 4^th-and-5 snap and scampered nine yards for a winning TD with only 19 ticks left on the clock.

The score capped off a thrilling 32-point fourth quarter which resulted in a 41-38 Texas victory over No. 1 ranked USC.

2003-04: LSU vs. Oklahoma

The 2004 Sugar Bowl/BCS National Championship pitted one-loss offensive powerhouse Oklahoma vs. one-loss defensively prolific LSU in a game to remember.

LSU’s defense ultimately won the day by virtue of shutting down the Sooners and escaping with a 21-14 victory and their second national crown and first since 1958.

1982-83: Penn State vs. Georgia

In a comeback that wasn’t to be, No. 2 Penn State held off No. 1 Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl that sealed the Nittany Lions' first national championship since they won the whole ball of wax back in 1911.

2000-01: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

In one of the biggest defensive slugfests in BCS history, No. 1 Oklahoma held No. 2 Florida State to zero offensive points in a 13-2 Orange Bowl showdown that gave the Sooners their seventh all-time national championship title.

1981-82: Clemson vs. Nebraska

This game wasn’t billed as a national championship affair, but after No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Alabama both lost earlier on New Year’s Day 1982 suddenly the Orange Bowl was for all the marbles.

No. 1 Clemson (11-0) ultimately held off a late run by No. 4 Nebraska (9-2) to capture its first ever national title by a thrilling 22-15 decision in the old Orange Bowl Stadium.

1974-75: USC vs. Ohio State

USC wasn’t even on the national championship radar in 1974, but their dramatic 18-17 win over No. 2 Ohio State in the 1975 Rose Bowl catapulted them to the top of the UPI charts and earned them their seventh program national title.

 

1958-59: LSU vs. Clemson

LSU’s first ever national title came in ’58 and the season was capped off with a defensive struggle of historic proportions in the 1959 Sugar Bowl versus No. 12 Clemson.

The only scoring in the contest came via a third quarter TD pass from Heisman legend Billy Cannon who hurled a nine-yard toss to LSU’s Mickey Mangham to seal both Tigers’ fate in a thrilling 7-0 victory.

 

 

 

 

1926-27: Alabama vs. Stanford

The 1927 edition of the Rose Bowl ended in a thrilling 7-7 tie earning both Alabama and Stanford (coached by “Pop” Warner) a piece of a national title.

Dubbed contemporarily as the “football championship of America” the ’27 Rose Bowl maxed out attendance with a then-record of 57,417 fans.

1970-71: Nebraska vs. LSU

Yet another contest that was never intended to be a national championship, the 1971 Orange Bowl pitted No. 3 Nebraska against No. 5 LSU in a game that meant more as the earlier New Year’s Day games played out.

No. 1 Texas fell first followed by No. 2 Ohio State, setting up Nebraska for a shot at the title if they could best LSU in Miami which is exactly what they did by virtue of Huskers’ QB Jerry Tagge fourth quarter one-yard dash sealing a 17-12 win and a national championship crown.

2009-10: Alabama vs. Texas

A 24-point second quarter by Alabama ensured the outcome of the 2010 BCS Championship Game but that doesn’t mean that the game didn’t have its fair share of drama and therefore greatness.

Texas QB Colt McCoy went out in the first quarter and, despite the valiant efforts of true freshman Garrett Gilbert, the Tide simply overwhelmed the No. 2 Longhorns on their way to a 37-21 win and their mind boggling 12^th national crown.

1994-95: Nebraska vs. Miami FL

Nebraska’s thrilling 15-point fourth quarter performance in the 1995 Orange Bowl sealed the deal on their fourth national title by virtue of defeating the Miami Hurricanes, 24-17.

The title was the Huskers’ coach Tom Osborne’s first.

1973: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

It was defense that ultimately bested the Crimson Tide and earned the Irish their 11^th national title via a thrilling 24-23 win in the 1973 Sugar Bowl (unusually, the game was played on December 31, 1973).

Interestingly, the win earned Notre Dame the AP title while Alabama earned the UPI crown prior to the play of the game when that specific poll still held an early final voting.

1959-60: Syracuse vs. Texas

In a true classic, the 1960 Cotton Bowl featured Syracuse’s Ernie Davis, who dazzled by rushing for a TD, catching an 87-yard TD pass and then picking off a Texas pass for a third score in the Orange’s 23-14 win over the Longhorns.

The win capped off a perfect 11-0 season for Syracuse, a first and only national title and of course a Heisman for Davis, who was the first African-American to win the award but sadly died of cancer before going pro.

1931: USC vs. Tulane

The 1932 Rose Bowl pitted USC versus Tulane and featured a 14-point third quarter performance by the Trojans that catapulted the Men of Troy to a 21-12 win and a national title.

The ’31 Trojans were USC’s second national title team and went 10-1 with the only loss coming via a 13-7 defeat to Saint Mary’s in LA in the season opener.

1999: NW Missouri State vs. Carson Newman

In an attempt to leave no level unrecognized in greatness, we introduce a Division II classic from 1999 when NW Missouri State beat Carson Newman, 58-52, in a quadruple overtime championship thriller that rivals any title game ever played in college football.

The ’99 title was the second of the NW Missouri Bearcat’s three D-II crowns.

2010-11: Auburn vs. Oregon

The most recent version of the national championship game was a dandy featuring No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 2 Oregon in a battle that lasted a full 60 minutes and ended with a 19-yard Tiger field goal as time expired.

1978-79: Alabama vs. Penn State

In a classic defensive struggle, the 1979 Sugar Bowl was ultimately decided by an illegal participation call that cost Penn State a defensive stop and propelled the Tide to a 14-7 victory and coach Bear Bryant’s fifth national crown.

The 1978-79 title was shared with USC, who captured the nod from the UPI voters.

1993-94: Nebraska vs. Florida State

The 1994 Orange Bowl/National Championship featured 11-1 Florida State and 11-0 Nebraska in a game for the ages.

The contest ended when the officials controversially put one second back on the clock allowing Nebraska an opportunity to cap a comeback bid with a 45-yard field goal which fate threw left earning FSU a 18-16 win and a first ever national championship title.

1980: Boise State vs. Eastern Kentucky

Before Boise State was busting the modern day BCS in hopes of making the title game, the Broncos captured the 1980 Division I-AA (now FCS) National Championship by virtue of a narrow 31-29 win over Eastern Kentucky.

Boise State’s ’80 title is the only in the history of the football program that was born back in 1968.

 

2001: North Dakota vs. Grand Valley State

Underdog North Dakota brought down Grand Valley State in the 2001 Division II National Championship by virtue of a winning TD with only 29 ticks left on the clock.

The fighting Sioux won, 17-14, and captured their first ever national championship.

2001-02: Miami vs. Nebraska

Lacking much of the drama of earlier clashes between Miami and Nebraska for all the marbles, the 2002 Rose Bowl/BCS title game paid witness to a 27-point second quarter Hurricane score fest that resulted in a 37-14 Miami victory.

The game is notable as it was the first time since 1919 that the “granddaddy of them all” didn’t feature either a Pac-10 or Big Ten foe but instead welcomed representatives from the Big East and Big 12.

The title was Miami’s fifth and last national championship and was also the one and only BCS crown for a team representing the Big East Conference.

1969-70: Texas vs. Notre Dame

The No. 1 Longhorns needed 14 fourth quarter points to ice No. 9 Notre Dame in the 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic and earn their second ever national championship.

Though the game wasn’t a true national championship game, Texas had to beat the Irish to secure the second of their four all-time crowns of victory.

1986-87: Penn State vs. Miami FL

Referred to as “the Duel in the Desert” and “Good vs. Evil” the 1987 Fiesta Bowl featured teams with opposite identities with a determined eye for on the same prize…the big enchilada.

It was No. 1 Miami FL clashing with No. 2 Penn State, which at the time was only the seventh occurrence of the top two teams meeting in a bowl game.

The two teams were locked in a 7-7 tie from the second quarter until the final period when first the Hurricanes kicked a field goal with 11 minutes left and then Penn State’s DJ Dozier scampered six yards for the winning score with eight minutes remaining.

The final tally was Nittany Lions 14, Hurricanes 10, sealing Penn State’s fourth national crown which also marked the last they won it all.

 

1997-98: Michigan vs. Washington State

Not an outright national championship game, Michigan’s narrow 21-16 win over Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl preserved their perfect record and captured the Wolverines the AP National Championship (shared with Nebraska who was declared the Coaches Poll Champ).

The game was memorable for a final second spike by Washington State as time expired, sparking a controversial call that cost the Cougars their first ever Rose Bowl victory and sealed Michigan’s fate as victors.

1993: North Alabama vs. Indiana PA

In a Division II Championship affair for the ages, North Alabama mounted a jaw-dropping 27-point fourth quarter comeback to beat Indiana PA ,41-34, in the 1993 title game.

The win was the first of three consecutive national titles for the North Alabama Lions, who completed the three-peat with subsequent wins in 1994 and 1995.

1962-63: USC vs. Wisconsin

The first ever bowl game pitting No. 1 versus No 2, the 1963 Rose Bowl featured No. 1 USC (10-0) against No. 2 Wisconsin (8-1) in the first ever postseason “game of the century.”

The game is historic on a record setting level but is most remembered for Wisconsin's failed comeback attempt that included a mind blowing 23-point fourth quarter performance that fell just short of its aim.

USC hung on for a 42-37 victory. and due to the early voting scheme they had already secured their fourth national title and the first in exactly 30 years at the end of the regular season.

2010: Eastern Washington vs. Delaware

In the most recent edition of the FCS (Division I-AA) title game, Eastern Washington squeaked out a 20-19 win over Delaware earning the Eagles their first ever national championship in any D-I sport.

1938: TCU vs. Carnegie Tech

In only the fifth ever playing of the Sugar Bowl, TCU bested Carnegie Tech 15-7 to finish a perfect 11-0 season and secure an AP National Championship.

The ’38 Horned Frogs were led by Heisman QB Davey O’Brien, who was later to become the namesake of the award given the top QB in college football.

Notre Dame also has a recognized national championship from the 1938 season but the Irish went 8-1 and did not play in a bowl game.

1968-69: Ohio State vs. USC

The 1969 Rose Bowl marked only the second time in history that No. 1 and No. 2 met in the “granddaddy of them all” as the No. 1 Buckeyes clashed with the No. 2 Trojans in historic Pasadena.

USC’s five turnovers marred their championship aspirations and Ohio State ultimately prevailed, 27-16, in the first of the four Rose Bowls that pitted Woody Hayes and John MacKay’s squads for the floral title.

 

1983-84: Miami FL vs. Nebraska

The 1984 Orange Bowl was historic on a huge number of levels but highlights include the 50^th playing of the south Florida classic, Miami’s first ever national title and Hurricane coach Howard Schnellenberger’s final game at the helm.

The contest is even better remembered for Nebraska’s last second decision to go for the win on a two-point conversion, an attempt that was thwarted by a Miami tip sealing a thrilling 31-30 Hurricane victory.

2008-09: Florida vs. Oklahoma

The 2009 edition of the BCS grand finale may have lacked some of the drama of others, but No. 2 Florida’s 24-14 win over No. 1 Oklahoma still had enough firepower to make our list.

It was Tebow versus Bradford in a battle of Heisman winners which resulted in the Gators second national crown in only two years.

 

1987: Northeast Louisiana vs. Marshall

Before ascending to the ranks of the FBS in 1994 and changing their name to the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), the Warhawks (aka Indians) won a national title at the Division I-AA (FCS) level as Northeastern Louisiana.

And it was a thriller.

Yes, the 1987 Division I-AA playoffs culminated with a heart stopping 43-42 NE Louisiana win over the Marshall Thundering Herd, who also became FBS members in 1997.

1988-89: Notre Dame vs. West Virginia

Marking the most recent national title for Notre Dame, the 1989 Fiesta Bowl paid witness to the No. 1 Irish besting the No. 3 Mountaineers, 34-21.

The championship would be the 13^th for Notre Dame, who is still looking for the right combination to repeat the winning feat.

 

2009: Villanova vs. Montana

In yet another thrilling finish to the FCS (Division I-AA) Championship Playoff Series, Villanova bested Montana, 23-21, to capture the 2009 national title.

The win capped of a 14-1 season for the Wildcats and marked their first ever national title on the gridiron.

1967-68: USC vs. Indiana

The 1968 Rose Bowl is a bit of a wild card on our list but stands out because the Trojans' 14-3 triumph earned USC its fifth national championship (five more would follow in the years to come).

Additionally, the ’68 game marked a number of high marks for the football Hoosiers; first it was only their second ever Big Ten title (though it was shared) and secondly it was their first ever bowl berth and one and only appearance in the Rose Bowl.

Indiana’s 9-2 1968 season also earned them their highest final season ranking in the AP… No. 4.

1998-99: Tennessee vs. Florida State

The setting was the 1999 Fiesta Bowl/BCS National Championship and the worthy participants were Philip Fulmer’s 12-0 No. 1 ranked Tennessee Volunteers and Bobby Bowden’s No. 2 ranked Florida State Seminoles.

It was the first BCS title game in history and the 23-16 Tennessee victory marked the Vols' fourth ever national crown that came 47 years after the third title.

1925-26: Alabama vs. Washington

In the “game that changed the South,” 9-0 Alabama, coached by Wallace Wade, came out west and bested 10-0-1 Washington, led by Encoch Bagshaw, in the 1926 Rose Bowl by a 20-19 score that put the Tide and southern football on the map.

This was the first national title team for Alabama and also the first Rose Bowl ever to be broadcast via radio.

1989: SFA vs. Georgia Southern

In yet another thrilling conclusion to the Division II playoffs, Georgia Southern knocked off the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, 37-34, in what is considered one of the greatest D-II games ever played.

The title was the third of Georgia Southern’s six crowns stretching from 1985-2000 which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that GSU’s program, which dates back to 1928, was put on hold for WWII and not brought back to life until 1981.

1990-91: Colorado vs. Notre Dame

A rematch of the 1990 Orange Bowl, the ’91 edition of south Florida’s enduring classic featured No. 1 Colorado versus No. 4 Notre Dame for all the marbles.

All the scoring in the game came in the middle two quarters of this one but the contest is  famous for a fourth quarter clipping call that denied Notre Dame a championship winning score on a 92-yard punt return by Raghib Ismail with only 43 ticks remaining on the clock.

The final score…Colorado 10, Notre Dame 9 giving the Buffs their only national championship in program history.

 

1928: Georgia Tech vs. Cal

A Yellow Jacket safety was the difference in the thrilling 8-7 decision in the 1929 Rose Bowl featuring 9-0 Georgia Tech against 6-1-2 California that earned the Ramblin’ Wreck their second national title.

The game also marked Georgia Tech’s only Rose Bowl appearance in history and was famous for a wrong way play on behalf of Cal's Roy Riegels.

 

1978-79: Michigan vs. USC

The 1979 Rose Bowl pitted the No. 3 USC Trojans against the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in a classic east meets west affair.

USC blazed to a 17-3 halftime lead in the “granddaddy of them all” and though the Wolverines would try valiantly to come back the final score was 17-10 in favor of the Men of Troy sealing their eighth national title.

The 1978-79 title was shared with Alabama who captured the AP crown.

1939-40: Texas A&M vs. Tulane

The Aggies' only national title to date came in the 1939 season that culminated with a thrilling victory over No. 5 ranked Tulane in the 1940 Sugar Bowl.

The contest came down to the wire with the deciding factor being a missed Green Wave extra point in the fourth quarter, sealing A&M’s football fate and earning the respect of generations of faithful Aggie fans.

1997: Youngstown State vs. McNeese State

Before coach Jim Tressel began his storied career at Ohio State he coached Youngstown State to four FCS (Division I-AA) National Titles…1997 was the fourth jewel in his FCS crown.

The 1997 title game featured a thrilling one-point Penguin win over McNeese State of Lake Charles, LA by a score of 10-9.

1997 marked Youngstown State’s last title (Tress would stay on through the 2000 season and the Penguins ascended and lost in the 1999 final) while McNeese State is still looking for that elusive first national crown.

1961-62: Alabama vs. Arkansas

No. 9 Arkansas was held to a mere field goal in the 1962 Sugar Bowl, capping off an Alabama season that scored an SEC title and the fifth of their 12 national crowns.

The Tide beat the Southwest Conference champ Hogs by a final score of 10-3 in old Tulane Stadium.

1987-88: Miami FL vs. Oklahoma

No. 1 Oklahoma couldn’t best No. 2 Miami FL in the 1988 Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes escaped with a 20-14 victory and their second ever national championship.

2007-08: LSU vs. Ohio State

No. 2 LSU’s 21-point second quarter performance proved too much for No. 1 Ohio State to overcome in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans and the Tigers walked away with a 38-24 win and their fourth national title.

 

1957-58: Ohio State vs. Oregon

The 1958 Rose Bowl was not technically a national title game but Ohio State’s narrow 10-7 victory over Oregon capped off a Buckeye season that earned them a national championship nod from the UPI.

The game is also notable for being one of only two Rose Bowls where the MVP was awarded to a member of the losing team when the Ducks QB Jack Crabtree captured the honors.

2000: Georgia Southern vs. Montana

The last of Georgia Southern’s six FCS (Division I-AA) national titles that stretch from 1985-2000 came via a thrilling 27-25 win over equally prolific Montana, who would capture the championship hardware in 2001.

2002-03: Ohio State vs. Miami FL

Perhaps the most thrilling of the games played as pre-arranged national championships, No. 1 Miami FL fell in double overtime to No. 2 Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl by virtue of one of the most heart stopping goal line stands in the storied history of college football.

 

1901: Michigan vs. Stanford

The 1902 Rose Bowl (or the Tournament East West Football Game as it was then known) has about as many storylines as you could shove into a contest between two football teams.

First, it was the first ever postseason bowl and the ancestor of the modern day "granddaddy them all.”

Secondly, it featured Michigan’s storied “point a minute” team who outscored its opponents that year 550 to zero which includes the 49-0 whipping of Stanford in the inaugural Rose Bowl.

Michigan was coached by the legendary Fielding Yost, the 1901 title was the Wolverines first (10 would soon follow) and if that’s not enough Yost was the Stanford coach the year before in 1900.

But wait…there’s more!

The beating was purportedly so brutal that Stanford’s captain asked for the game to be called with eight minutes still on the clock.

For me personally that spells shades of the 2011 66-6 Texas Tech beat down at the hands of Oklahoma State…I didn’t ask for it to be over, but I did get out my vacuum as a not so effective distraction.