10 Key Plays That Decided the BCS Championship Race This Year

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College football is a huge game. Millions of people watch over 100 teams compete every weekend.

There are injuries, blocked field goals, batted fourth down attempts, tearing runs and fumbles recovered in the endzone all across the country.

But in the end, it all boils down to a handful of plays that changed the trajectory of the season.

Here's the top 10 key plays (with video!) that decided the national championship picture this year.

There's still more football to be played, but for now, let's see how we got where we are.

Earl Thomas Picks Landry Jones

With Texas making Oklahoma State look irrelevant, it's fair to say the Red River Shootout was the closest Texas came to having its BCS national title bid in doubt.

And in doubt it was. Late in the fourth, the Longhorns were driving in the red zone and, holding a 16-13 lead, looked to put the game out of reach.

Then Colt McCoy threw a ghastly pick and, luckily, made a game-saving tackle. But the Sooners knew the momentum had swung their way, and the Longhorns looked to be on the ropes.

That's when Earl Thomas stepped in front of a Landry Jones pass and forced the fourth Oklahoma turnover on the day. Texas ran out the clock on their slim lead, and won the national title semifinal in the narrowest, and wildest, of fashions.

Erik Folk Kicks USC Out Of The Title Game

We now know how much the BCS system loves USC; the Trojans are ranked 9th in the country despite a blowout loss to Oregon and the flop to Washington, and an anemic effort against Arizona State this weekend.

So it's a damn good thing that Washington's Erik Folk nailed this field goal to knock USC out of the national title hunt early.

God knows what explanations the voters would be concocting to put the one-loss Trojans in the title game if he'd missed it.

Julio Jones Takes It To The House Against LSU

The whole "One Play Can Change The Season" taglines that run during ESPN commercials trivialize just how true that saying actually is.

No play was bigger than Julio Jones' scamper down the sidelines to put the Tide ahead of LSU 20-15, a lead the Tigers couldn't surmount. Alabama clinched the SEC West, the rematch against Florida, and a second straight shot at a national title, and they've got Julio's nimble feet to thank.

Northwestern Cuts Down Ricky Stanzi

The Northwestern Wildcats were just doing what nine other teams couldn't, knocking off the livin'-on-the-edge Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium, 17-10.

The crucial play of the game came on Stanzi's fumble in the endzone that set up the first Northwestern touchdown and knocked the stoic Stanzi out for the rest of the game, and likely the season.

For a guy that lead the nation in interceptions, it's amazing to see just how valuable he really was.

Antoine Hicks Scores, TCU Bats Down Clemson's Fourth Down Attempt To Keep The Horned Frogs Ahead

The TCU Horned Frogs are hovering just outside the championship game, and one of the wins that put them there was the tight, 14-10 victory over the Clemson Tigers.

Clemson, who is itself in position to capture its first ACC Atlantic division title and a bid to the conference championship since the reformation of the ACC, put up huge yards on TCU's defense courtesy of CJ Spiller, but was unable to capitalize in the red zone.

Still, the Horned Frogs entered the fourth quarter trailing, but scored on an Andy Dalton pass to Antoine Hicks to put the Horned Frogs up, 14-10.

Then the TCU defense clamped down, forcing a Clemson fumble on third and long and batting away a pass by Kyle Parker to turn the ball over on downs and remain unbeaten, with an eye now fixed on crashing the BCS gates in 2010.

Sturgis Rallies To Top The Razorbacks

Sorry for the lack of a legit broadcast; the SEC has cracked down on that stuff.

Following a missed field goal that would have given Arkansas the lead, Tim Tebow marched his team down the field (or was escorted by the referees, depending on your sympathies) and put kicker Caleb Sturgis in position for the game-winner.

Sturgis did just that, against the wishes of nearly everyone outside of a small swampland in Gainesville, and the Gators hung on to the lead to keep their national title hopes alive.

In an anemic offensive season, yes, it's going to come down to field goals, even for the mighty Gators.

LeGarrette Blount, Um, Provides A Rallying Point

It's not a "play" in the traditional sense, but LeGarrette Blount's extracurricular knockout of Boise State's Byron Hout would come to signify two things.

For Boise, it meant continuing disrespect for their conference and team, as they lounge in the back of the unbeatens in the BCS standings.

And for Oregon, it would be a rallying point for Chip Kelly from which the offensive wizard would launch the Ducks towards unseating USC and making a bid for the Pac-10 title.

And now that the kid's been reinstated, we can all forgive and forget.

Zach Collaros Draws Up A Big Play

Cincinnati was clinging to a 17-10 lead, and a hostile Raymond James Stadium had just come alive for the South Florida Bulls. Jim Grothe's USF team looked to avenge their reputation as strong starters/midseason slumpers against Brian Kelly's Bearcats.

And the Bulls had just knocked out Cincinnati's Tony Pike, the Big East leader in passing efficiency and the player many credited with keeping Cincy's unbeaten streak alive.

That's when back-up QB Zach Collaros faked a dropback and streaked forward on a QB draw on third and 11, racing for a 75-yard touchdown to put the Bearcats up 24-10.

We've since learned that Collaros is a terrific passer. He put up excellent numbers against Louisville, and kept the Bearcats ahead in a wild game against UConn.

But if Cincy holds on, this will be the moment we learned it doesn't matter who's quarterbacking at Cincinnati as long as Brian Kelly is coach.

Mount Cody Interrupts A Tennessee Field Goal

Terrence Cody had already disrupted one of Daniel Lincoln's field goals and watched another fall short. But there was not telling if Lane Kiffin's Vols' would be able to work some magic on the final kick, a 44-yarder in pretty good position.

Cody got a good jump off the snap, split the double team and got his hand up in time.

By disrupting the low kick, Cody singlehandedly (pun!) kept the Crimson Tide unbeaten, with fist firmly knocking on the SEC championship door for the second straight year.

Sam Bradford Injures His Shoulder

Sam Bradford's injury will probably prove the most important play of the season for college football at large.

Follow me here: first, it knocked Oklahoma, ranked #5 in the preseason, out of the title game and gave a so-so Texas team a shot at winning the Red River Rivalry when the Longhorns exacerbated the injury in the opening minutes of the Cotton Bowl.

Second, it allowed BYU a chance to beat Oklahoma, raising the stakes for the Mountain West conference and making TCU's win over BYU look terrific by proxy.

And finally, it illustrated the risks players take in returning to the college game versus going professional prematurely.

The importance of Bradford's injury can practically be counted in dollars, and will be cited again and again as the reason for early departure by players for whom a professional career is not in doubt.

Which, for someone like myself who prefers the college game, is dreadful business indeed.