College Football 2011: 17 Program-Defining Games

What defines a program?

Is it that signature Bowl Game victory? Is it that first game coached by the man who will be the face of your program for the next quarter-century? Or maybe it's seeing that freshman player make his first touchdown throw, catch, or run and knowing that he will be a future Heisman Trophy winner?

What exactly does make a program an elite program?

Well, that is exactly what we are here today to discuss. Today we take a look at 17 of those memorable games that defined these 17 college football programs.

Did we leave off a specific game that you are thinking "how in the holy hell did they not include THIS game?!" Of course we did. Will you sound off in the comment section saying how stupid we are? Of course you will.

But, just know that you have a lot more knowledge of your beloved program than we do. We are just here to bring up some of the good times that your program has had.

OK, enough with the BS. Let's get into 17 games that defined these schools.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @tjmcaloon

The Pittsburgh Panthers: 1977 Sugar Bowl vs. the Georgia Bulldogs

As per tradition in my pieces here I start off with a slide about the Pittsburgh Panthers.

In the 1976 season, the Panthers were coming in with the best running back in the country in Tony Dorsett. The Panthers started the season ranked ninth in the Associated Press (AP) Poll.

In that season Dorsett became the first—even to this date—and only Panther ever to win the Heisman Trophy, to go along with his other awards that year (Maxwell, Walter Camp Player of the Year, and UPI Player of the Year).

The Panthers accepted a bowl bid to play the University of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and beat the Bulldogs 27-3. The victory in the Sugar Bowl gave the Panthers an 11-0 record, their second perfect championship season in school history.

Boston College: 1984 the Doug Flutie Game vs. Miami Florida

If you are a fan of college football you already are reading this piece and probably have a wealth of knowledge of the Flutie game. But a quick refresher for those whom may have missed out.

Flutie, a senior playing for a Boston College team that was good but not great against the defending champion, Miami, a team with the Heisman Trophy favorite in Berne Kosar.

The game is back and forth with Kosar's Miami team scoring with less than 30 seconds on the game clock. With the last play of the game, Flutie drops back to pass and avoids Miami defenders. Flutie throws the ball downfield amidst the rain and wind that was in his face.

The ball falls through the Miami night into a BC players arms and wins the game for the Eagles and wins the Heisman trophy for Flutie.

Colorado Buffalos: Kordell Stewart and the Miracle at Michigan 1994

Kordell Stewart didn't have a great college career. He didn't have a great professional career either. But he had successful careers in both realms of football.

In this particular case, his Hail Mary" pass, much like Flutie's in Boston College, defined his football program.

As in Week 3 of the 1994 season, his Colorado Buffalo team was trailing on the road at Michigan. He dropped back, like Flutie, uncorked a rocket downfield, like Flutie, and a Buffalo's wide receiver was there ready to catch the ball.

However, unlike Flutie, the play sparked a 11-1 season for Colorado and a top-3 finish in both the AP & Coaches Poll.

Bosie State Broncos: The 2007 Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma

The game was supposed to be a blow out. Who was this team from Idaho? Who did they think they were playing the Oklahoma Sooners?

Well, this Boise State team took on the mantra of "us against the world" and proved that they weren't this little non-BCS school in Idaho who played on weird blue turf.

They pulled the un-thinkable and took an early lead against Oklahoma; then they survived a comeback that would have deflated weaker teams. Instead, they forced a comeback of their own and surprised the world of college football defeating the Sooners in overtime.

Since then, the Broncos have been a BCS game threat every year and the last two years have been in contention for the national title.

Utah Utes: The 2005 Fiesta Bowl Victory vs. the Pittsburgh Panthers

Before the Boise State's and the TCU's of the college football world there was the Utah Utes. This Utah team coached by then un-known Urben Meyer steam rolled through their regular season and forced their way into a BCS game.

Their opponent in the Fiesta Bowl was an overwhelmed University of Pittsburgh. The final score of that game was a lopsided 35-7 defeat.

That game launched two careers: The first being Urben, as he went onto coaching fame with the University of Florida, the second in the quarterback, Alex Smith.

Since then the program has defeated another BCS school in Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl and has moved onto the Pac-10 (now Pac 12).

Florida State Seminoles: Week 1 of the 1976 Season Bobby Bowden's First Game

To start the 1976 season, the Florida State Seminoles program decided to go in a new direction. Here a "young" guy named Bobby Bowden took over the program. His first year was a disappointment, as the team went 7-6.

The following year and the next 25 years were nothing but winning.

If the decision makers at Florida State did not go with Bowden in the offseason of '75, who knows where the Florida State program would be today?

But because they went with the kid, they're one of the best programs going today.

Penn State Nittany Lions: Week 1 of the 1966 Season Joe Paterno's First Game

Just like our last slide, and the next one as you'll see, the man here is Penn State football.

Back in 1966, the Nittany Lions were in a coach search and decided to give an assistant that started with the team in 1950 a shot at leading the club. He knew the system and knew the players, so why not?

They hired Joe Paterno in the 1966 offseason and watched him coach his first game that fall. Since then it's been 45 years, and he hasn't showed signs of giving up his title as the head football coach of the Penn State program.

Alabama Crimson Tide: Week 1 of the 1958 Season Bear Bryant's First Game

If there was a coaching Mount Rushmore somewhere on this Earth, you would have to put Paul "Bear" Bryant's face on it, right?

The man is the face of the Alabama program. But before he found greatness at Alabama, he was a coach that bounced around six teams as an assistant and head coach before coming back to Alabama as the head coach of the 1958 season.

He did not give up his head coach duties until retirement in 1982.

We could rattle off all of his awards and accomplishments in college football, but that'd just take up too much of this page. What we will say is that in 1966, the man was honored with his own US Postage Stamp.

Auburn Tigers: The 2011 BCS Championship Game vs. Oregon

The Auburn program has had some great years and some great players. For example, the Bo Jackson year's and the year they finished tied for third in the final regular season BCS standings, missing out on the BCS Championship game.

But in the 2010 season the Auburn Tigers had their best team ever. They had a Bo Jackson type player in quarterback Cam Newton, and they had the perfect record.

This time, the Tigers were invited to play in the BCS Championship game, and this time they were the out-right college football National Champions.

Miami Hurricanes: 1988 Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma

The Miami Hurricanes were a good team before this season. In fact, they were the No. 1 team at the end of the 1983 season and had some memorable teams in the three seasons leading up to this '87 team. 

But this Orange Bowl versus Oklahoma made the Hurricane program the dominate force they would become to be known for the next decade and a half. 

The game was hyped as the "Game of the Century." It was played in Miami's home at the Orange Bowl. The Oklahoma Sooners were the No. 1 team in the country and were considered the home team. 

But as soon as the 'Canes came out to their tunnel to their trademarked smoke, the game was all but over. 

That game ended in a 20-14 Hurricanes win, finishing a perfect season and starting the ambiance known as "The U." 

Southern Methodist University: The Aloha Bowl vs. Notre Dame

This is more of what defined the program in a negative fashion. Where as the other slides here before this one have brought to light the successes of each program, this, however, was the last Bowl Game for this program for 25 years.

It wasn't because the program didn't have the right head coach, or players, or boosters helping the team. It was because the program had the wrong head coach, players, and boosters helping the team.

The program was caught on numerous occasions by the NCAA for paying their players to either come to the school or rewarding them for excellent play on the field. The 1984 team was the last one to have the Mustang Players that helped earn three conference championships.

A few seasons after this bowl game against Notre Dame, the Mustang program was given the NCAA "Death Penalty." It was the last game in a remarkable run for the SMU Mustangs.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 1928 vs. Army Win One for the "Gipper" Game

There are thousands of memorable games in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish history. There are 11 championship games to choose from. There are great coaches that have led memorable games and events.

But none are as memorable as their game against Army in 1928, as a Notre Dame team trailing at half time was inspired by then-head coach, Knute Rockne's speech about George "The Gipper" Gipp's final words to Knute.

The speech inspired the Irish, as they surprised Army in the second half, upsetting them by winning 12-6.

"Win one for the Gipper" has been quoted countless times not just in football, but in every day life.  

Michigan Wolverines: May 30th 1879 vs. Racine College 1st Game Ever

Sure, this was one of two games that were played in the 1879 season (the other game was a 0-0 tie against Toronto.) But, this was the first game of the most successful college football program ever.

This game was the start of what is now a tradition of over 100,000 screaming Michigan fans during every Saturday home game. This game was the start of 40 Bowl Games, 11 National Championships, and 23 undefeated seasons.

This game started it all. This game defined the best college football program ever.  

Ohio State Buckeyes: 2003 Fiesta Bowl vs. Miami

It's hard with all of these schools with all of this history. You could make the case with Ohio State that the Woody Hayes era made the program what it is today. 

But, what made the program an every year national title threat started in the 2002 season. That season was their last undefeated season, and it ended the run of the Miami Hurricanes' dominate run since 1987. 

Since that title game the only year that the Buckeyes did not win the Big Ten conference title was in the '03, '04, and '10 seasons. That's six conference championships out of nine years. Not to mention, after the '02 season, the only year a Buckeye team did not make a BCS bowl game was in the 2004 season. 

Texas Longhorns: Week 1 of the 1957 vs. Georgia

This Texas Longhorns program was a floundering football team before Darrell K. Royal showed up on the Austin campus. 

In his first game in 1957 he took a previous year's Texas team with a 1-9 record and beat the University of Georgia—at Georgia—26-7. 

That win sparked a 6-4-1 record in the '57 season, which was the quickest turn around in NCAA history. After that year, Royal led Texas to three of their four recognized national championships. 

DKR established a winning way in Texas, the likes that are continued today under head coach Mack Brown. 

Oklahoma Sooners: The 1950 Sugar Bowl vs. Kentucky

It's an odd choice to put a game that Oklahoma lost as their program defining game. The game was the first national championship game in Oklahoma's history. It was the first national championship game under head coach Bud Willkinson. 

But in the loss to Bear Bryant's Kentucky Wildcats, it still gave the Sooners a share of the 1950 National Championship. 

After that shared first title, the Sooners went onto win six more claimed National Titles, among numerous other records and accomplishments. 

In the post-World War II era of college football, the Sooners are the winningest program. A winning tradition started by Willkinson when he took over the program in 1947.

USC Trojans: Week 1 of the 2003 Season vs. Auburn

This was the first game in a three year span of the dominant USC Trojan's program. This team had all of America watching every one of their games. They had the pin point accuracy of quarterback Matt Leinart and the video-game-style moves of Reggie Bush. 

On the sidelines you had Snoop Dogg playing to the camera, Will Ferrell doing skits before USC title games, and the rest of Hollywood showing up at their games. 

For three years USC was Los Angeles' professional team. In that three-year period, USC lost twice in 39 games. 

Those three years defined a golden age at USC that may never be seen again. 

That first game against Auburn, a 23-0 victory, kick started a string of teams that may never be as dominate again. 

That's it this week ladies and gentlemen. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy day to click through these slides. Please follow me on Twitter: @tjmcaloon or take a listen to my podcast on iTunes: The TJ McAloon and the Sports Half Hour. 

See Yeinz next Wednesday!