50 Greatest Comebacks in College Football History

Imagine working hard and pulling away early in a game. Everything is clicking and your team appears to be doing no wrong. The points are piling up and the lead is growing and growing.

Just when you think the game is over, the momentum begins to shift and things begin to change and before you know it, you are watching your team fully collapse and let a sure win slip away.

One thing that makes college football special is points can pile up in a hurry and you are never truly out of a game. Here is a look at teams that have overcome both huge deficits as well as trailing late in the game, only to pull out an emotional win.  

2001: Michigan at Michigan State

While this game did not feature a huge point swing, Michigan State appeared to have been dealt a late game dagger that would ensure a loss. 

With just over two minutes remaining, the Spartans feel behind 24-20 and the Wolverines appeared to be heading to a huge rivalry win. 

Things got even worse for the Spartans as they hit midfield but were in a 4th and 16 position and had an incompletion. Luckily for the Spartans, they were bailed out by a pass interference call that kept the drive alive. 

As the drive continued, Spartans quarterback Jeff Smoker was tackled in bounds and as he spiked the ball to stop the clock, the game appeared that it should have ended but instead had one second left on the clock. The Spartans would take advantage by scoring on the last play and earning an emotional win. 

2006: Oregon vs Oklahoma

In a hard fought out of conference game, Oregon and Oklahoma went back and forth until finally the Sooners broke ahead 33-20 with just over three minutes remaining. What happened from their, no matter how controversial, was truly something amazing. 

With a just over a minute left, Dennis Dixon escaped the pocket and drew the Ducks within six with a touchdown score making it 33-27. After the extra point was good, the controversy would begin.

Oregon lined up for an onside kick that not only appeared to be touched early but after momentarily recovering the ball, Oklahoma seemed to come up with the ball to end the game. 

The referees would go to review and awarded the ball to the Ducks. With the ball, Oregon caught another break on a pass interference call and cashed in with :46 remaining to take a one point lead and eventually win the game on a last second blocked field goal. 

1984: Boston College at Miami

In 1984, Miami and Boston College went back and forth and neither team seemed able to grab control of the game. Fortunately for Miami, they seemed to have gotten the last laugh as they held a 45-41 lead with under a minute to go.

What happened from their is college football history.

With time running out, Doug Flutie took over and unleashed a Hail Mary that found the waiting arms of Gerard Phelan which gave Boston College a 47-45 win and a moment that fans will never forget.

2010: Kansas vs Colorado

For fans on Kansas football, they have not had much to celebrate over the past few years but late in the year in 2010, the Jayhawks were in the middle of getting beat down by Colorado when things turned around really quickly.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Colorado extended their huge lead to 45-17. From that point forward, it was all Jayhawks.

Kansas would end up scoring 35 unanswered points, including the game winning touchdown with :52 remaining. 

1994: Colorado at Michigan

Many remember how this game ended as Kordell Stewart unleashed a Hail Mary that was answered and led to a Colorado win. What people forget is the fact that not only did they need that throw to win but they were trailing 26-14 late in the game. 

With just over two minutes left, Colorado scored and made the game 26-21. After a failed onside kick, it appeared the game would be over but a three and out led to Colorado getting one last chance which they clearly cashed in on. 

1972: LSU vs Ole Miss

Back in 1972, Ole Miss and LSU went head to head in a classic that is still being talked about by both programs. 

Late in the game, Ole Miss held a 16-10 lead and LSU managed to drive down to the Ole Miss 10 yard line but were running out of time. With only a second left on the clock, the Tigers quarterback Bert Jones hit Brad Davis for a game winning touchdown.  

2009: Oregon vs Arizona

With a shot at the conference title, Oregon found themselves in a fourth quarter hole against Arizona on the road. The Ducks were trailing 24-14 with just over ten minutes remaining and found a way to draw even with eight minutes left.

Right after pulling even, the Ducks gave up a huge pass play and fell behind 31-24. This lead would hold until :06 remaining when Jeremiah Masoli found Ed Dickson for a score and sent the game to overtime.

The Ducks and Wildcats would play to a second overtime and the Ducks would eventually prevail on their way to a conference title. 

2006: Texas Tech vs Minnesota Insight Bowl

In 2006, Minnesota and Texas Tech hooked up in the Insight Bowl and the Gophers jumped out to a 38-7 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Things looked even worse for the Red Raiders as they only closed the lead to 38-14 by the time that the fourth quarter rolled around. 

Aided by three fourth quarter touchdowns, the Red Raiders tied the game on a field goal as time expired and eventually went on to win the game in overtime, capping one of the biggest bowl comebacks. 

2003: Michigan vs Minnesota

Minnesota was at home and appeared to have everything going their way. They held a 28-7 lead and the fourth quarter was on its way. 

As the fourth quarter began, the Wolverines struck quickly with two scores that brought the score to 28-21. The Badgers answered quickly with a touchdown of their own and pushed the lead back out to 35-21. 

Just as it appeared that the Wolverines were down and out, they would go on to score the next 17 points and win the game 38-35. 

1963: USC vs Wisconsin Rose Bowl

You have to commend Wisconsin's effort in this game as they were on track to pull off one of the best comebacks during the 1963 Rose Bowl but came up just short.

Early on, USC held a commanding 42-14 lead only to watch the Badgers score 23 unanswered points. If the Badgers had a few more minutes they may have pulled this out but unfortunately time expired with them falling just short, 42.37. 

2002: LSU at Kentucky

While this game didn't see a huge swing in points, LSU did have to mount a comeback and had only seconds to do so.

After the teams went back and forth throughout the game, LSU gave up a field goal late in the fourth quarter and were trailing 30-27 with only seconds remaining. 

With time running out, Marcus Randall let a last second pass go that found its way to Devery Henderson who took it the distance for a 33-30 LSU win. 

1991: Weber State vs Nevada

While it may not have been a game many people have seen, Weber State and Nevada hooked up for an amazing game in 1991. 

Early on, Weber State was all over Nevada and put themselves up huge with a 42-7 lead. Despite the deficit, Nevada came out swinging in the second half and managed to pull off one of the biggest comebacks ever as they won 56-49. 

2011: Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State

Another game that may have been off the radar for most but certainly didn't lack drama was a game between Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State.

Jacksonville State built up a big lead that reached as much as 24 points with just over seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter. 

As improbable as it may have seemed, Eastern Kentucky came back and pulled this game out 52-48. 

2006: Michigan State vs Northwestern

After kicking a field goal to open the scoring, Michigan State would watch their defense give up the next 38 points in the game that gave the Wildcats a 38-3 lead with just over seven minutes to go in the third quarter. 

Things finally started to click for the Spartans as they scored five straight touchdowns and kicked the game winning field goal with :13 remaining. 

1994: Florida at Florida State

Florida vs Florida State is a heated rivalry that rarely needs anything extra to make it better but in 1994 both teams walked into their annual game with only one loss and a chance at winning the national title. 

Entering the fourth quarter, Florida held a 31-3 and looked unstoppable. What people didn't see coming was a Seminole explosion of four touchdowns that ultimately ended the game in a 31-31 tie. 

2000: Michigan vs Northwestern

In 2000, the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines headed on the road and took on the No. 23 ranked Northwestern Wildcats.

While the game would have its back and forth action late, the Wolverines jumped out to a quick 28-10 lead and appeared ready to run away with the game. Instead, the Wildcats would rebound and when the points were all finally tallied up, they were on top with a 54-51 win over Michigan. 

2011: Houston at Louisiana Tech

Before Houston started to gain national recognition during their 2011 season, they faced a stiff test from Louisiana Tech early in the year. 

In a game on the road, Houston fell behind early and often as the deficit went to 34-7 with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Instead of packing up shop and heading home, Case Keenum and Cougars scored four straight touchdowns and pulled out a dramatic 35-34 win. 

2006: Texas vs USC National Championship

The national championship game between USC and Texas was one of the better BCS National Title games that we have seen in a while. 

Late in the fourth quarter, USC's Dwayne Jarrett scored on a 22 yard pass and put the Trojans up 38-26. While the lead seemed to be too much to overcome, the Longhorns and Vince Young would score two late touchdowns and would win 41-38. 

1972: Alabama vs Auburn

Alabama gave the nation a clinic on how not to punt during this 1972 rivalry game.

Holding a 16-0 lead in the fourth quarter, Alabama watched their undefeated record slip away. The Crimson Tide had back to back field goals blocked that led to two late touchdowns that gave the Tigers a 17-16 win in the Iron Bowl.  

2007: Boise State vs Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl

Boise State and Oklahoma hooked up in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and gave the college football world a classic. Early on, the Broncos jumped out to a 28-10 lead and were stunning the Sooners.

Late in the third quarter, the Sooners began their comeback with a touchdown drive and it appeared that the full comeback was complete when they scored again with 1:02 remaining in the game to give themselves a 35-28 lead.

With time and downs running out, the Broncos scored on a trick play and sent the game to overtime. After matching Oklahoma's touchdown in overtime, the Broncos went for two and completed their late game comeback. 

2010: Auburn at Alabama

With one game between them and the SEC title game, Auburn appeared to be sinking fast in the Iron Bowl as Alabama jumped out to a 24-0 lead at home. 

After falling behind early, Cam Newton and Auburn scratched and clawed their way back into this game. Bama would only manage three more points the rest of the way and a fourth quarter touchdown would cap off the comeback and give the Tigers a 28-27 win. 

1982: Stanford at Cal

The ultimate in late game heroics happened during the Cal and Stanford game during the 1982 season. While it didn't see an epic comeback, the Cal players sure stunned everyone with the way that they won.

With a late 19-17 lead, Cal looked like they were about to be victims of a John Elway last second drive when he put the Cardinal in position to kick a field goal that gave them a 20-19 lead. 

On the ensuing kickoff, Cal did the unthinkable as they continually lateraled the ball until finally they found the end zone and a win. 

2000: Georgia vs Purdue Outback Bowl

When it comes to bowl game meltdowns, Purdue has one of the worst and it dates back to the time that Drew Brees spent at the school.

In the 2000 Outback Bowl, the Boilermakers jumped out to a 25-0 lead in the first half and looked unstoppable. From that point, the Bulldogs defense put the clamps down as the offense scored the next 28 points unanswered including a field goal in overtime to win. 

2005: USC at Notre Dame

The 2005 game between USC and Notre Dame was like a good tennis match that had an even better ending. 

All the way until the fourth quarter, both teams exchanged scores until finally Notre Dame pulled ahead 31-28 and held the lead with less than two minutes remaining. 

On their way towards the end zone, USC picked up some huge plays and what will always be known as the Bush Push ended the game as running back Reggie Bush shoved quarterback Matt Leinart in the end zone for the win.

1984: Maryland vs Miami

In 1984, Miami was rolling and the program was as hot as ever. In this game against Maryland, the Hurricanes continued to roll and put themselves in the drivers seat with a 31-0 halftime lead.

To make an effort to change the momentum, Frank Reich came in and led the Terrapins to one of the biggest comeback of all time. After scoring touchdown after touchdown, Maryland completed the game on a 42-9 run and won 42-40. 

2010: Stanford at Oregon

After a fast start to the season for both teams, Oregon and Stanford met up at Autzen Stadium for a game that would put one team in the drivers seat for the conference title. 

Stanford came out of the gates swinging as the forced turnovers and scored quickly, jumping out to a 21-3 lead. What fans saw from there was unbelievable. Oregon would go on to outscore the Cardinal 49-10 the remainder of the game and added a tremendous notch to their undefeated regular season. 

2004: Michigan vs Michigan State

With 8:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, Michigan found themselves in 27-10 hole to rival Michigan State.

While the Spartans appeared to have all of the momentum, the Wolverines would score ten points in the matter of :15 and eventually would send the game to overtime. 

After three overtimes, Michigan completed the comeback winning 45-37.

1980: BYU vs SMU Holiday Bowl

During the 1980 Holiday Bowl, SMU had BYU dead to rights with a 45-25 lead and only four minutes remaining. With a 20 point deficit, the Cougars appeared to have absolutely no shot at winning this game. 

What was needed to pull out this game was a kick strike touchdown by Jim McMahon, a recovered onside kick and another score and finally a blocked punt that gave them one last shot. 

With time running out, McMahon dropped back and fired a shot to the end zone that connected and gave the Cougars a 46-45 win. 

2007: Texas vs Oklahoma State

The fans at the Oklahoma State game were having a great time back in 2007 as the Cowboys jumped out to a 35-14 lead at the end of the third quarter. 

While the vibe in the stadium was that of a party, the Longhorns had another idea. In the fourth quarter, Jamaal Charles and the Longhorns ran wild, scoring three straight touchdowns and capping off the win with a 40 yard field goal as time expired. 

2008: Michigan vs Wisconsin

There is not many good things to remember about the Rich Rodriguez era at Michigan but this game with Wisconsin in 2008 was one of them. 

Early in the game, Wisconsin appeared to be on their way to a easy road victory as they went ahead 19-0 at the half. The only problem was that the Badgers were routinely settling for field goals. 

The lack of touchdowns would cost them as the Wolverines would rattle off 27 straight points and would close the game out with a win. 

1974: USC vs Notre Dame

This game was truly night and day when you saw how the teams performed in the first half and the second half. 

Early on, Notre Dame jumped out to a easy 24-0 lead. With the big lead, Notre Dame went into the half with a 24-6 lead and appeared to be on their way to victory. 

30 minutes later and 49 more points for USC, they completed the comeback which the game was also nicknamed. 

2011: Oklahoma State vs Texas A&M

This is the part of the list that Texas A&M fans will not enjoy. If you are an Aggie fan, turn away for the next three slides. 

Early in the 2011 season, the Aggies took it to Oklahoma State and took a 20-3 lead to the halftime. The defense was shutting down the Cowboys offense and it appeared that the Aggies were going to take care of business. 

What happened in the second half would be a common scene for the Aggies as their 17 point lead evaporated and in the end, the Aggies would fall 30-29. 

2011: Texas A&M vs Arkansas

Just a week after blowing a second half lead, the Aggies went up against the Razorbacks in Dallas and took a 35-17 lead to the half as they poured on the points and had the Hogs on the ropes. 

Like last week, the Aggies took their foot off the gas and Tyler Wilson and Arkansas charged back and ended up pulling out a 42-38 win. 

Unfortunately for the Aggies, this is not their last collapse of the season. 

2011: Texas A&M vs Kansas State

With two second half leads already blown this year, Texas A&M found themselves in uncomfortable territory when they held a 31-21 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the game. 

In games past, the Aggies fell apart over the second half but this time, a 10 point lead with only minutes remaining appeared to be in good hands. 

Unfortunately for the Aggies, they again found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and had the game slip away and end in a 53-50 loss in the fourth overtime. 

1984: Salisbury vs Randolph Macon

In a game completely off the radar, Salisbury University and Randolph Macon played in a classic game. Not only did Randolph Macon lay it on Salisbury University, they scored 33 unanswered points in the first quarter.

Despite the early deficit, Salisbury University bounced back and scored 34 of their own points to win 34-33.  

2006: Notre Dame vs Michigan State

Over the past few years, Michigan State and Notre Dame have hooked up for some classic games that have come down to the wire. 

In 2006, the Spartans played host to Notre Dame and were having their way with the Irish piling up a 31-14 halftime lead and a 37-21 lead as they entered the fourth quarter. 

While the first three quarter may have gone their way, the Spartans fell apart in the fourth quarter and the Irish scored three straight touchdowns and won 40-37. 

2005: LSU vs Iowa Capital One Bowl

Much like the game between Oklahoma and Boise State, LSU and Iowa is a story of a comeback that feel short and ended in late game drama. 

In the fourth quarter, Iowa held a 24-12 lead with under 10 minutes to go. The Tigers answered by scoring two touchdowns, including the final one with only :46 remaining. 

With time running out and the Hawkeyes out of field goal range Drew Tate drooped back and ripped a 56 yard touchdown pass that gave Iowa a final second win 30-25. 

1994: Auburn vs LSU

In 1994, LSU seemed to have things under control as they dominated three quarters of play and entered the fourth quarter with a comfortable 23-9. 

The LSU defense had been playing smothering defense but what they could not control is the five interceptions thrown by Jamie Howard. To make things worse, three of the picks went the other way and the Tiger defense single-handedly turned the game around and gave Auburn a 30-26 win. 

2001: Marshall vs East Carolina GMAC Bowl

Byron Leftwich has had a lot of great moments in college but one of his best had to have been his second half performance against East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl.

In the first half, the Pirates jumped all over the Thundering Herd and went to the locker room holding a 38-8 lead.

Whatever was said in the Marshall locker room at halftime clearly worked as they ended up scoring 43 points and forcing overtime. 

While one overtime wasn't enough, Leftwich decided that two would be as his touchdown strike ended the game in victory for Marshall. 

1970: Oregon vs UCLA

For most teams, if they looked up at the scoreboard and saw that their was four minutes left and they were trailing 40-21, they might hang it up and call it a day. 

In 1970 the Oregon Ducks faced this exact situation and pulled off an improbable comeback as they scored three touchdowns, forced a turnover, recovered an onside kick and held on for a 41-40 last second win. 

1979: Notre Dame vs Houston

This game flipped back and forth between the Irish and Cougars. Early on, the Irish jumped out to a 12-0 lead only to see the Cougars flip the momentum and take a 34-12 lead.

With less then 10 minutes remaining in the game, Joe Montana led the Irish on an epic comeback that all came together on a last second touchdown pass that gave the Irish a 35-34 win. 

1987: Miami vs Florida State

In 1987, Florida State and Miami went at it and like many of their games, this was a classic. Early on, the Seminoles marched out to a 19-3 lead and appeared to have things in control.

As the game went on, Florida State saw their lead slip away and were facing a 26-19 lead. After struggling with their kicking game early on, the Seminoles thought they had a comeback of their own as they drew even closer with a touchdown making it 26-25.

Instead of trying for the tie, the Seminoles went for two and came up short, costing them the game. 

1968: Harvard vs Yale

Much like the game between Florida and Florida State, the game in 1968 between Harvard and Yale may have ended in a tie but felt like a win to one team.

With a top 15 ranking and an undefeated record, Yale came into this game as a clear favorite. Early on, that showed as Yale jumped out to a 22-0 lead. Things looked even worse for Harvard as they trailed 29-13 with less than a minute remaining. 

Harvard stunned everyone as they managed to put up the 16 points that separated the two teams. The tie felt so much like a win that headlines after were that Harvard beats Yale 29-29. 

2003: Miami vs Ohio State National Championship

Miami appeared to be unstoppable in 2002 and rolled their way into the national title game where Ohio State awaited them. 

This appeared to be a game that the Buckeyes couldn't win but in the third quarter, the Buckeyes held a 17-7 lead and looked to be heading towards a huge upset win. 

While Miami did come back to tie the game, Ohio State would ultimately come out on top and prevent the Hurricanes from completing their late game comeback. 

1992: Clemson at Virginia

This was another game that was a clear example of things being like night and day from the first half to the second half.

Early on, Virginia came out of the gates swinging as they jumped out to a 28-0 lead and they took that lead to the locker room. 

Slowly but surely, the Tigers began to chip away at the lead in the second half and completed the comeback with a 29-28 win. 

1987: Syracuse vs West Virginia

Don McPherson and the Orange faced a tall hill to climb after they fell behind 31-10 to West Virginia entering the fourth quarter. 

When the fourth quarter began, McPherson led the Orange to a huge comeback and had a chance to tie the game on an extra point after scoring a touchdown with no time left. Instead of the tie, the Orange went for two and converted, giving them a 32-31 win.

1998: Texas A&M vs Kansas State

The Big 12 title game appeared to be getting out of hand as the Kansas State Wildcats went to the fourth quarter holding a 27-12 lead. 

With a potential national title in their sights, Kansas State saw Texas A&M climb back in the game and tie it up at 27-27. Things got worse for the Wildcats as the Aggies got the ball second in overtime and instead of kicking a field goal for the tie, they scored on a long third down play. 

1993: Boston College vs Notre Dame

Boston College did their best to give this game away as they opened up a 38-17 lead over the Irish and Glenn Foley and the Eagles offense looked unstoppable. 

As the second half went on, the Irish slowly climbed back into the game and eventually pulled ahead 39-38. With under :30 remaining, the Eagles scrambled into field goal range and watched as an ugly field goal attempt found its way over the crossbar and through for a 41-39 win. 

1999: West Virginia vs Virginia Tech

Michael Vick led Virginia Tech into this game against West Virginia and appeared to have everything under control as they held a 19-7 lead in the late stages of this game.

With some special teams help and a Hokie fumble, the Mountaineers turned things around quickly and took a 20-19 lead.

The legend of Vick grew as he took his team down the field and managed to put them into field goal range and stop the clock with five seconds left. A successful 44 yard field goal gave the Hokies the win and saved them from losing a game they had complete control of. 

2000: Florida State vs Miami

In another game that saw some back and forth action, Florida State and Miami played against each other in 2000 and had another amazing finish. 

Early on, the Hurricanes owned the first half as they left the field with a 17-0 lead. The Seminoles answered in the second half and appeared to have secured a terrific comeback when they took a 24-20 lead. 

It looked as if the Seminoles would win but Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey led the Hurricanes down the field and with under a minute remaining, he helped them punch in a score and beat the Seminoles 27-24.