College Football's Best All-Time Buzzer-Beater Plays

While legacies are made in the NCAA tournament because of buzzer-beating shots, college football is no stranger to miracles at the horn.

From furious rallies to Hail Mary passes to multi-lateral sequences, we've watched numerous unforgettable moments after the clock expired but before the final whistle.

In order to be included here, a play must end in the fourth quarter with triple zeros on the scoreboard. So, a memorable finish such as Michael Crabtree's tightrope touchdown versus Texas misses the mark, quite literally, by one second.

The list is organized chronologically, starting with one of the greatest comebacks—or collapses, depending on your viewpoint—in the sport's history and finishing with a recent failure that modern technology is intended to help avoid.

1980: The Miracle Bowl

Northern Iowa surrendered a 12-point lead with less than 40 seconds remaining during the 2016 NCAA tournament. Perhaps the only comparable collapse is SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl.

Craig James' 42-yard touchdown run gave the Mustangs a 45-25 lead. It was over, except it wasn't. Perhaps that's one reason why players are now taught to slide down after picking up a first down.

During the final 160 seconds of the contest, Jim McMahon tossed a 15-yard touchdown to Matt Braga. An onside kick recovery led to a one-yard touchdown run from Scott Phillips, and then Bill Schoepflin blocked a punt to give the Cougars one final chance.

McMahon lofted a prayer, and Clay Brown provided the answer, reeling in a 41-yard score to tie SMU at 45. Kurt Gunther drilled the extra point, and BYU grabbed a 46-45 win.

What a way to earn the first bowl victory in program history.

1982: The Play

"The band is out on the field! He's gonna go into the end zone!"

It's an unforgettable call that college football fans will never forget: a five-lateral play that handed Cal a 25-20 triumph over rival Stanford.

For a moment, the 1982 edition of the "Big Game" looked like yet another shining moment for future NFL great John Elway, who converted a 4th-and-17 en route to setting up a go-ahead 35-yard field goal.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Golden Bears only had 10 men when they needed a miracle. There were approximately 100 too many Stanford supporters, however, since the band entered the field as Cal tossed a handful of laterals.

Kevin Moen, who initially fielded the ball, scampered the final 25 yards for a spectacular touchdown.

1984: Hail Flutie

The 1984 Miami football team simply could not avoid disaster.

In the game before meeting Boston College, the Hurricanes allowed Maryland to storm back from a 31-0 deficit at halftime. This loss might have been more painful.

Trailing 45-41 with six seconds left, Eagles quarterback Doug Flutie took the snap, avoided a sack, rolled right and heaved the pigskin as far as he could. Gerard Phelan managed to creep behind the Miami secondary and catch the ball in the end zone while sliding to the ground.

"Caught by Boston College! I don't believe it! It's a touchdown!" announcer Brent Musberger screamed to cap the 47-45 victory.

To this day, it's difficult to imagine that Eagles and Hurricanes fans can, either.

1990: Fifth Down

Without an extra snap that should have never happened, Colorado wouldn't claim a share of the 1990 national championship. But the school won't be relinquishing that crown anytime soon.

Missouri held a 31-27 advantage, but the Buffs were on a drive. Jon Boman slipped near the goal line, setting up a wild finish that started with quarterback Charles Johnson spiking the football following the first down.

That made it 2nd-and-goal, when the Tigers stood tall and held Eric Bieniemy out of the end zone. Colorado used its final timeout, but the chain gang failed to change the sign to third down.

Once again, Bieniemy couldn't cross the plane, and Johnson spiked the football on what was really fourth down. Instead, the Buffs had a mysterious fifth down, and Johnson may (or may not have) edged across the goal to secure a 33-31 win.

Controversy abounds, but Colorado remembers it as a victory.

1994: The Miracle at Michigan

Four years later, Colorado engineered another unbelievable finish. This time, there's no debating the outcome.

Michigan clung to a 26-21 edge with six seconds on the clock and simply needed to bat down a final throw to ice the victory. Kordell Stewart received excellent blocking, gathered himself and launched a Hail Mary.

The ball left Stewart's hands at the Buffs' 27-yard line and—following a deflection from Blake Anderson—arrived in Michael Westbrook's beyond the goal line.

Colorado exited the Big House, celebrating a 27-26 triumph.

2002: The Bluegrass Miracle

Note to self: Do not pour Gatorade on a coach until you know the game is over. That might be before 0:00, but make sure the math checks out.

On a fateful day in 2002, Kentucky players neglected the numbers.

Wildcats head coach Guy Morriss received a sugary shower following Taylor Begley's 29-yard field goal. However, a 30-27 edge with 11 seconds remaining is not insurmountable.

LSU proved it.

Tigers quarterback Marcus Randall threw the ball into a crowd of blue, white and yellow. Devery Henderson emerged from the horde with the pigskin and sprinted into the end zone for a 33-30 victory.

How awkward was that handshake for Morriss and Nick Saban?

2005: The Catch

Many of those same LSU players who celebrated the dramatic win over Kentucky were present for the team's stunning loss to Iowa in the 2005 Capital One Bowl.

Additionally, the Hawkeyes turned a time-management debacle into a lasting memory.

Iowa quarterback Drew Tate completed a couple of throws but simply didn't stop the clock. Consequently, he only had time for one final pass. Fortunately for the Hawkeyes, Warren Holloway took it the distance thanks to a confused LSU defense.

The Tigers were left wondering what happened as time expired and Iowa snatched a 30-25 win.

2007: The Miracle in Mississippi

Cal only needed five laterals. Trinity, a Division III school, used 15 to defeat Millsaps in 2007.

Rather than explaining every piece of what happened, just watch. The play lasted an entire minute before the Tigers triumphantly crossed the goal line.

Without a doubt, the saddest part is watching Millsaps defenders simply stop trying because they're exhausted from chasing Trinity around the field. Seven different players touched the ball.

Riley Curry scored the touchdown to earn a 28-24 win.

2013: Kick Six

As if the "Prayer at Jordan-Hare" wasn't enough theatrics, Auburn decided to smash rival Alabama's dreams of a national championship in wild fashion.

With the two teams tied at 28 with a single tick remaining on the clock, Adam Griffith lined up for a 57-yard field goal from the left hashmark, which means it was closer to 60. Making that would have been a miracle.

Griffith's attempt didn't reach the uprights, but it didn't go out of bounds, either. Tigers cornerback Chris Davis caught the ball, scampered up the left sideline, received a couple of blocks and outran Alabama into the end zone.

"Stunning" would be an understatement to describe the 34-28 triumph, one that will live forever in Iron Bowl history.

2015: Rangers: Mission 4:10

Rivalries ignore what "should" happen in a football game. If you don't believe that, the only evidence needed is the 2015 tilt between Michigan and Michigan State.

The Wolverines had a victory within their grasp until the ball fell out of Blake O'Neill's hands. He dropped the snap, picked it up, was hit from behind and lost the ball, which found Jalen Watts-Jackson, a member of MSU's punt team named "Rangers."

One block and forward-falling tackle later, Watts-Jackson crossed the plane and broke the hearts of Michigan fans anticipating the first win in the series since 2012.

According to Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio named the play Rangers: Mission 4:10:

"

We were saying all week that mental is to physical as four is to one; that you had to be four times mentally tougher than you were physically tough ... The 10 seconds obviously comes in at the back end, with the last 10 seconds of the game. But it also comes in on the front end because we sat on that bus for 10 extra seconds because I wanted to make sure our players understood the size of this game.

"

Perhaps there's a better name, but the insanity won't change.

2015: The Return

Miami's 30-27 victory will be remembered for the instant replay not getting it right.

Whether or not Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk actually crossed the goal line is up for debate, but the Blue Devils had a 27-24 lead with six seconds remaining.

In the midst of eight laterals, Hurricanes freshman Mark Walton tossed the ball backward while falling to the ground. Although his knee appeared to have hit the ground, play continued and ultimately ended with Corn Elder running 91 yards for a touchdown.

The officials, who also missed a block in the back from Sheldrick Redwine, took two trips to the replay booth yet still concluded Miami had scored.

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Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.