Sensational Saturday Was a Delight for the College Football Fan

There is nothing quite like Saturdays in the fall, when college football is in full bloom.

But it’s an unusual Saturday that leaves you wrung out, shaking your head, and wondering if the bowl season won’t just be anticlimactic, after all.

This week’s games not only promised drama and excitement, they delivered on that promise. When they were over, they left behind a collection of great moments and fabulous finishes seemingly unprecedented in recent history. 

If you’re like me, you approached the day with a remote in one hand and your favorite beverage, adult or otherwise, in the other.

And here’s what you saw:

Mardy Gilyard’s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown sparked Cincinnati just before halftime of their Big East Championship game against Pitt. The Bearcats then dominated the second half, coming from behind to tie the game at 38-all. When the Panthers botched an extra point after taking a 44-38 lead, Cincinnati marched downfield, scored a touchdown with 33 seconds left, added the crucial extra point, and went home with an improbable, but thrilling, 45-44 victory.

East Carolina came from behind three times before sewing up their second consecutive Conference USA championship, 38-32, over Houston. Case Keenum threw an insane 75 passes for the Cougars, completing 56 of them for 527 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions, however—two to East Carolina’s Van Eskridge, the latter snuffing out Houston’s last-chance drive in the end zone with 42 seconds on the clock.

Alabama strong-armed Florida in the SEC Championship Game, leading wire-to-wire in a convincing 31-13 victory. The Crimson Tide’s Mark Ingram made his last case for the Heisman Trophy, rushing for 113 yards and three touchdowns while leading ‘Bama into the BCS Championship Game in January.

Arizona went into the the Los Angeles Coliseum and put an exclamation point on the USC Trojans’ disappointing season. Nick Foles’ 36-yard TD pass to Juron Criner with 3:14 to play gave the Wildcats a 21-17 win and closed out their best regular season (8-4) in a decade.

J.T. Thomas’ interception with 1:59 remaining clinched West Virginia’s 24-21 win over Rutgers, earning the 8-4 Mountaineers their fourth New Year’s Day trip to the Gator Bowl in seven years.

With two seconds left in regulation, Ryan Colburn’s two-point conversion pass for Fresno State was batted into the air and hauled in by offensive lineman Ryan Cunningham, who barreled into the end zone for a mind-boggling, 53-52 win over Illinois. The two teams combined for a ridiculous 964 total yards on the day.

Connecticut likely secured a bowl bid when Dave Teggart drilled a 42-yard field goal as time expired, giving the 7-5 Huskies a 29-27 win over South Florida.

Georgia Tech ended a see-saw battle when Jonathan Dwyer scored on a 15-yard TD run with 1:20 remaining, giving the Yellow Jackets a thrilling 39-34 win over Clemson in the ACC championship—and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Conference Player of the Year C.J. Spiller rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers’ losing effort.

And finally, Texas got a one-second reprieve thanks to a video replay and took advantage in the Big 12 championship game. Hunter Lawrence nailed a 46-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Longhorns a 13-12 win over Nebraska and setting them up for a BCS title game matchup with Alabama. The otherwise uninspired contest ended in high drama after the Cornhuskers’ Alex Henery had kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining to give Nebraska a 12-10 advantage.

And oh, by the way: Louisiana Tech piled up 55 points in their win over San Jose State; Wisconsin tallied 51 in a victory over Hawaii; and Boise State wrapped up a perfect 13-0 season by trouncing New Mexico, 42-7.

Throughout the day, game after game offered unlikely twists and turns and extreme highs and lows. Just when you thought you'd seen everything one afternoon of football could muster, more incredible things took place. Teams were celebrating wildly one moment, and sitting in stunned silence the next.

It was a sensational, thrilling Saturday. It was college football at its best.