The Best Game in Every College Football Bowl Game's History

With so many college football bowl games these days, it's easy to forget about some of the great games we've seen over the years.

Some bowl games, like the Rose Bowl, have over a century of history while others are new to the scene. But even if there aren't many games to choose from, we've still seen some pretty spectacular performances or drama-filled storylines to these bowls.

We decided to go through the crop of current bowl games and pick one game that stands above the rest as the best game in each bowl's history.

Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is one of the oldest bowl games in existence, having first been played in 1934 along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl—only the Rose Bowl is older.

Played at El Paso's Sun Bowl Stadium, the Sun Bowl has had numerous title sponsors over the years, with Hyundai becoming the title sponsor in 2010.

The 2009 game between Oklahoma and Stanford is easily one of the best in the long history of the bowl.

Oklahoma used a 14-point third quarter to overcome a 28-17 halftime deficit to beat the Cardinal 31-27.

Cotton Bowl Classic

Considered by many to be one of the top non-BCS bowl games, if not the top, the Cotton Bowl Classic is no longer held at the Cotton Bowl, but rather at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

But back in the days when the Cotton Bowl Classic was held at the Cotton Bowl, it was still considered one of the premier destinations for college football teams, especially if that team was from Texas.

In 1982, the 9-1-1 No. 6 Texas Longhorns made their way to the Cotton Bowl on January 1 to take on the 9-1-1 No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was a defensive struggle early, with Alabama taking a 7-0 halftime lead. But Texas overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, and voluntarily surrendered a safety to force Alabama to travel a greater distance with just over a minute to go.

Texas won, 14-12.

Gator Bowl

In 1978, the No. 7 Clemson Tigers finished the regular season 10-1, and earned a berth in the Gator Bowl to face 7-3-1 No. 20 Ohio State. Many in the press believed the Buckeyes would be greatly overmatched and were in for a beating, but Ohio State hung with the Tigers throughout the first half and trailed by just one at the break, 10-9.

Clemson scored another touchdown in the third quarter to take a 17-9 lead, before Ohio State was able to cut Clemson's lead to just two. After a failed conversion, Ohio State stopped Clemson, allowing themselves one more chance to drive down the field to score.

Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter had a pass intercepted by Clemson's Charlie Bauman in front of the Ohio State bench, sealing Clemson's victory.

However, the game will long be remembered because of what happened next. As Bauman got up, Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes punched Bauman in the throat and Ohio State promptly fired Hayes the next day.

Capital One Bowl

The Capital One Bowl is our first bowl on the list the has changed names as so many have over the years. Originally known as the Tangerine Bowl (from 1947 to 1982) and the Florida Citrus Bowl (from 1983 to 2002), the game has simply been called the Capital One Bowl since the 2003 game.

The game hasn't always featured two of the nation's top, best-known programs as it does today. In fact, the first Tangerine Bowl was between Catawba (now a Division II program) and Maryville (now a Division III program). In fact, a program that is not an FBS program today played in the bowl as late as 1972 (Tampa).

The best bowl game in the now SEC-Big Ten game occurred in 2004, when the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs took on the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers.

Georgia came out strong, taking a 14-0 first-quarter lead, and the Bulldogs led 24-10 at halftime before Purdue poured on 17 points in the third quarter to force overtime in one of the more bizarre finishes to regulation.

Rather than taking a knee on second down to end the game, Georgia opted to run the ball, which was stripped and recovered by Purdue at the Georgia 34. Purdue kicked the tying field goal to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Georgia converted a fourth down from inside the 1 to score a touchdown, and then intercepted a Purdue pass in the end zone to seal the thrilling 34-27 victory for the Bulldogs.

Liberty Bowl

One of the most memorable Liberty Bowl games was actually the first Liberty Bowl, played on December 19, 1959 between the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The game was a true defensive struggle with Penn State managing the only points—a second-quarter touchdown as time expired on a fake field goal.

Chick-Fil-a Bowl

From its inception in 1968, the state of Georgia's premier bowl game was the Peach Bowl. Unfortunately, this great, classic bowl name was axed by Chick-fil-A after the 2005 bowl, and the bowl became simply the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

One of the best bowls ever in this historic game occurred recently, in 2007 when the Clemson Tigers and Auburn Tigers met on December 31.

In a back-and-forth battle, both Tigers teams battled to a 17-17 tie after four quarters.

As in 2010, it took overtime to decide the game and Auburn emerged victorious, 23-20.

Independence Bowl

In 1990, the 6-5 Maryland Terrapins counted themselves lucky to even receive a bowl bid. Baylor had originally been extended an invitation, but declined due to the chance Baylor had at winning the Southwest Conference title that season and played the Cotton Bowl. Baylor lost to Texas the next week, and did not receive a bowl bid in 1990.

Maryland's opponent for the December 15, 1990 Independence Bowl was 8-3 Louisiana Tech.

Despite building up a 14-point first-quarter lead, Maryland surrendered the next 28 points before both teams scored finished the game with 34.

In the era before overtime was made legal in the NCAA, the game ended in a sister-kissing tie, and both teams were awarded a trophy for their participation in the game.

Holiday Bowl

Picking the greatest Holiday Bowl of all time is a no-brainer.

The 1980 “Miracle Bowl” between two national powers, BYU and SMU, looked to be headed SMU's way, and the game seemed all but concluded in the waning minutes.

As Cougars fans found their way to the exits with their team trailing 45-25 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, BYU began one of the most improbable comebacks in college football history.

On the sideline, BYU quarterback Jim McMahon yelled at some departing BYU fans, saying the game wasn't over yet. He then proceeded to take the field and throw a quick touchdown pass, and BYU recovered the ensuing onside kick. After another quick touchdown drive, BYU cut SMU's once-insurmountable lead to just six points.

BYU forced SMU to punt on the next possession, and BYU blocked the punt with less than 20 seconds remaining.

After two incomplete passes from SMU's 41-yard line, McMahon tossed up a prayer, which somehow found its way into the hands of BYU tight end Clay Brown in the end zone as time expired. The extra point gave BYU the miraculous 46-45 victory, scoring the final 21 points during the final two minutes and 33 seconds of the game.

Outback Bowl

The Outback Bowl, which originally started as the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1986, is currently one of several marquee SEC-Big Ten bowl games, which will feature Michigan State and Georgia this season.

The 2000 Outback Bowl featured the No. 21 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 19 Purdue Boilermakers.

After battling to a 25-25 tie, the Outback Bowl entered its first overtime period in history. Georgia's Hap Hines kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime, and the Bulldogs emerged with a 28-25 victory.

Insight Bowl

The Copper Bowl began in 1989, and became the Insight.com Bowl in 1997 (and simply the Insight Bowl in 2002).

More than 48,000 fans turned up to the 2006 Insight Bowl to watch the 6-6 Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the 7-5 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Texas Tech trailed 38-14 after three quarters, but outscored the Gophers 24-0 in the final quarter to even the score.

In overtime, Texas Tech held Minnesota to a field goal before completing a five-play touchdown drive, giving the Red Raiders a 44-41 victory.

Champs Sports Bowl

The Champs Sports Bowl has had several names over the years, starting with the Blockbuster Bowl, the CarQuest Bowl, the MicronPC Bowl and even took over the defunct name Tangerine Bowl before Foot Locker purchased the naming rights and gave the game its current moniker.

In 2007, the 10-3 and No. 14 Boston College Eagles were selected to face the 7-5 and unranked Michigan State Spartans. Despite being heavily favored, the Eagles found the Spartans to be all they could handle, as the game was a back-and-forth battle throughout. After BC held a slim 14-10 halftime lead, the teams traded field goals in the third quarter before BC scored a touchdown to take a 24-13 lead. Michigan State cut the Eagles lead to seven with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but were unable to eliminate the final three-point gap, as the Eagles escaped with a 24-21 victory over MSU.

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Bowl, now renamed the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, began in 1992, and has seen a number of battles between two typically western college football teams.

But despite many games on this list, we've selected the 2011 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas as the best game in this bowl's history due to its dominance by one team, not its narrow victory.

Boise State entered the game 11-1 and the No. 7 team in the BCS, but was snubbed by the selection committees for a BCS bowl at the end of the season. The Broncos' opponent, the Arizona State Sun Devils, capped off a disappointing season with a 6-6 record in the Pac-12, despite a wealth of talent and experience and beginning the year as the odds-on favorite to win their division.

Right from the start, it was clear that ASU was overmatched by the non-AQ Boise State team, as senior standout Kellen Moore led the Broncos to a 21-3 halftime advantage.

In the second half, Boise continued its dominance of the Devils, finishing the game with a 56-24 drubbing of Arizona State.

Boise State out-gained Arizona State 460-384, and the Broncos held the Devils to a staggering minus-11 rushing yards in the game (Boise State had 162 rushing yards).

Boise State, despite not being selected to play in a BCS bowl, proved once again that they deserve to be considered amongst the top programs in the nation with their dominating performance last week.

Alamo Bowl

The Alamo Bowl is one of the rare “young” bowl games that has maintained its original name, although title sponsors have changed over the years.

Begun in 1993, the Alamo Bowl today has tie-ins with the Big 12 and Pac-12.

In 2002, the unranked Wisconsin Badgers were selected to face the No. 14 Colorado Buffaloes in a game many thought would be an easy victory for the 9-4 Buffs.

Wisconsin trailed 14-7 after one quarter before taking a 21-14 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Colorado responded with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter before Wisconsin could respond with the tying score in the fourth.

Wisconsin's Mike Allen kicked the winning 37-yard field goal in overtime to give the Badgers a narrow 31-28 upset victory over the Buffaloes.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Started in 1997 as the Motor City Bowl, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a traditional MAC-Big Ten matchup featuring one of the top MAC teams and one of the last Big Ten programs to earn a bowl spot each season.

In a wild 2007 Motor City Bowl, the Purdue Boilermakers outlasted a feisty Central Michigan Chippewas team in a game that saw 99 total points scored, including 35 combined points in the third quarter alone.

Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter amassed 543 passing yards, a school record, which not only set the bowl game's passing record, but ranks fourth all-time in all bowl games.

Purdue defeated Central Michigan, 51-48.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, played in Boise, Idaho, was originally named the Humanitarian Bowl and the MPC Computers Bowl.

In the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl, the unranked Fresno State Bulldogs pulled off an improbable 37-34 overtime victory over the No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, then holding Virginia to a field goal in overtime before scoring the game-winning touchdown.

It was the first meeting between the two schools, and it was Fresno State's first trip outside of the state of California in five seasons.

Music City Bowl

The Music City Bowl began in 1998, has tie-ins with the ACC and SEC and previous tie-ins with the Big East and Big Ten.

In the bowl's first-ever game, the Alabama Crimson Tide suffered one of the program's worst bowl-game defeats in history, losing to the 8-3 Virginia Tech Hokies, 38-7.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw Virginia Tech emerge with a 10-7 lead, the Hokies scored all 28 second-half points en route to their thumping of the Tide.

GoDaddy.com Bowl

The GoDaddy.com Bowl, previously known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl and the GMAC Bowl, is a low-payout bowl game with tie-ins with the Sun Belt and MAC.

In the short history of the bowl, there has been a double-overtime game, in 2010, which saw the Central Michigan Chippewas defeat the Troy Trojans, 44-41.

New Orleans Bowl

The New Orleans Bowl was the first new bowl game of the 21st century, getting its start in 2011. This bowl also has the distinction of having the lowest payout of any bowl game, a paltry $500,000, stemming from its lackluster conference tie-ins with the Sun Belt and Conference USA.

The most entertaining bowl in the series thus far was the 2008 game between Southern Mississippi and Troy, which Southern Miss won 30-27 in overtime.

Belk Bowl

The Belk Bowl, named for a southern mid-level retail department store chain, was originally named the Queen City Bowl before changing its name before the first game to Continental Tires Bowl. The game became the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2005 (not to be confused with the current Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, a non-successor bowl of the same name), and finally the Belk Bowl in 2011.

In the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl, No. 23 Boston College defeated unranked Navy, 25-24, thanks to a fumble late in the game by Navy, which gave Boston College just enough time to advance the ball into field-goal range and kick the game-winning 37-yard try as time expired.

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, originally called the Emerald Bowl, has tie-ins with the Pac-12 and Army.

There have been just nine games in the bowl's short history, with the best game coming in the 2008 Emerald Bowl between the University of Miami and the University of California.

Despite building a 14-0 first-quarter lead, Cal had to battle back in the fourth quarter to knock of the Hurricanes, 24-17.

Hawai'i Bowl

The 2003 Hawai'i Bowl was unique for a few reasons. First, it was Hawai'i's first victory in the bowl that takes place in their home stadium. Secondly, Hawai'i won 54-48 in a triple-overtime thriller. And thirdly, the memory of the game is marred by a brawl that took place between the players of the two teams shortly after Hawai'i scored the winning touchdown.

Armed Forces Bowl

Begun in 2003 as the Fort Worth Bowl, the Armed Forces Bowl was renamed as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in 2006, and although Bell Helicopter is still the corporate sponsor, the title has been shortened to simply the Armed Forces Bowl.

The 2003 Fort Worth Bowl saw one installment of the budding rivalry between the programs regarded as the top non-AQ programs in the nation: TCU and Boise State.

The No. 18 Boise State Broncos narrowly defeated the No. 19 TCU Horned Frogs, 34-31, thanks to a late touchdown pass from Boise's Ryan Dinwiddie to Derek Schouman.

Poinsettia Bowl

Originally the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, the name was thankfully shortened to the much less cumbersome Poinsettia Bowl.

The game has a unique history in that it was originally a military-team bowl game from 1952 to 1955, pitting two military installations against one another. In the first-ever “Poinsettia Bowl," Bolling Air Force Base defeated US Naval Training Center-San Diego, 35-14.

With TCU's victory over Louisiana Tech this season, TCU has now eclipsed US Army Fort Old as the team with the most “Poinsettia Bowl” victories, with three.

The 2011 game also ranks as perhaps the best in the short history of the current incarnation of the bowl, as the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs defeated the upstart Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, 31-24, needing 14 unanswered fourth-quarter points to achieve victory.

New Mexico Bowl

With only six games to choose from, the selection for the best game in New Mexico Bowl history was fairly easy.

The 2009 New Mexico Bowl between Wyoming and Fresno State wasn't a blockbuster television-ratings magnet, but it should have been.

In a classic blow-for-blow game, Wyoming relied on a touchdown, two-point conversion and late field goal to tie the game before scoring the winning touchdown in double-overtime and stopping Fresno State on fourth down for the 35-28 victory.

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Not to be confused with the previous bowl of similar name (now the Belk Bowl), the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas began in 2006 as the Texas Bowl.

In the 2007 Texas Bowl, the game actually featured two teams from Texas: TCU and Houston.

The 7-5 Horned Frogs outlasted the 8-4 Cougars, 20-13, in front of 62,097 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

BBVA Compass Bowl

The BBVA Compass Bowl, previously named the PapaJohns.com Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl, is a relatively new bowl game (begun in 2006) in Birmingham, Alabama, held at legendary-but-aging Legion Field.

There haven't been too many exciting games in this bowl's short history, so we selected the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl where No. 20 Cincinnati defeated Southern Mississippi, 31-21.

Military Bowl

The Military Bowl, begun as the EagleBank Bowl, has had just three games in its short history. Like just a few games on our list, we've selected a lopsided, dominating performance as our greatest game in this particular bowl's history.

In the 2010 Military Bowl, the 8-4 Maryland Terrapins demolished a vastly outgunned 6-6 ECU Pirates team.

East Carolina could put up little more than token resistance against Maryland, as the Terps amassed 478 yards of total offense, compared to 343 for ECU. East Carolina also committed four turnovers, and was held to 32 rushing yards on 21 attempts.

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl

Originally the St. Petersburg Bowl, the rather awkwardly named Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl began in 2008 and now has just four games in its annals.

The only game that was even somewhat close was the 31-28 victory by the Louisville Cardinals over the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in 2010.

Louisville's Chris Philport kicked what turned out to be a winning 36-yard field goal with 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.

TicketCity Bowl

Begun just last season, there is just one game in the history of the TicketCity Bowl.

On January 1, 2011, Texas Tech defeated Northwestern 45-38 in front of 40,121 fans at the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Pinstripe Bowl

A similarly new bowl, the Pinstripe Bowl began last season and holds the distinction as being one of just two bowl games played at a stadium not designed for football, being held at New York's Yankee Stadium.

Even though there's only one game to choose, it very well may stand the test of time and rank as the bowl's best game for many years to come. On December 30, 2010, Syracuse defeated Kansas State, 36-34, in the only Pinstripe Bowl to date.

With just 1:13 remaining in the game, Kansas State scored a touchdown to pull within two points, but the would-be tying conversion failed, due in large part to a questionable call of unsportsmanlike conduct following the touchdown. The head-scratching penalty (called because Adrian Hilburn pointed skyward after scoring the touchdown in “celebration”) forced Kansas State to try the two-point conversion from the 18-yard line, instead of the 3-yard line.

Fiesta Bowl

The youngest of the current crop of BCS bowls, the Fiesta Bowl began in 1971 and has maintained its title as the Fiesta Bowl ever since (although title sponsorship is held by Tostitos).

The Fiesta Bowl became a BCS bowl at the inception of the BCS in 1998, and that season's game (the 1999 Fiesta Bowl) served as the de facto national championship game.

The 2003 Fiesta Bowl also served as the BCS National Championship, and that game took two overtimes to determine a winner (Ohio State), but it's the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, with Boise State's miracle fourth-quarter and overtime comebacks to shock Oklahoma, that takes our prize as best Fiesta Bowl game ever.

In case you missed it, Boise State watched its seemingly safe 28-10 late third-quarter lead slip away due to 25 unanswered points by Oklahoma (18 in the fourth quarter alone).

Boise State relied on a circus hook-and-ladder pass play on fourth down to set up a tying score with just seven seconds remaining in regulation.

After Oklahoma scored the opening touchdown in overtime, Boise State responded, but elected to go for two points early, scoring on a classic “Statue of Liberty” play, giving No. 9 Boise State the improbable and immensely exciting 43-42 victory over No. 7 Oklahoma.

Orange Bowl

One of the oldest bowl games in college football history, the Orange Bowl got its start in 1934, mainly in response to the West Coast's Rose Bowl, which drew huge crowds and more importantly a huge winter economic boost to the Los Angeles area.

With so many games from which to select (77), it's hard to select just one, but the 2006 Orange Bowl is amongst the very, very best.

With an 8-5 record, Florida State was selected to participate in the BCS thanks only to the fact that the Seminoles captured the 2005 ACC Championship, earning them an automatic berth in the Orange Bowl. Penn State was 11-1, finished the season a Big Ten co-champions (along with 10-2 Ohio State) and received the Big Ten's automatic BCS berth. Since the Rose Bowl was serving as the BCS Championship that season, Penn State was selected for the trip to Miami.

While most pundits expected Penn State to win easily, the epic, legendary coaching battle between Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden wouldn't be decided easily. After a back-and-forth first half, Florida State tied the game with a 48-yard field goal with just 4:08 remaining in the game.

After both teams failed to score in the first overtime, they traded field goals in the second overtime session. After Florida State's field-goal attempt in the third overtime hit the right upright, Penn State opted for a field goal try of their own on second down from the 12-yard line. The 29-yard attempt was good, giving Penn State the narrow, triple-overtime victory.

Sugar Bowl

The Sugar Bowl also has a long, illustrious history and probably ranks second only to the Rose Bowl in terms of prestige.

The first Sugar Bowl was played in 1935, and we go way back in its history to the second Sugar Bowl for our best game in Sugar Bowl history.

If you're a fan of defensive struggles, this was the game for you. It was also one of the first times two teams nationally ranked in the Top 10 met in postseason play, paving the way for countless matchups of ranked teams that would follow in the next 75 years.

On New Year's Day 1936, No. 7 LSU traveled to Tulane Stadium to face No. 4 TCU. Both teams had made it through the regular season with just one loss; LSU was 9-1 while TCU was 11-1 (with its only loss coming against 12-0 SMU, the No. 2 team from the 1935 season).

There were only four bowl games back in those days, so a selection to any of them was quite an honor and both teams readily accepted the invitation.

Only five points were scored in the game, all in the second quarter. After TCU took a 3-0 lead, LSU's lone score came when Gaynell Tinsley recoded a safety against TCU's Sammy Baugh.

The game ended in a 3-2 victory for TCU, and showed the nation the popularity not only of bowl games, but of games in which two highly ranked teams competed. The 1936 Sugar Bowl is selected not only for its razor-thin margin of victory, but for its trendsetting in the world of college football.

Rose Bowl Game

Speaking of setting trends, we finally arrive at the “Granddaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl Game.

Other than the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Rose Bowl Game is the only other bowl game named after its stadium, and thus not called the “Rose Bowl,” but rather the “Rose Bowl Game.”

The game was first played in 1902 as the “Tournament East-West Football Game,” which was part of the new Tournament of Roses designed to showcase the beautiful winter weather in Southern California.

In order to attract a larger crowd, the idea of hosting an exhibition of a relatively new collegiate sport was rapidly increasing in popularity. The first game was played at Tournament Park, now maintained by Caltech.

The 1902 game makes our list as the best Rose Bowl game for several reasons. First, it was the first “bowl game” now recognized by the NCAA. Secondly, it provided the template by which all other bowl games were based. Thirdly, it showcased two quality football teams, and featured a dominating performance by one of them in the game itself.

The 1901 Stanford football team (a team without a nickname at the time) had posted a 3-1-2 record on the year, and was selected to participate as the “West” team. For its opponent, the tournament committee selected former Stanford coach Fielding Yost's new team for the 1901 season, the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan was 10-0, and had crushed every team they had faced that season, without allowing the opposition to score a single point against Michigan's 506 points. Michigan even managed a 128-0 victory over Buffalo, the largest margin of victory since Virginia's 136-point victory in 1890.

The game was played as two halves, and the game was different from the one we recognize today. For instance, touchdowns were worth five points, as were field goals, although touchdowns allowed an extra-point try afterward. The field was 110 yards long, and there were only three downs, with five yards required for a first down. The game was also played before the forward pass was made a legal play.

Michigan took an early 6-0 lead with a five-yard touchdown run from All-American and future College Football Hall of Famer Neil Snow. It would be the first of Snow's five touchdowns on the day.

After a Michigan field goal made the score 11-0, the Wolverines again increased their lead to 17 points on a late first-half punt return.

In the second half, Michigan really turned it up a notch, scoring five more touchdowns and a field goal before Stanford requested the game be called early, with eight minutes remaining. Michigan agreed, and the final score stood at 49-0.

The game was so one-sided that the Tournament of Roses decided not to host another football game for 15 years, instead featuring chariot races and other archaic or odd events. The loss was so demoralizing for Stanford that within a few years, the football program was replaced with rugby.

After the return of football to the Tournament of Roses, Tournament Park played host to the next seven games (eight in all) before the construction of the Rose Bowl itself, and the game began to be called the “Rose Bowl Game” from 1923 onward.

BCS National Championship Game

For the BCS National Championship Game, we have elected to look at only the stand-alone BCS National Championship Game (2007 onward) for our pick of the best game in the history of the “bowl.”

Although not called a “bowl,” the championship game is part of the Bowl Championship Series, and is the ultimate postseason destination for every team in the nation.

After each of the four “BCS bowls” hosted the game on a rotating basis from 1998 to 2006, the stand-alone game was created in 2007 in part to give the BCS more selections from the worthy teams each season. The game still rotates between BCS sites, and is usually played about a week after the host stadium's traditional bowl game.

For the best game in this BCS National Championship Game, we don't have to look very far back to find a great candidate. The 2011 BCS National Championship Game between Auburn and Oregon not only provided the narrowest margin of victory, but that margin wasn't decided until the final play of the game.

In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, the No. 2 Oregon Ducks were 12-0 and champions of the Pac-10. The Ducks would face their first-ever opponent from the state of Alabama in the No. 1 Auburn Tigers, who were 13-0 and champions of the SEC.

Both teams were loaded with talented stars, featuring Auburn's Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, and Oregon's LaMichael James, the leading rusher in the FBS in 2010.

After a scoreless first quarter, Oregon took the lead with a 26-yard field goal early in the second. Auburn responded less than two minutes later with a touchdown, taking a 7-3 lead. Just a minute later, LaMichael James caught an eight-yard pass from Darron Thomas for a touchdown, and Oregon went with the typical first-touchdown, two-point conversion try, which was successful.

Oregon led 11-7 and the score remained frozen until the 3:26 mark of the second quarter, when Auburn's Mike Blanc broke through Oregon's offensive line to tackled James in the end zone for a safety. On the ensuing Auburn possession, the Tigers scored a touchdown, taking a 16-11 lead into halftime.

Auburn opened up the largest lead of the game for either team early in the third quarter on a 26-yard Wes Byrum field goal, giving the Tigers a 19-11 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Oregon had to wait until just over two minutes were left in the game before answering with a touchdown and two-point conversion, tying the game at 19.

Just as it appeared the BCS National Championship Game was headed for its first overtime since becoming a stand-alone game (and first since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl), Cam Newton led one of his signature late-game drives, putting the Tigers in position for a 19-yard Byrum field goal as time expired, giving Auburn a thrilling 22-19 victory.