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Topic: Games of the Century
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MikeDeTiger · « **Reply #28 on:** July 25, 2025, 03:12:04 PM »

Quote from: Mdot21 on July 25, 2025, 11:26:29 AM

2006 Michigan at OSU was a #1 vs #2 ranked matchup the weekend Bo Schembechler passed and was a crazy game that came down to the end which Ohio State won by 3. If OSU doesn't get blown out in the BCS MNC game vs UF that one is probably higher on peoples list.

Michigan would've also needed to avoid getting blown out by USC. Both of those teams got curb-stomped in their next outings, and both killed any lasting perception of GOTC their meeting could've had. Although I'd go a step further and say that both teams needed not only to avoid getting blown out, they needed to win. I think even much better losses by either would've pretty well erased GOTC talk.

But it was one of the most hyped up regular season matchups during real time that I ever recall.

MrNubbz · « **Reply #29 on:** July 25, 2025, 03:20:49 PM »

I dunno '94 Colarado vs Michigan was won at the last tick,ungratefull guests i tell ya

https://youtu.be/5Nt6HjqtJt8

medinabuckeye1 · « **Reply #30 on:** July 25, 2025, 04:45:19 PM »

Quote from: OrangeAfroMan on July 24, 2025, 06:04:34 PM

'93 ND is a mystery to me.
11-1
Beat FSU

But they had no stars with big numbers.
Like the QB...McDougal. He didn't run the ball productively, he didn't pass much....7 TDs, 5 INTs.....he was just sort of there. They had a 1,000 yard rusher, but no other player had 600 yards rushing or receiving.
The team leader in receiving TDs was the FB, with 3.

Not a great defense.

Had 3 punters, none of which were good.

But they beat Michigan. Beat FSU. Beat A&M in the bowl.

Just weird.

In retrospect I think the only weird part is their upset of FSU in the "Game of the Century" that kicked off the travelling Gameday.

Yes they beat Michigan but . . .
Michigan really wasn't all that good that year. They did beat Ohio State but this was during the Cooper years so that was just assumed. In addition to the loss to Notre Dame, the Wolverines also lost in East Lansing to a .500 MSU team, at home to Illinois, and in Madison to Wisconsin.

Yes they did beat A&M in the bowl but . . .
aTm wasn't all that good that year either. Their 10-2 record is a bit misleading. They got slaughtered by Oklahoma (44-14) and the dying SWC was hot garbage so their best win was either 6-5 Rice, 9-3 Louisville, or 5-5-1 Texas.

medinabuckeye1 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 25, 2025, 05:17:55 PM »

Quote from: OrangeAfroMan on July 25, 2025, 01:50:08 PM

There's been like 20-some odd 1 vs 2 matchups, most of which were never given the GOTC moniker, either before or after.
Fearless is listing some great games, but (I assume) was no build-up or GOTC talk before the 84 OB, as it was assumed Nebraska would roll that Miami team of Johnny-come-latelies.
.
I recall 1993 FSU vs ND given that build-up.

I'm curious about 1996 Florida vs FSU, as I was too "in it" to know the national interest accurately. Both 10-0, both smoking everyone on the schedule. Huge rivals in the last regular season game, like 06 UM-OSU. Was there any GOTC talk at all?

I think there was. I would have been a LOT more interested in that one had tOSU not lost to Michigan the week prior, 11/18 poll:

10-0 Florida
10-0 Ohio State
9-0 Florida State
10-0 Arizona State
9-1 Nebraska (lost early to ASU)
9-1 Colorado (lost early at home to Michigan, revenge for the hail mary game a few years earlier)
9-2 Penn State (lost to tOSU and Iowa)

Then Ohio State lost to Michigan. That set up UF/FSU as a 1v2, the 11/25 poll was:

10-0 Florida
10-0 Florida State
11-0 Arizona State
9-1 Nebraska
9-1 Colorado
10-1 Ohio State

The regular season was complete for ASU and Ohio State who were already locked into facing each other in the Rose Bowl (first bowl game I ever attended).

#5 Colorado visited #4 Nebraska on Friday (11/29) and #1 Florida visited #2 Florida State on Saturday with the home teams winning both games (HFA matters). Thus the new poll and games remaining before the bowls as of December 2 was:

11-0 FSU: Regular season complete.
11-0 ASU: Regular season complete, facing #5 tOSU in Pasadena.
10-1 UNL: vs nr Texas in St. Louis in the brand new Big12 CG.
10-1 UF: vs #11 Bama in Atl in the SECCG.
10-1 tOSU: Regular season complete.

All other teams were eliminated because nobody was going to jump the tOSU/ASU winner from behind. Florida beat Bama in ATL but the Cornhuskers got upset by the Longhorns in St. Louis so the December 9 poll (heading into the bowls) was:

11-0 FSU: vs #3 UF in the Sugar Bowl.
11-0 ASU: vs #4 tOSU in the Rose Bowl.
11-1 UF: vs #1 FSU in the Sugar Bowl.
10-1 tOSU: vs #2 ASU in the Rose Bowl.

As an Ohio State fan I was hoping for a blowout of ASU in the Rose Bowl and a REALLY close UF win over FSU in a crappy looking game in the Sugar Bowl. All other teams were eliminated.

A couple things about that game:
For one thing the poll didn't come out until Monday back then and FSU didn't ascend to #2 until the poll AFTER Ohio State's loss to Michigan so that was only #1 vs #2 for five days. A lot of the other games on this list were anticipated as #1 v #2 for a month or more.

Another thing is that the Bowl Coalition went into effect in 1992 so by 1996 the idea of #1 vs #2 wasn't the rarity that it had been a decade earlier. The AP Poll started in 1936 and it took almost three decades for the top two teams to meet in a bowl. #1 vs #2 was a rarity before that. By 1996 it wasn't.

Mdot21 · « **Reply #32 on:** July 25, 2025, 06:58:56 PM »

Quote from: MikeDeTiger on July 25, 2025, 03:12:04 PM

Michigan would've also needed to avoid getting blown out by USC. Both of those teams got curb-stomped in their next outings, and both killed any lasting perception of GOTC their meeting could've had. Although I'd go a step further and say that both teams needed not only to avoid getting blown out, they needed to win. I think even much better losses by either would've pretty well erased GOTC talk.

But it was one of the most hyped up regular season matchups during real time that I ever recall.

I don't think what Michigan did really mattered to be honest. Ohio State was the victor of THE GAME and the #1 ranked team all-season and featured a record breaking Heisman Trophy winning QB.

Michigan-USC was a 3-3 tie game at half-time and USC didn't pull away until later in the game, it was a 1 score game early in the 4th QTR. Michigan ultimately still lost by 2 TD's- but the majority of the game it was a close game and Chad Henne still threw for 300+ yards.

What caused THE GAME to lose it's luster was Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith going like 4/20 passing and Ohio State getting blitzkrieged off the field by Florida. Ted Ginn returned the opening kick off for a TD and Florida proceeded to score like 34 straight points after that point and Ohio State was down 34-14 at half-time. Ohio State only managed 1 TD on offense vs Florida and the #1 offense all year with it's record breaking Heisman Trophy QB lost 41-14 and 7 of those points were the opening kick return. That's why that game lost it's luster a little bit. If Ohio State had beaten Florida and won the natty it really wouldn't have mattered what Michigan did and that game would've went down as maybe the GOAT regular season matchup.

MarqHusker · « **Reply #33 on:** July 25, 2025, 10:47:06 PM »

Nebraska at Oklahoma 1971 still lays claim to the most watched college game in history. Approx 80 million viewers. Nothing but a SB sniffs that level of viewers and that game was 50+ years ago.

That game had an obscene amount of talent. One penalty, and certainly some great moments not to mention the dubious tearaway jerseys.

FearlessF · « **Reply #34 on:** July 26, 2025, 08:29:26 AM »

yup, there is only one game of the century
reasonable folks don't even debate this

Cincydawg · « **Reply #35 on:** July 26, 2025, 10:41:09 AM »

The best game I ever attended was 1971 Tech-UGA in Atlanta, back and forth, I was still thinking of attending Tech at the time.

Trailing Tech 24-21, Georgia got the ball at its own 35-yard line with 1:29 on the clock. In one of the most memorable drives I’ve ever seen, Andy led them downfield. He got the comeback started with a 22-yard scamper, but it was the four passes he completed on that drive that made the difference, especially a clutch fourth-down 18-yard throw to Greene that gave the Dogs a first down at the Tech 25 with 48 seconds remaining. Johnson completed a couple of passes to Lynn Hunnicutt to get the ball down to the 9, before he was sacked for a 4-yard loss. Then, after a controversial timeout (Tech claimed officials granted Georgia an extra one), Johnson hit Shirer, who ran out of bounds at the 1. Poulos went over the top to score with only 14 seconds left on the clock. Georgia won, 28-24. Johnson completed 9 of 19 passes for 107 yards and one TD, his first touchdown pass of the season. He also ran for 99 yards.

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Topic: Games of the Century

MikeDeTiger

Re: Games of the Century

MrNubbz

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medinabuckeye1

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medinabuckeye1

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Mdot21

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MarqHusker

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FearlessF

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Cincydawg

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