In the annals of history and in the mythologies of many cultures there are stories of formidable foes meeting to do battle. The rivals may be virtually equal, but only one can ultimately emerge victorious.
History has seen some truly epochal rivalries: the Romans against the Carthaginians, Elizabeth I against Mary, Queen of Scots, Napoleon against Wellington.
Mythology has given us the epic clash between the Greeks and the Trojans, with the fight between Hector and Achilles being a focal point of the story.
College football also has great rivalries. But throughout a rivalry between two schools there will inevitably be points when one opponent really is not a match for the other. When a great rivalry finds both teams in top form that is when truly special games happen. Other times two schools that are not traditional rivals or do not often play each other find themselves far above any other teams. When the titans clash it makes for compelling football. On other occasions it is a matter of David slaying Goliath when an underdog team defeats a heavily favored opponent.
With that in mind, here are our 10 greatest college football games in chronological order:
1.) 1946: Army vs. Notre Dame
Even at this early point the two schools were among the most storied in college football. It seems that many of the greatest college football matchups involved Army and Notre Dame. Reporting on a game between the two universities in 1924, sportswriter Grantland Rice dubbed the Notre Dame backfield “The Four Horsemen”. Halftime of the 1928 game is when Knute Rockne gave his famous “Win one for the Gipper” speech.
In 1946 both teams were undefeated going into the game at Yankee Stadium. Both teams were high scoring. And both had star talent: Notre Dame had the following years Heisman winner at quarterback in Johnny Lujack, while Army had the defending Heisman winner – Doc Blanchard – and that years Heisman winner in Glenn Davis.
Despite all of the offensive firepower it was each teams defense that starred during a game that ended in a 0-0 tie. Although both teams finished undefeated, the Fighting Irish were awarded the national championship.
2.) 1966: Notre Dame vs. Michigan State
Coming into the game expectations were high for both teams. The Spartans were the defending national champions while the Irish were hungry for a return to glory after 13 years without a championship. At the time of the game Michigan State and Notre Dame were ranked #1 and #2 in one national poll and #2 and #1 in another other.
The knockdown, grinding game saw a number of players injured. Although the Spartans scored first, the Fighting Irish came back to tie the game at 10. Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian controversially settled ran the clock down on his team’s last possession instead of trying for the win. Both teams preserved their undefeated seasons.
Michigan State Spartans Flannel: Allover
3.) 1967: USC vs. UCLA
When these two teams met on November 18, 1967, UCLA was ranked #1 and USC #2 in the coaches poll, while in the AP poll they were #1 and #4 respectively. Each also had hug star on the team: UCLA had that year’s Heisman winner in quarterback Gary Beban, while USC had the following year’s winner in running back O.J. Simpson.
Despite being injured Gary Beban still managed to guide the Bruins to 20 points. It was not enough though as Simpson had a late 64 yard touchdown run that propelled the Trojans to a 21-20 victory.
USC Trojans Fabric: Allover – White
4.) 1969: Texas vs. Arkansas
Both teams were on a roll going into the game, with the Longhorns having won 18 straight and the Razorbacks 15 straight. With President Nixon in attendance and a television
n ratings share of 50, the stage was set for the now legendary game to begin.
Texas played sloppily for the first half and by the 3rd quarter was down 15-0. On the first play of the 4th quarter quarterback James Street scrambled for a touchdown. Street then converted the two-point attempt to bring Texas to within 6.
On the teams final drive Texas appeared to stall at its own 43 yard line. At that Texas coach Darrell Royal gambled and had Street throw deep to receiver Randy Peschel. Peschel hauled in a 44 yard pass that took Texas to the Razorbacks 13. Two plays later the Longhorns scored the go ahead touchdown. Texas later beat Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl to cement its status as national champion.
Texas Longhorns Fleece: Logo Panel
Arkansas Razorbacks Tablecloth Vinyl
5.) 1971: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
On November 25, 1971 two of the most fearsome college teams ever assembled met in a game that pitted Oklahoma’s top rated offense against Nebraskas top rated defense. Nebraska was also the defending national champion.
The game itself was played on Oklahomas home field in front of a television audience of 55 million. The contest was a back and forth affair with the teams swapping leads over the four quarters. Finally the Cornhuskers emerged victorious 35-31. Nebraska went on to repeat as national champions.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Fabric: Allover – Red
Hey J&O; Fabrics, this is an excellent top ten list. These games are well before my time, but I really enjoyed reading the summaries. The history of football is something very interesting to me. For recent games, I would have to go with Boise States win over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, that was an instant classic. You can cross-post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and link back to your site. We are trying to create a directory for top ten lists where people can find your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.