25 best college football bowl games in history

16. USC vs. Ohio State, 1980 Rose Bowl

Charles White proved his 1979 Heisman win was well deserved with one of the best performances in Rose Bowl history to help the Trojans earn a legendary win over Ohio State.

The No. 2 Trojans made a second straight trip to the Rose Bowl with a 10-0-1 record, although a surprising tie against unranked Stanford kept them from a national championship at the end of the year. With one Marcus Allen paving the way as a fullback, White joined Tony Dorsett as the only college players to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season to date while tallying 19 touchdowns.

Ohio State entered the game ranked first at 11-0 despite firing five-time national champion head coach Woody Hayes the season before for infamously punching a Clemson player in the 1978 Gator Bowl. The Buckeyes allowed more than 15 points just once all season, leading to an intriguing matchup against White.

Neither team could get any separation in a 10-10 first half draw. Ohio State then managed a pair of field goals to take a 16-10 lead late into the fourth quarter, with the defense looking to hold USC”s powerful rushing attack.

Needing a lengthy drive to win the game, the Trojans fed White, who immediately ripped off a pair of long runs of 32 and 28 yards. With just over a minute remaining, White secured the third Rose Bowl win in four seasons for the Trojans on a one yard rush.

White carried the ball 39 times for 247 yards, which still stands as a Rose Bowl record. The last-minute loss denied the Buckeyes a national title, and they would not win another title until 2002.