25 best college football bowl games in history

12. Texas vs. Michigan, 2005 Rose Bowl

While a different Vince Young performance in the Rose Bowl is remembered more vividly, his efforts in the 2005 Granddaddy of Them All should not be forgotten.

The Longhorns were having the best year of the Mack Brown era to date with a 10-1 regular season record and No. 4 ranking. A loss to rival No. 2 Oklahoma kept Texas from a title shot, but the Longhorns earned a Rose Bowl berth behind 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns from running back Cedric Benson.

While the Lloyd Carr era was slowly winding down in Ann Arbor, the 9-2 Wolverines still earned a spot in the Rose Bowl as Big Ten champions by virtue of a win over Iowa in late September. Texas was a touchdown favorite against a shaky Wolverines defense, although Michigan featured a strong rushing attack itself with Michael Hart leading the way.

The two teams went back and forth early on, with Young and Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards trading touchdowns. A 60-yard run from Young right after halftime gave Texas a 21-14 lead, but the Wolverines struck back with 17 straight points and eventually owned a 34-28 advantage midway through the fourth.

Young scored again to put Texas on top 35-34 with 4:56 to go, only to see Michigan hit a field goal less than two minutes later following a long kick return. Needing a comeback, Young drove the Longhorns 47 yards down the field, and Dusty Mangum hit a short field goal as time expired.

Despite going through some growing pains as a sophomore during the 2004 regular season, Young gave Texas a glimpse of what was to come the following year with 372 total yards and five touchdowns in the Rose Bowl.