25 best college football bowl games in history

8. Ohio State vs. Arizona State, 1997 Rose Bowl

The best team in Arizona State history was moments away from a potential championship, only to be heartbroken by the Buckeyes in the 1997 Rose Bowl.

After missing a bowl for eight straight years, the Sun Devils emerged as a national title threat with an 11-0 regular season in 1996 that included a 19-0 win over defending champion Nebraska. Quarterback Jake Plummer finished third in the Heisman voting while running back Terry Battle averaged 6.5 yards per carry to power an offense that averaged over 40 points per game.

The Sun Devils would meet 10-1 Ohio State, a far more successful program historically, which was looking to snap a four-game losing streak in the Rose Bowl dating back to 1974. Ohio State let up just 10.9 points per contest to rank second in the nation, although a loss to arch rival Michigan in the season finale kept them from a likely shot at the championship.

Both defenses controlled the action, with Ohio State taking a 14-10 lead midway through the third on a 72-yard reception by Dimitrious Stanley after the Arizona State cornerback slipped. Ohio State drove to the five-yard line late in the fourth with a chance to extend the lead, but had a field goal attempt blocked to give the Sun Devils life with under five minutes to play.

Plummer led a wild comeback drive that included a fourth down conversion pass, and scrambled into the end zone from 11 yards out to put Arizona State up 17-14 with 1:40 to go. However, Ohio State would respond with a last-minute drive of its own, and Joe Germaine found David Boston from five yards out with time ticking down for a 20-17 win.

Arizona State would have finished as the only undefeated team in the nation, which likely would have been enough to hold off Florida in the AP Poll for the national title. The Sun Devils have not been back to the Rose Bowl since.