25 best college football bowl games in history

3. Boise State vs. Oklahoma, 2007 Fiesta Bowl

Boise State pulled off the most memorable upset of the BCS-buster era with a series of trick plays to stun Oklahoma in an unforgettable 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Despite losing successful head coach Dan Hawkins the prior offseason, Boise State had its best year to date with a 12-0 record and No. 8 spot in the BCS rankings. In his first season as a NCAA head coach, Petersen put together an offense that ranked second in the nation with nearly 40 points per game.

Following a rare down year for Bob Stoops, Oklahoma bounced back in 2006 with an 11-2 mark and Big 12 title. The No. 10 Sooners suffered a controversial early loss to Oregon to knock them out of championship contention, but were still a very talented team with Adrian Peterson at running back.

While not a massive favorite, just about everyone expected Oklahoma to handle its counterparts from the WAC, who hadn’t beaten a ranked team all season. However, the Broncos shocked the world by building a 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter.

Oklahoma stormed back to take a 35-28 lead with just over a minute to go on a Quentin Cheney reception and Marcus Walker pick-six in the span of 30 seconds. Facing a 4th-and-18 with 18 seconds to go, Jared Zabransky hit Drisan James, who lateraled the ball to Jerard Rabb on a 50-yard, game-tying touchdown.

Petersen wasn’t done yet, as Boise went for two and the win in double overtime, perfectly executing a fake pass and behind-the-back handoff to Ian Johnson on a play called “Statue Left.”. Every college football fan remembers where they were watching when Johnson secured the 42-41 Boise State win and subsequently proposed to his girlfriend on the field.

The contest was one of the most significant games in the history of college football, and the Broncos remained the most successful non-AQ program for a number of years afterwards.