25 best college football bowl games in history

20. LSU vs. Iowa, 2005 Capital One Bowl

Only a select few games in college football history have ended on a winning Hail Mary, giving the 2005 Capital one Bowl a special place in Hawkeyes lore.

Both teams enjoyed strong regular seasons and were ranked just outside of the top ten heading into the matchup in Orlando, but all of the attention was on LSU. Prior to the game, head coach Nick Saban announced he was leaving to coach the NFL’s Miami Dolphins just one year after leading LSU to its first national title since 1958.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz also flirted with the NFL that winter before signing an infamous, lengthy extension. A win in the Capital One Bowl would secure a third straight ten-win season for the Hawkeyes, a feat not even program legend Hayden Fry could match.

The game was within one score until Iowa opened up a 24-12 advantage on a Marques Simmons touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. LSU cut the deficit to five a few minutes later, and looked to have secured a comeback victory when future No. 1 overall JaMarcus Russell found Skyler Green on a short touchdown with 46 seconds left.

Iowa appeared to have run out of time, as it could only move to the 44-yard line with the clock running down. On the last play of the game, Drew Tate passed down field for Warren Holloway, who broke away from the LSU secondary on a 56-yard, game-winning score.

Tate was named the game’s MVP with 287 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Saban was left explaining what happened to LSU’s defense on his last play as head coach of the Tigers.