25 best college football bowl games in history

18. Tennessee vs. Florida State, 1999 Fiesta Bowl

The first BCS National Title Game ended up being one of the best of the era, as Tennessee held off Florida State in a dramatic upset.

Tennessee was a powerhouse in the late 1990s under head coach Phillip Fulmer, but its best chance to win the program’s first national title in over four decades came in 1998. The Volunteers finished the regular season at 12-0 with wins over highly ranked conference rivals in Florida and Georgia.

Bobby Bowden’s Florida State squad was in the national title conversation yet again with its 12th consecutive finish in the AP Poll top four. The Seminoles went 11-1 in 1998 with wins over five ranked teams and were favored by nearly a touchdown in the 1999 BCS Championship Game against the Volunteers.

After a scoreless first, Tennessee stunned the Seminoles early in the second quarter with a Tee Martin touchdown pass followed by a Dwayne Goodrich pick-six just a few seconds later. The Volunteers held Florida State’s offense at bay for much of the game, and took a 20-9 lead with 9:17 to go on a 79-yard touchdown by Peerless Price.

Florida State wasn’t done yet, as Marcus Outzen’s run made it a 23-16 game with 3:42 left. Tennessee running back Travis Henry fumbled deep in Florida State territory two minutes later to give the Seminoles a chance, but Outzen was intercepted on the next play.

The Volunteers enjoyed the win before declining in the 2000s, while Florida State would bounce back with a national championship the next season, the final of the Bowden era.