College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time

21. Nebraska Gambles, Miami Benefits (1984)

The 1980s were a time when programs could still rise to prominence outside of the conference structures that would not become critical for another decade. When Howard Schnellenberger came to Coral Gables, he took on an independent Miami team that quickly evolved from gridiron afterthought to impossible-to-ignore behemoth. Within five years, Schnellenberger claimed, Miami would be a national champion.

And so it came to pass, against a Nebraska team that was once again on the cusp of delivering Tom Osborne his long-sought first national championship. All the Cornhuskers needed was a tie to preserve the only unbeaten season and lock up their No. 1 ranking.

Down 31-17 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Huskers chipped away at the lead and looked like they had secured the necessary draw when they punched the ball into the endzone on 4th-and-8 with less than a minute remaining. All they needed to do was kick the extra point. Instead, Osborne opted to go for two and the win. Turner Gill and Jeff Smith were the heroes on the touchdown, but their two-point pass was broken up by Miami’s Kenny Calhoun in one of college football’s most exciting finishes ever.

20. The Bush Push (2005)

USC came into their 2005 rivalry showdown with Notre Dame on a 27-game winning streak. The defending BCS national champions were loaded with two Heisman winners on offense, and College Gameday made its way to South Bend to cover the October duel.

Notre Dame was sitting at No. 9 in the polls at the start of the game, and they had high hopes of upsetting the Trojans and winning back the Jeweled Shillelagh. Reggie Bush and LenDale White punched in first-quarter touchdowns, but the Fighting Irish stormed back and were ahead 21-14 at halftime.

The two teams traded the lead back and forth in the fourth quarter. Down 31-28, USC pushed downfield in the final minutes looking for one more lead change. On second and goal, one yard from the goal line, USC quarterback Matt Leinart kept the ball and tried to sneak into the endzone. Confronted by a phalanx of green jerseys, Leinart got a boost from behind when Bush added his heft and pushed his quarterback into the endzone. The win preserved USC’s undefeated run and helped secure a spot in the BCS title game against Texas.

19. Georgia Tech 222, Cumberland 0 (1916)

Before the 1916 season, Cumberland College shuttered its football program. They could not, however, get out playing Georgia Tech on the road. Rather than cancel the game and reimburse Georgia Tech $3000 for lost gate receipts, the Bulldogs cobbled together a team and headed to Atlanta.

Legendary Engineers head coach John Heisman and his squad piled on the points in the most lopsided victory in college football history. Smarting from Georgia Tech’s loss to Cumberland on the baseball diamond earlier that year, Heisman and his charges poured on the misery for their visitors.

Scoring 32 touchdowns while forcing 15 Cumberland turnovers, Georgia Tech emerged victorious in a season where they went undefeated and earned a share of the national title. Cumberland football went on a four-year hiatus after the drubbing and currently operates as a member of the NAIA.