10 most important college football passes of the 21st century

No sport has undergone more changes in the 21st century than college football. Of course, NIL is having the most significant impact, and it goes hand in hand with the changes to the transfer portal, which allows star players to change teams at will. However, we’d argue the biggest change comes in how we decide who our champion is. Going from the BCS to the four-team College Football Playoff, to now expanding to a 12-team Playoff, we have more big NCAA games than ever. Instead of one game to choose our champ, we now have 11 games in a tournament style to pick our winner. 

Within these changes is a chance for the best quarterbacks in the league to make more moments. NCAA Football is as popular as it is because of these moments. It’s the dominance by passers and pass catchers that is seared into the minds of fans. 

People still talk about the greatness of Johnny Manziel in Texas or the dominance of Marcus Mariota in Oregon. These legends don’t run dry just because their NFL career didn’t work out, and they have a few plays that specifically stick in our brains. We went through the thousands of passes that happen every year in college football, and found the 10 most important this century. 

10. September 18, 2010
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame
Aaron Bates to Charlie Gantt

Ironically, we’re not starting this list with a quarterback. This was actually a punter who threw the pass known today as the “Little Giants” play. Michigan State was down by three in overtime and preparing to kick a 46-yard field goal to potentially tie the game. It was a reasonable play call. Play it safe and hope the kicker comes through.

But that wasn’t Mark Dantonio’s way. Michigan State was hoping to finally make noise in the Big Ten after years of ineptitude. Coming off a 6-7 season, nobody expected much of the Spartans in 2010. Then, they threw one pass that put them on the map.

Punter and field goal holder Aaron Bates took the snap, rolled out, and found senior tight end Charlie Gantt wide open to score the walkoff touchdown. It was an “all-in” moment for a team that needed a big win. 

Michigan State went on to win 11 games that season, ranking as high as fifth in the nation. A midseason loss to Iowa kept them out of the Big Ten title game, but this was their introduction to the big time. The Spartans would win double-digit games in five of six seasons from 2010 to 2015. If they don’t go for the fake field goal, who knows how the next six years go. 

9. Novembr 7, 2015
Arkansas vs. Ole Miss
Brandon Allen to Hunter Henry... to Alex Collins

The Arkansas Razorbacks aren’t often considered one of the top teams in the country, but once in a while, they will have a team that plays a great spoiler. That’s exactly how one can describe the 2015 Razorbacks. That team played some of the most insane games you’ve ever seen. Still, the most insane game was a back-and-forth affair against Ole Miss. 

And the reason it was insane comes down to one play. Somehow, Arkansas’s mistakes in overtime had them facing a 4th-and-25. They needed a first down to stay in the game. Quarterback Brandon Allen had all three of his receivers running go routes, but the Rebels were ready for that. So, Allen went to his tight end Hunter Henry. He was 11 yards away from the sticks, and he was about to be tackled, so he threw his own prayer. 

Henry just threw the ball backwards, and Alex Collins saw it bounce in front of him. He picked it up and ran the other way, with no Ole Miss player near him until he already had the first down. Arkansas would later score a touchdown, and because they were playing with house money, they went for the two-point conversion. Allen dove into the endzone for the walkoff win.

The next week, Arkansas beat the bricks off of LSU, ending their title hopes. Ole Miss finished the season with wins against three consecutive ranked opponents. They beat Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl, but they could have had so much more if they just had someone covering the back end during Hunter Henry’s lateral.

8. November 16, 2013
Auburn vs. Georgia
Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis

There are dozens of amazing Hail Mary passes that it’s hard to choose which ones end up on this list. We tried to find the ones that had the biggest impact and were most impressive. We also love a good nickname, and the “Prayer at Jordan-Hare” is up there with the greatest nicknames of all time. 

Down 38–37 against the No. 25-ranked Bulldogs with 36 seconds remaining in the game, Auburn was sitting on the 27-yard line, facing a 4th-and-18. They could have just gone for the 20-yard play to stay alive, but quarterback Nick Marshall decided to go for it all. He threw it up towards Ricardo Louis, but the pass was short. It went right to Georgia safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, who tipped it backwards. The ball fell right into Louis’s mitts. 

Is this a traditional “great” pass? No, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Auburn needed this play badly, and Georgia was looking to get a signature win. The Tigers came out the victors, and the biggest game of the season was the next week. 

Guess what happened the next week? The greatest play in recent college football history. The Kick Six. That play matters a helluva lot less if Marshall threw an interception instead of a touchdown at the end of the Georgia game. Auburn went on to play in the BCS National Championship, losing to Florida State. Would Alabama have beaten the Seminoles? We’ll never know because Louis kept running and caught the touchdown against Georgia. 

7. November 9, 2002
LSU vs. Kentucky
Marcus Randall to Devery Henderson

Going back to the days when Nick Saban was strolling the LSU sideline, the Bluegrass Miracle was a play very similar to the Prayer in Jordan-Hare. Kentucky fans were ready to storm the field after beating the Tigers, but it wasn’t meant to be. Standing on his own 18-yard line with no time left on the clock, quarterback Marcus Randall put everything he had into a pass. He got the ball to around his opponent’s 25-yard line, way short of the touchdown needed to win the game. 

Luckily for him, he got a little help from the defense. The ball was tipped and landed in the hands of Devery Henderson. He had one man to beat and dodged an attempt at his ankles, waltzing into the endzone for the score.

The aftermath added to the insanity here. Fans were already on the field. The Kentucky head coach Guy Morriss was covered in Gatorade after his team thought victory was certain. Fans actually touched Henderson after the play. Luckily, it didn't lead to anything too insane.

This wasn’t the big year for LSU. They actually lost their next game to Alabama 31-0. However, this play sparked something that would turn into good things for the Tigers. Saban led them to the Sugar Bowl the next season, and with the win, a claim to the BCS National Championship. Does that happen without the Bluegrass Miracle? Possibly, but we’ll never know for sure.

6. October 27, 2001
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma
Mike Stuntz to Eric Crouch

Eric Crouch is one of those players who has been lost in history. A few things really impacted his legacy. He had a bizarre stint in the NFL, which included playing wide receiver, kick returner, and free safety. While that has hurt his college legacy, what’s really pushing him towards obscurity is how bad Nebraska has been. However, at the start of the new millennium, it appeared Nebraska was set to be one of the powerhouses of college football. 

Crouch won the Heisman Trophy after the 2001-02 season, and the signature play of that season is known as Black 41 Flash Reverse. It’s a fourth-quarter play between Nebraska and Oklahoma, old rivals that had a must-see game every year. Nebraska was trying to put away the Sooners, and their star quarterback put together one of the best trick plays of the BCS era.

Oh, did we mention that Crouch was the receiver on this play? It was the Philly Special before the Philly Special was created. It was a double reverse pass with Crouch racing down the sidelines all alone. Nebraska completely shocked Oklahoma because they lined up in this formation twice at that point in the game, and both times it was a normal reverse. That’s why Crouch was as wide open as he was. 

The game was number one versus number two in the nation, so everything was on the line. That play sealed it for the Cornhuskers, who jumped to number one while Oklahoma only fell to No. 2. Oklahoma was trying to win back-to-back National Titles, but Crouch had other plans. Nebraska made it to the National Championship where they lost to Miami.

5. January 6, 2014
Florida State vs. Auburn
Jameis Winston to Kelvin Benjamin

The Auburn Tigers had so much magic in their 2013-14 season, it had to end with some magic in the BCS National Championship Game. Unfortunately for them, they were on the wrong side of the magic this time. After the Prayer at Jordan-Hare and the Kick Six, they lost to what’s simply known as “Jameis to Kelvin Benjamin.”

There is no fancy nickname for this pass. It’s just Jameis Winston, standing on the two-yard line with 17 seconds left and his Seminoles down by four. He takes the snap on first-and-goal, throws the ball right in the middle of the field, and Kelvin Benjamin comes down with it. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. 

Benjamin stood at 6’5 and weighed as much as some linebackers. Winston knew he just had to get the ball high, and he would come down with it. Winston put it where the Tigers' defenders couldn’t get to it, and Benjamin went up to get it. 

There aren’t many plays that directly decide a College Football Championship, but this one is definitely on the list. After the extra point, Auburn only had 13 seconds left to spare, and like we said, there was no magic left that season. 

4. November 1, 2008
Texas Tech vs. Texas
Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree

One thing that has been different in the 21st century that didn’t always come up in the 20th century is the star power that came from lesser programs seemingly out of nowhere. Of course, there’s always been Cinderella stories, but there are pure legends that come from big seasons, big games, or even just one big play. Michael Crabtree had a ton of great plays during the 2008 season, and he earned a spot as a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, but it was one play that stands out in the minds of Red Raiders fans forever.

Texas has largely dominated the rivalry, winning 52 of 69 contests as of 2025. The Battle For The Chancellor's Spurs as it’s known ended when Texas ran off to the SEC, but it left behind memories. The biggest is the pass to Crabtree. The Red Raiders were down by one on the Texas 28-yard line with eight seconds left to play. Graham Harrell threw to Crabtree on the sidelines, and everyone expected him to go right out of bounds to set up for a field goal. Crabtree wanted to win the game himself.

Crabtree's catch had a major impact on the rest of the college football season. The Red Raiders rose to second in the BCS rankings. Beating the number-one team in the country will do that. Texas Tech would lose to Oklahoma later that season, and Texas would beat the rival Sooners. That led to a controversial end to the Big 12, as Oklahoma would go on to represent the Big 12 in their conference title game based on the fifth tiebreaker at the time, which was ranking in the BCS poll. Oklahoma would beat Missouri in the Big 12 Championship and faced Florida in the BCS Championship Game.

If Crabtree doesn’t run into the end zone and if the Red Raiders fail to make that field goal, Texas is going to the National Championship Game. They might win that game, changing the legacy of that Urban Meyer Florida team. Would this also have impacted Tim Tebow’s legacy in college football? Would they have built a dynasty? These are the questions coming out of Michael Crabtree’s huge catch.

3. November 10, 2012
Texas A&M vs. Alabama
Johnny Manziel to Ryan Swope

Third and goal from the 10, with eight minutes left in the first quarter doesn’t sound like a moment that should be in the top five of anything, but you had to be there to experience Johnny Manziel. Texas A&M just joined the big boys in the SEC, and they were going head-to-head with the biggest among them. Alabama was looking to run the table as the No. 1 team in the country, but Manziel and the Aggies punched them in the mouth right off the bat. 

Manziel and the Aggies dropped 20 points in the first quarter against the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban’s squad was in utter shock as this new opponent with a rookie QB was putting their feet to the fire. This play was so incredible, it showed the skill Manziel had and why they couldn’t deal with what the new SEC had to offer. 

This is what starting Johnny Football. Money Manziel was created on this day. It was this play that had people starting to pay attention. Manziel had a few other amazing plays this game, but it was this play that sealed it that this was a star in the making. It led to his Heisman Trophy. He was the first freshman ever to win the top college award.

As for the championship that season, Alabama clawed its way back into the championship game, taking on undefeated Notre Dame with everything on the line. It also set the stage for next year’s Alabama-Texas A&M matchup, which was just as good as 2012’s. Manziel versus Alabama became the must-see game of the season while he was in college. 

2. October 7, 2006
Florida vs. LSU
Tim Tebow to Tate Casey

We just spoke about the play that created Johnny Football’s legacy, but many would argue Tim Tebow left the best legacy in the history of college football. He is still one of the most popular athletes in the world despite flaming out in the NFL. He was declared the face of college football for years. His moment to stamp his name on the county actually came as he was the backup, but it occurred on the road to the National Championship Game for Florida. 

Tebow was a freshman when Florida was led by Chris Leak to the title. He would come in for quarterback rushing plays, which explains the reaction of the defense to what is now known as the jump pass. The game was tied at seven between the Gators and the ninth-ranked LSU Tigers. Tebow acted like he was going to rush up the middle, but then he jumped.

As you can see, Tebow hesitated while in the air, almost turning this play into a disaster. If he didn’t get the pass off, there was no way he was running into the end zone, and the half would end tied. Would that have ruined the Gators’ momentum, hurting their chances to win this game and eventually make it to the National Championship? Luckily, Tate Casey got himself off the line, and he caught the wide-open pass in the end zone.

LSU fumbled the second-half kickoff into the end zone, causing a safety to go the other way. Is there a different mindset going into that where it doesn’t feel like the sky is falling? LSU never recovered. Florida actually lost the next week, but they won every other game that season, eventually beating Ohio State in the National Championship.

1. January 8, 2018
Alabama vs. Georgia
Tua Tagovailoa to DeVonta Smith

The walk-off home run in baseball, an overtime goal in hockey, and a buzzer-beater in basketball are some of the iconic plays in sports. It’s these moments where you hold your breath and time seems to move almost to a standstill. Everything gets quiet, and we all can hear a pin drop and our own hearts beating. Those plays are rare in football, but one example was the 2018 National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Tua Tagovailoa was just sacked, leaving his team facing 2nd and 26 while down three points in overtime. Most would think it’s time to get back some of those yards, kick a field goal, and live to fight in double overtime. That wasn’t this version of the Tide. Instead, they bounced back with the best pass of this century. 

Alabama almost didn’t get here. They lost the Iron Bowl, giving them just a co-division champ status, and it kept them out of the SEC Championship Game. They needed the voters to keep them in the four spot despite ending their regular season on a loss. 

The Tide got into the playoff, and they proved themselves as the best team in college football. They did it with just a beautiful pass from Tua Tagovailoa, possibly the best college quarterback of our generation, and DeVonta Smith, possibly the most talented wide receiver we’ve ever seen. 

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