5 Most Memorable Bowls in NCAA Football Odds History

Posted by Daniel Strum on Monday,December 28, 2015 11:08, EDT in

Throughout the history of college football betting, there have been some bad plays, ugly calls and forgettable moments that we wish never happened. But on the flipside, NCAAF odds bettors have witnessed a fair share of great plays, calls and game-defining moments that have elevated college football bowl games to the popularity they have today. It is these latter set of good and memorable bowl games that we will be focusing on in this article. Arbitrarily chosen based on elements such as the entertaining nature of the games, historical significance and impact the bowl games had on the programs and their fans; here are my select top 5 most memorable bowl games in college football history:

Reviewing The 5 Most Memorable Bowls in NCAA Football Odds History

The Goal Line Stand

Most of you were probably not yet born by this time, but thanks to the internet, you can always go back in time and enjoy it all like it happened today. As it turns out, Alabama’s fierce defense isn’t something that started recently, the Tide have been sporting a hard-nosed defense for as long as the school has existed, and the 1979 Sugar Bowl showed just that. In a supercharged crowd of 76,824 people at the Superdome, the No. 2 Alabama too on the No. 1 Penn State, as both teams sought to win the game for a possible national championship. The Tide, using out their solid defense, took a 7-0 lead at the half, and extended it to 14-7 with five minutes left on the game. The Nittany Lions, looking to tie the score, recovered a fumble on Alabama’s 19 and ran the ball three times, but it was stopped inches away from the end zone. Keith Jackson called for a fourth down play, and Fusina handed Guman the ball, but Alabama’s defense made an incredible goal line stand that kept the Nittany Lions from the end zone. With four munities remaining, Penn State got another chance, but Alabama’s defense stood tall once again, seeing out a famous 14-7 win for the Tide.

The “Statue Left” from the 2007 Fiesta Bowl

Who can forget the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, when the Broncos (who were considered as interlopers to the Bowl Championship Series) beat the heavily favored Oklahoma, 43-42? Well, if you don’t remember, then this is what happened. After both teams had played to an enthralling draw result in regulation time, Oklahoma scored first in overtime and looked poised to claim the victory. However, in response Boise responded by scoring and running the famous “Statue Left” play to perfection, earning them a two-point conversion that ended the game in their favor, of course to the dismay of the distraught Oklahoma fans.

The “Riddler” in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl

The 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game makes it to this list on the basis of two reasons. First, this game featured the #4 TCU Horned Frogs (12-0), champs of the Mountain West Conference, and the #6 Boise State Broncos (13-0), champions of the Western Athletic Conference. This made it the first BCS Bowl game played between two non-BCS, and also the first BCS bowl game where both teams were undefeated heading into the game. Secondly, and more interestingly, the Broncos pulled the auspicious “Riddler” trick to secure a thrillingly memorable 17-10 win.

The Kick Return in the 2013 Iron Bowl

This year’s version of the Iron Bowl didn’t provide fireworks like we’ve gotten accustomed to over the years, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’ve enjoyed some of the most spectacular games and finishes because of this rivalry between Alabama and Auburn. And of the Iron Bowl games I’ve watched, none of them stands better than the one in 2013. With the game tied, and with one second left in the fourth quarter, Alabama lined up for a field goal that would easily clinch the game for them. Everyone knew the game was over, but the Tigers apparently didn’t get the memo. Alabama kicked for the field goal, but Auburn’s defense somehow caught the field goal that failed to go out of the end zone, and then in astounding fashion, they ran it wildly through a series of potential tacklers for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown as time expired, muting Alabama’s fans and sending the deranged Auburn fans into utter ecstasy.

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Winston Leads FSU to National Title in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game

As the football gods had it, the final championship game of the BCS era was supposed to end in spectacular fashion, and FSU’s QB and Heisman winner was anointed as the man to carry day. With Florida State down by four with 79 seconds left after a series of lead changes in the fourth quarter, Winston kept his cool and guided FSU to a seven-play, 80-yard drive (on 6-of-7 passing) that culminated with a 2-yard TD pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left. As you’d expect, that touchdown sent Florida fans into delirium, as it earned them a 34-31 win over Auburn and a National title to take back home. Even more notably, the win saw the Seminoles finish their season on a perfect 14-0 record, marking a perfect year for them.