Until We Play Again, Let's Give Thanks for Our College Football Memories

Today, my friends, we’re going to take a break from the coronavirus and worrying about an uncertain future. Today we will look back and be grateful for what we've had.

It has been my privilege to cover a lot of wonderful football games. Some have been among the best in history. The list of five that I’m giving you today, however, are my FAVORITE games I have seen in person. There is a special memory that goes with each.

Here we go:

1—Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 (2 OT), Jan. 1, 2018 at the Rose Bowl. Moments before the College Football Playoff semifinal game I decided, for the first time in 32 years, not to sit in the press box. Instead I joined three of my college fraternity brothers in the stands of the iconic stadium. The photo above was taken just minutes after the game.

2—Texas 41, USC 38, Jan. 1, 2006, at the Rose Bowl. Was working on a hard deadline so I had to write two different stories—one with Texas winning and the other with USC winning—while the game was going on. The moment the game was over I would send the (hopefully) correct one back to the newspaper. The USC winning story was one of the best I’ve ever written but it never saw the light of day. Vince Young made sure of that.

3—Auburn 30, Alabama 20, Dec. 2, 1989: Easily the most emotion-filled football game I’ve ever attended. It was the first time Alabama had ever played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and there is no overstating how important this moment was to the Auburn people. I talked to Auburn fans who were crying as they formed the Tiger Walk for the players from Sewell Hall to Jordan-Hare. Auburn won the game and knocked No. 2 Alabama out of a shot at the national championship.

4—Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT), Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta: About two hours before the CFP national championship game I talked to someone very close to the Alabama football program. He said: “If Jalen (Hurts) struggles, you’re going to see the kid.”

Georgia led 13-0 at halftime and Nick Saban inserted freshman Tua Tagovailoa. The rest is history. I was standing in the corner near where DeVonta Smith caught the winning touchdown pass. On the field Saban was the most emotional I’ve ever seen him after a game.

5—Florida 31, Alabama 20, 2008 SEC championship game: On the field right before the game, an Alabama assistant coach told me they had a pretty good game plan for Florida’s quarterback Tim Tebow. “We’re going to show him some things he hasn’t seen before. We’ll see how long it takes him to figure it out.” Tebow started finding his rhythm late in the first half and in the fourth quarter with his team trailing 20-17, he put together two touchdown drives to give the Gators a 31-20 victory. In those drives Tebow made clutch throw after clutch throw. Florida went on to win the national championship.

HONORABLE MENTION

In no particular order:

Florida State 18, Nebraska 16, Jan. 1, 1994: Bobby Bowden wins his first national championship at the Orange Bowl.

Auburn 28, Alabama 27, Nov. 26, 2010: It was a chilly day after Thanksgiving at Bryant-Denny as Cam Newton led a 24-0 comeback to win the Iron Bowl. Auburn went on to win the national championship.

Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2OT), Jan. 3, 2003: The whole press box thought the game BCS championship game was over and Miami had won after an incomplete pass in the first overtime. But a late pass interference call by field judge Terry Porter gave Ohio State another chance. The Buckeyes won in the second overtime.

Clemson 35, Alabama 31, Jan. 9, 2017: Clemson scores with one second left in Tampa to win the national championship.

Auburn 22, Oregon, 19, Jan. 11, 2011, at Glendale, Ariz.: Watched the final five minutes on the Auburn sideline. Wes Byrum kicked a 19-yard field goal on the last play of the game for the national championship.

Florida State 34, Auburn 31, Jan. 6, 2014, at Pasadena: Again watched the last five minutes on the Auburn sidelines. This time it didn’t go well for the Tigers as Florida State scored with 13 seconds left to win the national title.

No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40, Jan. 11, 2016: Nick Saban’s onside kick in Glendale, Ariz. is how legends are made and national championships are won.

No. 1 USC 34, No. 9 Notre Dame 31, Oct. 5, 2005: Went to the Notre Dame pep rally on Friday night. Saturday was a perfect, sunny day in South Bend and USC won the game with the “Bush Push.”