2006 Rose Bowl Texas vs. USC January 4, 2006

The Heisman race that year was between three of the players from this game. Quarterbacks Matt Leinart of USC, Vince Young of Texas and running back Reggie Bush of USC. Bush ultimately won the Heisman, but Young got many votes. Quite a bit more than Leinart who had won the Heisman the year before. Both teams had identical records at 12-0 coming into the Rose Bowl which happened to be the national title game as well. For once the BCS actually got it right, but only because there weren’t any other undefeated teams to stake a claim at the title.

Almost 94,000 people attended the best college football game of the decade. Texas were the underdogs going into the game. No one could have expected this game to be a shoot out that started in favor of Texas. Running back LenDale White of USC scored the first TD in the first quarter. Texas would answer in a big way when running backs Selvin Young and Ramonce Taylor both ran for touchdowns in the second quarter. Texas also added a field goal. USC would kick a field goal to end the first half down to Texas 10-16.

The fireworks began in the second half where Vince Young who was kept quiet for the first half, exploded in the third quarter. Young ran for his first touchdown, but USC answered with two rushing touchdowns from LenDale White. USC would have a 24-23 lead to end the third quarter. The game quickly became a one sided affair to start the fourth quarter. Reggie Bush capped off a 86 yard drive with a 26 yard run to extend the Trojans lead 31-23. Texas would answer with a field goal, but USC added another touchdown by Matt Leinart who found wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett for a 22 yard strike.

USC lead 38-26 with six and a half minutes to go in the game. It appeared the Trojans were about to add another national title to their trophy case. Vince Young missed out on the Heisman, but he wasn’t going to miss out on a national title. Young led the Longhorns on a 69 yard two and a half minute drive to be within five points of USC. The Trojans went for it on fourth down on their own 44 yard line. The did not succeed and the result gave Young and the Longhorns the break they needed with just over two minutes to go and a chance to win it on the final drive.

Vince Young kept the drive alive on every play either finding the open man down the field or running out of bounds past the first down marker. It was too much for the USC defense who seemed to forget that Texas was going to let Young win the game for them on that final gallop into the endzone to clinch Texas the national title. They have and will always be replaying this game every year on ESPN Classic or any other channel that has the authorization to replay it. It had future stars showing their skills to the entire country. Two power house football programs that would not give in for one second until the game was over. Looking back at it now, Vince Young wasn’t just going for the title, but wanted to take the Heisman as well.

Fiesta Bowl Boise State vs. Oklahoma January 1, 2007

The dictionary definition of underdog is described as the following; a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict. The key word is “expected.” The Broncos of Boise State were expected to lose to the mighty Sooners of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has had a storied football history that includes Heisman trophy winners, National titles and Hall of Famers. Boise State is located in Boise, Idaho. It was as lopsided as you could get, but Boise was beginning to build a good program that could stand next to the big time programs of College Football.

Oklahoma came into this game with a record of 11-2. Boise had an undefeated record of 12-0. No one at the time thought they should be on the same field as Oklahoma. The rumbles of wanting a playoff system were beginning going into this game. All eyes were watching to see if the small school could beat a power house football program.

The Broncos quickly turned it into a shootout when QB Jared Zabransky threw touchdown passes of 49 & 32 yards to wide receiver Drisan James. Running back Ian Johnson ran for a touchdown to give them a 21-10 halftime lead over the Sooners. All the football world was stunned that they could get out to such a lead against the Sooners who had a respectable defense.

The celebrating wouldn’t last long as the Sooners came roaring back. Boise would extend the lead 28-10 to start the third quarter, but Oklahoma would score 25 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters to go up 35-28. With Boise down by a touchdown on the final drive, they went for it on fourth and long. Zabransky converted a pass to a wide open Jarard Rabb for the game tying 35 yard touchdown with 7 seconds to go.

What more could you ask for than to have them go at it in overtime. Oklahoma received first and scored on one play as Adrian Peterson ran for a 25 yard touchdown, his second of the game. Boise took their time using seven plays to score their touchdown. Rather than go for double overtime however, Boise coach Chris Peterson decided to go for it all. The two point conversion. A risky move, because if they fail to convert, Oklahoma wins and the discussion of playoff system in the future ends as well.

Boise goes for it. Zabransky takes two steps back to pass. He looks right then subtly hands the ball behind his back to running back Ian Johnson who could have just walked in the endzone for the game winning two point conversion. A very important moment and game in the history of College Football. The small schools could not be over looked anymore for BCS bowl games. The discussion grew quickly to eventually have a playoff system in place. If it does happen, they will point to this game as the reason why it happened.

AFC Championship New England vs. Indianapolis January 21, 2007

The critics were all lined up ready to ask the obvious, “Peyton, what is Belichick doing to beat you guys year in and year out?” It seemed that New England was headed for its fourth Super Bowl in six years. The Patriots were winning in all facets of the game. Tom Brady was his usual calm self in the pocket. The defense was getting pressure on Peyton Manning. Even the special teams were outplaying the Colts. At this point you didn’t want to see another Patriots Super Bowl. Not because they didn’t make them exciting, but you wanted Peyton to finally get his chance at winning the Super Bowl. Everyone did. The story as it usually goes is you have to beat your rival to get to that game. Well, he did in dramatic fashion.

Everything went the way it was supposed to for the Patriots. Three touchdowns, including an interception by Asante Samuel of Peyton Manning seemed to seal the game at halftime if you can believe it. New England lead 21-6 and all seemed lost. Now I don’t think anyone else I knew were thinking that this game still could be won. Peyton has had great comebacks before, but none of this magnitude. Peyton drove down the field scoring a touchdown to start the second half. Down 13-21. The ball came back to Peyton and he lead another drive that resulted in a score plus a two point conversion. Game tied 21-21. All signs were in favor of the Colts.

Tom Brady answered with a touchdown pass to give New England the lead again, 28-21. All hope was nearly gone in the fourth quarter when a fumble in the endzone by Indianapolis resulted a stroke of luck when Jeff Saturday, the starting center recovered the fumble for the tying touchdown. The next three possessions resulted in field goals, two by New England and one by Indianapolis. Patriots lead 34-31.

Peyton’s moment came in the Colts final possession. During the drive, he jammed his thumb on a Patriots helmet. It appeared the comeback would not be complete. We knew that wouldn’t keep him out of perhaps the most important game of his career up to that point. He taped it and began to methodically drive down the field completing pass after pass. The final play was not won by his arm, but by running back Joseph Addai for the go ahead touchdown with one minute left. New England was stunned. The celebrating could last only for so long as the Colts had to stop the Patriots from scoring, which weren’t a problem as Tom Brady was intercepted to end the game.

The Colts had finally gotten over the hump and into a Super Bowl with their franchise quarterback. They went on to beat the Bears in Super Bowl XLI 29-17. Peyton’s moment though was and will always be this decade the game before the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick had no answer for Peyton in the second half. The Patriots did not just fall over by any means, but the Colts had more determination to win it. The greatest quarterback of my generation got his big ticket on this day and will probably get another one or two before you know it.

Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh vs. Arizona February 1, 2009

We’ve all seen a great football game in our lives. They were either an offensive explosion or a defensive stalemate. It’s very rare that you get both in one game. You had the offense in Arizona and the defense in Pittsburgh going head to head. To top it off it was in the Super Bowl. What more could you ask for in a title game than to have it be both entertaining and dramatic. This game was truly one of a kind.

Pittsburgh came in with one of the league’s best defenses. Arizona had one of the league’s most explosive offenses. You figured it was going to be good from start to finish. Well, not so much in the beginning. Arizona couldn’t get anything going to start the game. Kurt Warner was playing in his third Super Bowl, first for Arizona and was on pace for his worst performance. Ben Roethlisberger was after his second ring in four seasons with Pittsburgh. Warner could only get Arizona seven points going into halftime. It could have been more had it not been for the interception to James Harrison that was returned for a TD in favor of Pittsburgh to end the half. With that Pittsburgh had a comfortable 17-7 lead.

The third quarter started with almost no scoring. Pittsburgh added another field goal to go up 20-7 heading into the fourth quarter. The fireworks started up when Arizona got a quick TD from Warner to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Down 20-14, Arizona’s defense made key stops to keep Pittsburgh’s lead by only a touchdown. With less than 4 minutes in the game, Arizona caused a safety which then gave them the ball down by only four. A slant route by Fitzgerald resulted in a 64 yard TD to give the underdog Cardinals a 23-20 lead with less than 2 minutes left in the Super Bowl.

Now the moment of this game came right after that play if you can believe it. Roethlisberger did not have a great game in his last Super Bowl, but the win is what counts. This was his time to shine. A drive of over 70 yards to win the game. It was that simple. Ben completed pass after pass, most to wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes almost broke it when he was tackled just outside Arizona’s 5 yard line to set up one of the best play/catches in Super Bowl history. Ben threw his first pass to the left side of the endzone, but it went right through Holmes’ hands. No worries, his next pass went to the right side and this time right in Holmes’ hands.

Pictured above is the moment of one of the best Super Bowl’s of all time. Yes it did have it all. A great offense against a great defense. It all came down to each team’s so called weaknesses in the end. One thing you can take out of this game is the fact that you saw great plays (Holmes & Harrison TD’s) and great players (Roethlisberger & Warner). If Arizona won, Fitzgerald no doubt would’ve been the MVP, but Holmes got the game and moment. This game would make the average football fan into a die hard by the time it’s over.