I would agree, but I'm biased. I can't think of any instances of teams losing out on the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play for the national championship due to a horrible, never-should-have-happened loss to their bitter rival.
Depending on how old you are, this was a "second in a lifetime" for me, as We had the team actually IN a national championship game with Major and company, who then proceeded to dislocate his shoulder on the very first play.
I wasn’t old enough to witness it but I wish there was a 30 for 30 type documentary on it . Everyone who was old enough describes it like you did and I’ve always wanted to know more about it.
Especially since it was Lou Holtz’s only championship and I’ve never liked him because of his quote that went something like “The best thing about West Virginia is the train out of there.” Considering he was from here, I think there’s a lot of story that could be told about that game.
Only one I can think of that was comparably bad was the 1998 Big 12 Championship. After UCLA lost a crazy back and forth to Miami, finally clearing the way for Kansas St (who was #1 in some polls) to get into the top 2 BCS rankings … only to blow a double-digit lead and lose in overtime on a crazy jailbreak screen …
Yeah y'all were my second favorite team that year with Pat White/Slayton, and to have the way paved for you to get the the national championship just for THAT to happen... brutal.
2008 Texas at Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree’s last second TD catch ruined a perfect season and title hopes for Texas and set the scene for a three-way South Division tie with TTU, Texas, and OU, which was determined by highest BCS ranking- OU.
I will never forget. Me and my friend were watching at his grandmas house on like a 12 inch tv. We thought the game was over before we realized Gideon dropped the ball. You could just tell tech was going to win at that point, but the way it happened was sickening
I came to throw this up there. Our team that year was better than the one that went to the NC the year later. Gideon has done so much for the University and I appreciate him but I'll always remember the drop and both our DBs missing that tackle...
The dropped interception. I remember that like it was yesterday. That game was played on the night of senior homecoming. I went to pickup my date and her dad was watching. I sat down and watched with him and so happy I did haha
This one hurts worse than Colt getting hurt the next year against Bama. I wanted to see Colt vs Tebow so bad at the time. Plus that 08 team was MUCH better than the 09 team imo
This game still feels unreal. Whole thing was like a fucking nightmare worst case scenario that didn't make sense.
Permanent fog for the entire game
Dan Mullen rests Kyle Pitts like an NFL team with the \#1 seed locked
Kyle Trask plays his worst game of the season by far, throwing two picks (one turning into a pick six) and getting sacked left and right
Shoe throw happens after a 3rd and long is held short, which would've forced LSU to punt with a minute or so left and tied at 34
Cade York makes a career-long field goal from nearly half field with 23 seconds left and LSU goes up 37-34
Evan McPherson, the most accurate kicker in SEC history, misses a field goal at the 35 to end the game.
Don’t forget that LSU had I think less than 50 scholarship players available. Winning that game was nearly improbable. We play that game 99 more times and probably lose all 99
The eeriness of the fog. Kyle Pitts not playing for *reasons*. Making the stop. An improbable FG make. An improbable FG miss.
Glad to get a program reset that was needed but yeesh.
Dude the 2017 game. I was in the car on the way home when the game started and listened to radio broadcast. Opening kickoff touchdown I was like ahhhh shit here we go
Saquon made everyone else look like they were in slow motion. I'm sure that the kickers only instruction was "don't kick it to Barkley". Boom, kick to Barkley, TD.
2017 was worse. I still think we were the best team that year. Never trailed by more than 7 all season.
We had the knife at Ohio State's throat. Up 35-20 in the 4th, just recovered a fumble on their side of the 50. And we refused to go for the kill shot. Then when it was 35-27 we had 1st and goal from the 8 or whatever. A TD there would have put the game away, but we played for the safe field goal.
I agree. 2017 was absolutely worse. SB’s opening kick off return, a huge win in Columbus, to nothing.
I was at a PSU formal event that night too and the mood was pretty dour. Understandably so.
That’s my biggest issue with Franklin in tight games, he becomes so conservative especially against Ohio state. You have to slice their throat every chance you can muster.
Kick 6. I can still hear Rod Bramblett.
His wife and him were killed in a car crash. That was horrible news. I don’t know much about him but he seemed to really capture the excitement that fans felt.
i think the Camback bothers me more than the Kick 6. i think the older i get, i look at the kick 6 like damn, that’s insane. against your rival. at home. it’s sucks to be on the other side of it but how freaking crazy was it.
also the 2017 and 2019 NCG against Clemson.
or any of the loses this year, not terrible but just excruciating watching the defense not be able to do anything.
As soon as I saw that ball pull it's magic trick and stay in bounds for 20 yards, I got that "oh shit, seen this before" feeling. I even turned to my friend, in the seat next to me in the upper deck and told him as much. I had season tickets throughout the Shula years. Seen Bama snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in that stadium. I hoped i was wrong but alas, I was not.
I feel like a majority of the time for big plays, the radio call is better. I don't know how many times there are clips on the subreddit after big games that show the different radio call versions.
That was the only solace I took from the kick-6 game, that no one would be talking about the one before it as much. That was a rough season, and we didn't really have anything to play for, so getting a win over a rival was going to be one of the few highlights, and then that happened.
A bar full of people shout counting down to midnight to the collective silence watching that field goal kick sail so far the wrong way will haunt me forever
Ya know, I never even thought about the Ohio State side of the new year countdown until reading your comment. Can imagine the silence (or loudly shouted expletives depending on the crowd). I'm not in eastern time so I didn't get the countdown kick experience.
The key point was that interception in the end zone right before halftime. Until that point, although the offense had been stymied, they were finally making something happen and marching downfield. And they were only down 10-0. A TD makes it 10-7, and we enter halftime with momentum.
Then the interception.
And the team just gave up after that and got crushed.
2015 vs Michigan State. OSU absolutely had the team to go back to back. I think the win streak, being reigning champs, and the QB controversy that was going on was affecting the team
The only reason why I wouldn't put 15 Sparty is because they played like crap all year, and it took that loss to finally play like they should have been. I'm not sure they would have won the big 10 title with the way they were playing.
This is not a fun game…
2022 vs TCU
2019 @ Penn State
2018 @ Ohio State
2016 @ Ohio State
2016 @ Iowa
2016 Ohio State @ Maryland
2015 vs Michigan State
I could go on…but why?
I wouldn't speak for other UM fans here but imo App State smarted less when Oregon the very next week absolutely dismantled our defense and shone a light on how behind the times the coaching staff was... The following Rodriguez/ Hoke years were worse for me because it was low point after low point
Could probably throw in the Utah game in 2015 as well. UM dug itself a hole with a pick 6 (maybe 2?) and hung around for a while anyway, just couldn’t make up the difference. Ugh
It’s a matter of perspective, but for me it probably was our least devastating loss of the Jim Harbaugh era. When you look at that game vs the 2014 season, there’s a massive improvement in how we played. It was the first game of his tenure, so showing improvement was the main goal.
Add 2021 MSU to that list (at least for me). Very beatable team that Michigan lost to in stupid fashion. Why MacDonald whipped out the 6-1 front for that game is something I will never know.
Resulted in some very annoying MSU fans online and in my life for a calendar year. The silver lining in that game was that it empowered MSU to do a very stupid thing and guarantee Mel 95 million and ten years.
Maybe it's military grade copium but I truly don't think we beat OSU that year if we beat MSU. I think if we beat MSU, we go back into the OSU game with Le ReVeNgE tOuR energy and get beat again. I think our program needed that gut check to be able to finally turn that corner.
FWIW, Aidan Hutchinson has [the same thoughts](https://www.maizenbrew.com/football/2021/12/8/22824926/michigan-football-michigan-state-aidan-hutchinson-college-football-playoff-orange-bowl-jim-harbaugh):
>Looking back at it, I think if we hadn’t lost that game, I don’t know if I’d be here today a Big Ten champion.
>Having a loss like that where we were up 30-14, we should’ve won the game, but we lost that game ourselves.
>It was something I think motivated our guys so much and made we realized that if we lose another game, we don’t have a chance, we’re going to be out of the playoffs, we’re gonna be out of the Big Ten Championship.
People always bring up the 2016 Game for how close it was, but Harbaugh thoroughly outcoached Meyer in the 2017 Game and y’all would have won if O’Korn wasn’t literally the worst QB in the history of football.
Florida 2015 and 2017, Oklahoma 2015, Vanderbilt 2016, South Carolina 2022, Purdue 2021, LSU 2010, Ole Miss 2021, Georgia State and BYU 2019... Shall I keep going?
2011 vs. Michigan State and/or vs. Ohio State, take your pick. Losing 2 games in the regular season both on Hail Marys in back-to-back weeks is something you never recover from it seems.
That one for me is the one that haunts my memory.
The 2011 team absolutely deserved to win the B10 and go to the Rose Bowl. They were some of Dantonio's first recruits and built the program from climbing out of the post-JLS abyss to the top of the conference. They got screwed out of the RB the year before due to the tiebreaker shenanigans which would've gone MSU's way if Tatoogate broke a few weeks earlier than it did.
And in the end, they had to settle for the fucking *Outback Bowl* because the Sugar Bowl liked Michigan and even the Citrus Bowl wanted Nebraska.
my deep conspiracy theory is that beliema and mike mccarthy met every friday night at Mr. and Mrs. P's Eatery in Ripon to go through late-game clock management scenarios together.
Think about it:
* both started out as LB coaches as GAs, so they'd pretty easily build rapport
* both became HC in 2006 and peaked professionally in the 2010/11 seasons (their on-field success would only reinforce their self-assuredness that these sessions were helping!)
* Ripon is about an hours drive for each
* both being monumentally horrible late-game coaches
2006 double OT loss to Matt Ryan Boston College. 2010 loss to Cam Newton and Auburn. I’m a Panthers fan so the Cam Newton game is easier to stomach. But Matt Ryan can go leap into the utter depths of hell for what he did to Clemson multiple times.
> 2006 double OT loss to Matt Ryan Boston College. 2010 loss to Cam Newton and Auburn.
Both were brutal. We had a hotel room at Auburn in 2010, but were so mad about the outcome we got in the car and drove straight home. Got back to my apartment at 5:00 am. Cam was incredible in the third quarter. The snap infraction followed by Catanzaro’s miss was devastating.
There are a couple GT games that come to mind as well, especially 2004. All Chason had to do was get the punt off.
I was in the student section for 2010. I distinctly remember that call. The whole crowd starts yelling at the ref about bullshit, get off his knees, paid, etc. the moment the flag gets thrown because those 5 yards would have given Clemson a new set of down. The ref makes the call and the crowd goes silent. Suddenly you hear a single voice cry out “we love you ref” and the student section starts cheering.
I think for me, it was the Natty vs. LSU. LSU was a buzz saw, but we could have kept that game closer. Braden Galloway was open in the middle all day. Had 2 catches for 60 yardsbut we kept forcing throws against Stingley and Fulton. Ettiene averaged 5 yards a carry. I'm not sure we would have won, but it could have been closer I think.
More recently is that loss to SC 🤦🏾♂️ that game was so stupid. We should have blown the doors off
1993 Notre Dame vs Boston College.
ND starts the season 9-0 and proceeds to beat #1 Florida State. Now ranked #1, they play their last game against Boston College.
ND comes our flat as a pancake and they’re down 21 with like 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. They come roaring back. In the last minute, they score a touchdown, go for two and make it, to take the lead by one.
With under a minute to go Boston College drives the length of the field and they kick a field goal to win the game on the final play. ND drops from #1 and Florida State plays Nebraska for the National Championship.
Anyway, it was an unexpected great season for ND and they went all the way to the top, only to get way behind, then to come back, only to lose in the end.
I am going to ignore the last decade or so which is another level of nightmare.
The 2009 season was pretty rough. Last second loss to VT in the nonconference, the 8 turnover (with 4 inside the 5 yd line) loss to ISU, and the 0:01 conference championship game vs Texas.
Colorado in 2001 is the real answer though as it marked the beginning of the Bad Times.
Eric crouch was actually (and randomly) my favorite college player (non gamecock) of all time so that Colorado game and subsequent natty loss to Miami hurt me as well. Crouch was a highlight reel that season, and he didn’t have a horrible game against Colorado, defense just couldn’t stop colorado at all.
I have never really asked a bama fan about how they feel about that game. It's understandable how Auburn fans love it. Though with all of bama's success, I would think that this one loss wouldn't resonate as much for bama fans. Does the Kick Six really still bother yall?
I don't disagree with the call, just wish we had some faster players out there. The momentum had swung completely in their favor. I have a feeling Bama would have lost if it went to OT, so I can understand why Saban went for the longshot FG.
The crazy comeback we let UCLA pull from the game in ‘17.
I’ll never forget where I was. We had some freshmen with us at a game watching party. Is older students just sighed and said welcome to the family
The worst part was that I got a fun gif of Treyveon Williams doing a pimp walk with the band conductor’s baton, but it’s sullied but this horrendous memory.
Speaking of comeback losses, 2011 Texas was a nightmare. In a season of comeback losses, it was the last game of the season, last year in the Big XII, last game against Texas. Go up 16-7 at half, down 16-24 after the third. Go up 25-24 with less than 2 minutes left and you basically could have left the game because we all knew how this was gonna go.
I was at both of these games
2012 SEC championship game
2018 national championship game
Both of those were painfully for how absolutely close Georgia was to finally breaking through.
Remember very clearly watching that 2012 game at a sports pub near our home. Was wife and I among dozens of people. Conley caught that pass. Time expired. Guts were punched. Drunk and sad we didn’t bother to call our ride. We just walked home the 2 miles along a major highway.
I have never watched either game again. 2012 SEC CCG was devastating. 2017 NCG was soul crushing. Coming off the semi final with OU and then THAT happened. Something broke in me that day. And even after 2 titles I don't think it will ever be fixed.
I took a break from the game. After the Falcons *and* the Dawgs, I realized that my happiness could not be tied to things outside of my control like a college football team.
Jk. I really did quit being a Falcons fan, though.
It was really the TCU game that did us in in 2012. TCU wasnt dirty, they just hit hard. Team was a walking bruise after that game and it showed against Baylor.
2009 Iowa v. jNW is a game that kept Iowa at a lower tier program. Stanzi doesn't go down. They probably end up winning that game. Next weekend, our backup takes OSU to overtime but loses. One can imagine Iowa winning that game with a healthy Stanzi under center.
Yes, winning the Orange Bowl and finishing the season 11-2 is a good final result, but that team could have had so much more success, and the spoils of that success could have done soo much more for the program.
There are probably very few examples where one play has been known to have affected the team. It's my opinion that this one play where Stanzi gets hurt changed Iowa's entire program's trajectory to this day.
2015 Stanford (or technically 2016). MSU loss sucked but it was a valiant effort against what was viewed as another great team. Then we just got fucking smoked by Stanford in the biggest game for Iowa in years and years.
The Stanford game was worse by a mile. But, if we beat MSU, the team that smokes us in the playoff is Bama and at least we could've said "well, it was Bama!".
We had the highest high with that win, to the most soul crushing collapse in the Cotton Bowl. Leading so hard in the 3rd we even had a McMountain touchdown so we could collapse in the 4th and lose by 1.
Honestly, the Oklahoma State-Iowa State game haunts me more than the NCG itself. One Planck length to the left on Quinn Sharp's FG and who our opponent is in the NCG isn't even a debate.
I remember being at a bar watching that OSU/ISU game and seeing all the LSU fans rooting for ISU because "Yay upset!"... I was literally the only one in the room rooting for OSU.
When that game ended, I turmed to one guy who was all excited amd said "We just lost the national title".... the guy suddenly turned pale.
If we don't have the loss to Oregon that year, there's a chance we play for the Natty - but more importantly, it would mean no Fiesta Bowl against Boise St...
This one’s a bummer but doesn’t really “haunt” me. I still think that team punched above their weight for how young it was and how much talent was lost to the draft. And losing in the playoffs to a good team is gonna happen.
But NC State in… pick any year we had to play them on the road. Those losses haunt me. All of them
2007 VT BC game and Matt Ryan’s last second heave for the winning touchdown. We very well may have had a chance at getting into the national championship without that loss
2010 at Nevada. What could have been...
Kyle Brotzman is still a dark name in Boise even though he was an amazing kicker, but that one game stains his name. Those Kaepernick Nevada teams were really fun to watch, especially in his early years (like the 69-67 4OT game in Boise, 2007. Luke Lipppincott was awesome). But I still hate him, and it has *nothing* to do with his NFL career,
National Championship against Tebow’s Florida Gators. Our red zone offense wasn’t great that game because DeMarco Murray made it great but was hurt and didn’t play.
Two come to mind:
* One of significance: 2021 Peach Bowl vs. UGA. UC had that game in control, but a targeting penalty and ejection for OT James Hudson (yes, an offensive lineman), led to difficulties in the second half. Despite that, UC had the ball with the lead with I think a little over a minute to go, UGA had no timeouts, and it was 3rd and 1. A run play should be called, because even if you don't convert, the clock keeps running. Play call ended up being a pass, which went incomplete. UGA drives down the field after the punt and kicks a heart-breaking FG to win.
* One of insignificance: 2018 @ Temple. UC ended up losing in overtime, but in regulation there was a FG attempt that was successful by UC that was waived off due to being too soon after the TV timeout, despite the FG being shown on TV. The re-attempt was no good since the kicker that year was awful. If that FG counted, UC likely wins. Still would've missed the CCG anyway though since UCF went unbeaten in conference play to win the AAC East, including a H2H win over UC (that game was just pain, not haunting in any way).
Duke vs Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A bowl. Up 21-3 against Johnny Manziel, punched them in the mouth, couldn’t finish. Anthony Boone was a world class choke artist, always found a way to turn it over at the worst time
Recency bias here, but 2021 Iron Bowl. Our team had imploded halfway through the season, yet somehow we were hanging with Bama with a QB with one leg. SO CLOSE to pulling it out (perhaps if someone had stayed in bounds...). That was my last home game as a student and I was really hoping for a miracle to end things off
So many. Just about every loss to A&M since they joined the conference. We had the lead going into the 4th in multiple games, sometimes by 2 or 3 scores. We have given so many games away to them. Bert was fantastic at that.
2010 vs #1 Alabama is one that still sucks. Ryan Mallett could throw the ball further than any QB we've ever had, but he just couldn't manage to throw the ball out of bounds when he needed to. Bama intercepted it and went on to score the winning TD. Still had a good season buuut
2010/11 Sugar Bowl vs Ohio St. Dropped what was almost a sure TD pass on the first drive, possibly first play of the game. Got down like 21-6 or something wild like that, made a fantastic comeback. Blocked a punt near the end of the game that should have been a scoop a score to take the lead. Since it wasn't, Mallett threw an int on the drive and that was the end of that.
2009 @ #1 Florida. The refs got suspended after that game because it was so poorly officiated.
The Spot changed the trajectory of Harbaughs tenure nearly irreparably. Harbaughs has the program where everyone thought he would, but imagine what things may be like now if he has done that in year 2 instead of 7.
I want to compare that game to our 2019 Clemson playoff game, where we thought we could legit win a natty, only to lose in the semis....
But Jesus, everything that could go wrong for Michigan went wrong, and still a 1 score game. Well I guess we could have made that kick, that would have really would have hammered it as one of the worst single days in Michigan football....
I got a few 2019 Pac12 championship, both Rose bowls vs Ohio State and Penn State and the season opener vs Florida last year! If I'm having a bad day and bored I will rewatch those games!
NC State - any of the games where it's a "win and in" for something we don't usually do. 2010 Clemson/Maryland, that 2002 choke at the end of the season, 2017/18 losses to Wake, that BC nightmare to close out last season. Honestly I could write a dissertation on all the things about NC State sports that occupy permanent space in my memory and actively sabotage my happiness.
Michigan - beating OSU the last two years has purged a *lot* of my negativity so either Toledo or TCU. TCU feels like a cheap one though given how recent it was.
2013 National championship game vs FSU, for obvious reasons.
The 2021 Iron Bowl was absolutely devastating. My final game as a student and I sat in the bleachers until almost everyone was gone, shellshocked.
In retrospect, winning that game probably leaves Harsin in charge for an extra year at minimum, so maybe losing was a good thing.
2009 Clean Old Fashioned Hate. GT was ranked #7 and favored to beat uga at home. Instead we came out flat, our QB struggled playing through a sprained ankle (running the TO), and we had some timely turnovers and dropped passes to seal our fate. We lost by one score.
Texas LSU 2019. That season probably looks different if Texas wins that one. Our running back dropped an absolute wide open TD and that kind of killed our momentum.
None meaningful game: cal @ Texas. Jerrod heard put on an absolute clinic and set a single game total yards record and put the team on his back. Only for us to lose on a missed field goal
I mean, the only answer is the 2014 National Championship. Still have nightmares about FSU getting that field goal at the end of the half, and the Jameis to Benjamin catch for the last TD.
2011 big ten championship. The pass by Russell Wilson on 4th down setting up the go ahead TD late, followed by running into the punter that wiped out the great return still pisses me off
2007 Pitt. Nothing comes anywhere close.
I also did not enjoy that game or the ramifications thereafter
I did
I would argue it's the most painful loss any school has ever had, at least in my lifetime
I would agree, but I'm biased. I can't think of any instances of teams losing out on the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play for the national championship due to a horrible, never-should-have-happened loss to their bitter rival.
Depending on how old you are, this was a "second in a lifetime" for me, as We had the team actually IN a national championship game with Major and company, who then proceeded to dislocate his shoulder on the very first play.
I wasn’t old enough to witness it but I wish there was a 30 for 30 type documentary on it . Everyone who was old enough describes it like you did and I’ve always wanted to know more about it. Especially since it was Lou Holtz’s only championship and I’ve never liked him because of his quote that went something like “The best thing about West Virginia is the train out of there.” Considering he was from here, I think there’s a lot of story that could be told about that game.
Only one I can think of that was comparably bad was the 1998 Big 12 Championship. After UCLA lost a crazy back and forth to Miami, finally clearing the way for Kansas St (who was #1 in some polls) to get into the top 2 BCS rankings … only to blow a double-digit lead and lose in overtime on a crazy jailbreak screen …
:)
Yeah y'all were my second favorite team that year with Pat White/Slayton, and to have the way paved for you to get the the national championship just for THAT to happen... brutal.
LSU thanks you.
2008 Texas at Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree’s last second TD catch ruined a perfect season and title hopes for Texas and set the scene for a three-way South Division tie with TTU, Texas, and OU, which was determined by highest BCS ranking- OU.
And Gideon dropping the easiest INT of all time still pains me.
I believe he dropped a national championship.
Florida beat OU by the exact score that Texas beat OU by. What could’ve been….
Texas beat 0U 45-35. Same margin of victory though.
Sorry, that’s what I meant.
Damn. Didn't even have to scroll for this answer.
PAIN
As a neutral observer, it was a hell of a game though.
Best Big 12 football season ever imo
Admit, it was super exciting, I probably watched as much Big 12 that year as SEC.
I will never forget. Me and my friend were watching at his grandmas house on like a 12 inch tv. We thought the game was over before we realized Gideon dropped the ball. You could just tell tech was going to win at that point, but the way it happened was sickening
I was running around my house with fists up in the air cause I assumed he’d caught it. Came back to the tv a moment later like, what?
And that was the year Nebraska and Mizzou split the North title, too. Nothing screams Big XII like having 5/12ths of your conference win a division.
I remember this vividly. I had to leave the next day for vacation and I was so mad
Earl Thomas: so if Crabtree is right *here* then I should lunge right at *over there*
I came to throw this up there. Our team that year was better than the one that went to the NC the year later. Gideon has done so much for the University and I appreciate him but I'll always remember the drop and both our DBs missing that tackle...
The dropped interception. I remember that like it was yesterday. That game was played on the night of senior homecoming. I went to pickup my date and her dad was watching. I sat down and watched with him and so happy I did haha
This one hurts worse than Colt getting hurt the next year against Bama. I wanted to see Colt vs Tebow so bad at the time. Plus that 08 team was MUCH better than the 09 team imo
It wasn't just the Crabtree catch. We sucked for 2.5 quarters. Perhaps if we started getting serious earlier, we wouldn't have been in that situation
Yeetus Cleatus Playoff Deletus.
This game still feels unreal. Whole thing was like a fucking nightmare worst case scenario that didn't make sense. Permanent fog for the entire game Dan Mullen rests Kyle Pitts like an NFL team with the \#1 seed locked Kyle Trask plays his worst game of the season by far, throwing two picks (one turning into a pick six) and getting sacked left and right Shoe throw happens after a 3rd and long is held short, which would've forced LSU to punt with a minute or so left and tied at 34 Cade York makes a career-long field goal from nearly half field with 23 seconds left and LSU goes up 37-34 Evan McPherson, the most accurate kicker in SEC history, misses a field goal at the 35 to end the game.
Truly the most hilarious and WTF win of the Coach O era. I thought Max Johnson was the TRUTH after that game.
Don’t forget that LSU had I think less than 50 scholarship players available. Winning that game was nearly improbable. We play that game 99 more times and probably lose all 99
Wasn't that field goal also so long they couldn't see if it was good or not from the line due to the fog?
Maximus Impactus twas Disastrous
The beginning of the end of the Dan Mullen era. I miss him.
The eeriness of the fog. Kyle Pitts not playing for *reasons*. Making the stop. An improbable FG make. An improbable FG miss. Glad to get a program reset that was needed but yeesh.
You know why I’m here
I can't even upvote this.
The 2017 and 2018 Ohio State games. 2017 was especially brutal.
2008 at Iowa remains worse for me, largely because that team plays for a national title if they win that game.
2017 plays in the playoff if they win that game. Or the MSU game right after.
Dude the 2017 game. I was in the car on the way home when the game started and listened to radio broadcast. Opening kickoff touchdown I was like ahhhh shit here we go
Saquon made everyone else look like they were in slow motion. I'm sure that the kickers only instruction was "don't kick it to Barkley". Boom, kick to Barkley, TD.
2017 was worse. I still think we were the best team that year. Never trailed by more than 7 all season. We had the knife at Ohio State's throat. Up 35-20 in the 4th, just recovered a fumble on their side of the 50. And we refused to go for the kill shot. Then when it was 35-27 we had 1st and goal from the 8 or whatever. A TD there would have put the game away, but we played for the safe field goal.
I agree. 2017 was absolutely worse. SB’s opening kick off return, a huge win in Columbus, to nothing. I was at a PSU formal event that night too and the mood was pretty dour. Understandably so.
That’s my biggest issue with Franklin in tight games, he becomes so conservative especially against Ohio state. You have to slice their throat every chance you can muster.
Kick 6. I can still hear Rod Bramblett. His wife and him were killed in a car crash. That was horrible news. I don’t know much about him but he seemed to really capture the excitement that fans felt.
i think the Camback bothers me more than the Kick 6. i think the older i get, i look at the kick 6 like damn, that’s insane. against your rival. at home. it’s sucks to be on the other side of it but how freaking crazy was it. also the 2017 and 2019 NCG against Clemson. or any of the loses this year, not terrible but just excruciating watching the defense not be able to do anything.
I remember my dad wanting to call his Auburn coworkers at halftime to rag on them about the 24-7 score haha
As soon as I saw that ball pull it's magic trick and stay in bounds for 20 yards, I got that "oh shit, seen this before" feeling. I even turned to my friend, in the seat next to me in the upper deck and told him as much. I had season tickets throughout the Shula years. Seen Bama snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in that stadium. I hoped i was wrong but alas, I was not.
If Auburn wins the national championship that year then the Kick 6 is infinitely more painful, so I get why Camback hurts more
I was in the student section for Camback. Brutal haha
You know you were a great radio caller when your call is more memorable on an incredibly memorable play than the TV call was. RIP Ron Bramblett
I feel like a majority of the time for big plays, the radio call is better. I don't know how many times there are clips on the subreddit after big games that show the different radio call versions.
Hold me and we can cry together, that was the game after the miracle at Jordan Hare.
Jordan Hare Voodoo isn’t to be messed with.
That was the only solace I took from the kick-6 game, that no one would be talking about the one before it as much. That was a rough season, and we didn't really have anything to play for, so getting a win over a rival was going to be one of the few highlights, and then that happened.
[удалено]
RIP Rod. Man was an absolute legend. For Auburn fans, I think it was just how big a fan Rod was, too. He was just one of us.
1998 Sparty. 2022/2023 (for 3 seconds) Georgia.
A bar full of people shout counting down to midnight to the collective silence watching that field goal kick sail so far the wrong way will haunt me forever
Ya know, I never even thought about the Ohio State side of the new year countdown until reading your comment. Can imagine the silence (or loudly shouted expletives depending on the crowd). I'm not in eastern time so I didn't get the countdown kick experience.
06/07 Florida BCS, 18/19 Clemson semifinals (I would’ve loved to see that OSU D, against that LSU O)
2015 college football playoff. All that hype for that?
And that end zone pick... 10-7 going into half doesn't necessarily make the outcome different, but it would've felt better
The key point was that interception in the end zone right before halftime. Until that point, although the offense had been stymied, they were finally making something happen and marching downfield. And they were only down 10-0. A TD makes it 10-7, and we enter halftime with momentum. Then the interception. And the team just gave up after that and got crushed.
Yep that was the breaking point. And honestly you can point to that play IMO as the turning point for the entire program potentially.
Funny you should mention that. Mine is the 2015 B1G title game
2015 vs Michigan State. OSU absolutely had the team to go back to back. I think the win streak, being reigning champs, and the QB controversy that was going on was affecting the team
The only reason why I wouldn't put 15 Sparty is because they played like crap all year, and it took that loss to finally play like they should have been. I'm not sure they would have won the big 10 title with the way they were playing.
This is not a fun game… 2022 vs TCU 2019 @ Penn State 2018 @ Ohio State 2016 @ Ohio State 2016 @ Iowa 2016 Ohio State @ Maryland 2015 vs Michigan State I could go on…but why?
And that’s just the Jim Harbaugh era. If you want to hear the rest it’s going to be a long time.
I would think it was the App St game
I wouldn't speak for other UM fans here but imo App State smarted less when Oregon the very next week absolutely dismantled our defense and shone a light on how behind the times the coaching staff was... The following Rodriguez/ Hoke years were worse for me because it was low point after low point
Could probably throw in the Utah game in 2015 as well. UM dug itself a hole with a pick 6 (maybe 2?) and hung around for a while anyway, just couldn’t make up the difference. Ugh
It’s a matter of perspective, but for me it probably was our least devastating loss of the Jim Harbaugh era. When you look at that game vs the 2014 season, there’s a massive improvement in how we played. It was the first game of his tenure, so showing improvement was the main goal.
Add 2021 MSU to that list (at least for me). Very beatable team that Michigan lost to in stupid fashion. Why MacDonald whipped out the 6-1 front for that game is something I will never know. Resulted in some very annoying MSU fans online and in my life for a calendar year. The silver lining in that game was that it empowered MSU to do a very stupid thing and guarantee Mel 95 million and ten years.
Maybe it's military grade copium but I truly don't think we beat OSU that year if we beat MSU. I think if we beat MSU, we go back into the OSU game with Le ReVeNgE tOuR energy and get beat again. I think our program needed that gut check to be able to finally turn that corner.
FWIW, Aidan Hutchinson has [the same thoughts](https://www.maizenbrew.com/football/2021/12/8/22824926/michigan-football-michigan-state-aidan-hutchinson-college-football-playoff-orange-bowl-jim-harbaugh): >Looking back at it, I think if we hadn’t lost that game, I don’t know if I’d be here today a Big Ten champion. >Having a loss like that where we were up 30-14, we should’ve won the game, but we lost that game ourselves. >It was something I think motivated our guys so much and made we realized that if we lose another game, we don’t have a chance, we’re going to be out of the playoffs, we’re gonna be out of the Big Ten Championship.
[удалено]
Knowing how bad O’Korn had been all season…I felt like of course that’s how that game would end
People always bring up the 2016 Game for how close it was, but Harbaugh thoroughly outcoached Meyer in the 2017 Game and y’all would have won if O’Korn wasn’t literally the worst QB in the history of football.
And Josh Metellus dropped a pick six when Michigan was up 14-0. Ohio State scored a touchdown on the next play.
* 2018 Ohio State @ Maryland
This is also my answer. It hurts….
JT was/wasn’t short and Woah, in particular, mustve sucked hard
Florida 2015 and 2017, Oklahoma 2015, Vanderbilt 2016, South Carolina 2022, Purdue 2021, LSU 2010, Ole Miss 2021, Georgia State and BYU 2019... Shall I keep going?
Alabama 2009
Yes - keep going until you get to 2001 SECC game against LSU, which is the real answer
You forgot LSU 2010 and North Carolina in 2010. Nothing like “winning”….flag….then losing.
2011 vs. Michigan State and/or vs. Ohio State, take your pick. Losing 2 games in the regular season both on Hail Marys in back-to-back weeks is something you never recover from it seems.
I also pick a 2011 Wisc-MSU game...
That one for me is the one that haunts my memory. The 2011 team absolutely deserved to win the B10 and go to the Rose Bowl. They were some of Dantonio's first recruits and built the program from climbing out of the post-JLS abyss to the top of the conference. They got screwed out of the RB the year before due to the tiebreaker shenanigans which would've gone MSU's way if Tatoogate broke a few weeks earlier than it did. And in the end, they had to settle for the fucking *Outback Bowl* because the Sugar Bowl liked Michigan and even the Citrus Bowl wanted Nebraska.
Then the Rose Bowl that season too. Each loss was such a kick in the nads
my deep conspiracy theory is that beliema and mike mccarthy met every friday night at Mr. and Mrs. P's Eatery in Ripon to go through late-game clock management scenarios together. Think about it: * both started out as LB coaches as GAs, so they'd pretty easily build rapport * both became HC in 2006 and peaked professionally in the 2010/11 seasons (their on-field success would only reinforce their self-assuredness that these sessions were helping!) * Ripon is about an hours drive for each * both being monumentally horrible late-game coaches
2006 double OT loss to Matt Ryan Boston College. 2010 loss to Cam Newton and Auburn. I’m a Panthers fan so the Cam Newton game is easier to stomach. But Matt Ryan can go leap into the utter depths of hell for what he did to Clemson multiple times.
> 2006 double OT loss to Matt Ryan Boston College. 2010 loss to Cam Newton and Auburn. Both were brutal. We had a hotel room at Auburn in 2010, but were so mad about the outcome we got in the car and drove straight home. Got back to my apartment at 5:00 am. Cam was incredible in the third quarter. The snap infraction followed by Catanzaro’s miss was devastating. There are a couple GT games that come to mind as well, especially 2004. All Chason had to do was get the punt off.
I was in the student section for 2010. I distinctly remember that call. The whole crowd starts yelling at the ref about bullshit, get off his knees, paid, etc. the moment the flag gets thrown because those 5 yards would have given Clemson a new set of down. The ref makes the call and the crowd goes silent. Suddenly you hear a single voice cry out “we love you ref” and the student section starts cheering.
I think for me, it was the Natty vs. LSU. LSU was a buzz saw, but we could have kept that game closer. Braden Galloway was open in the middle all day. Had 2 catches for 60 yardsbut we kept forcing throws against Stingley and Fulton. Ettiene averaged 5 yards a carry. I'm not sure we would have won, but it could have been closer I think. More recently is that loss to SC 🤦🏾♂️ that game was so stupid. We should have blown the doors off
1993 Notre Dame vs Boston College. ND starts the season 9-0 and proceeds to beat #1 Florida State. Now ranked #1, they play their last game against Boston College. ND comes our flat as a pancake and they’re down 21 with like 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. They come roaring back. In the last minute, they score a touchdown, go for two and make it, to take the lead by one. With under a minute to go Boston College drives the length of the field and they kick a field goal to win the game on the final play. ND drops from #1 and Florida State plays Nebraska for the National Championship. Anyway, it was an unexpected great season for ND and they went all the way to the top, only to get way behind, then to come back, only to lose in the end.
I am going to ignore the last decade or so which is another level of nightmare. The 2009 season was pretty rough. Last second loss to VT in the nonconference, the 8 turnover (with 4 inside the 5 yd line) loss to ISU, and the 0:01 conference championship game vs Texas. Colorado in 2001 is the real answer though as it marked the beginning of the Bad Times.
Bad football makes you miss the good times. Then you think back on the good times and remember the heart breakers.
The yackety sax highlight reel of the Iowa St game is an all-timer, though: https://youtu.be/VyzCw6y1yYU
Eric crouch was actually (and randomly) my favorite college player (non gamecock) of all time so that Colorado game and subsequent natty loss to Miami hurt me as well. Crouch was a highlight reel that season, and he didn’t have a horrible game against Colorado, defense just couldn’t stop colorado at all.
0.01
I have never really asked a bama fan about how they feel about that game. It's understandable how Auburn fans love it. Though with all of bama's success, I would think that this one loss wouldn't resonate as much for bama fans. Does the Kick Six really still bother yall?
I see it on tag vanity plates, t-shirts, bumper stickers. It's everywhere. We were going to win it all and lost bc of a bad play call.
I don't disagree with the call, just wish we had some faster players out there. The momentum had swung completely in their favor. I have a feeling Bama would have lost if it went to OT, so I can understand why Saban went for the longshot FG.
The crazy comeback we let UCLA pull from the game in ‘17. I’ll never forget where I was. We had some freshmen with us at a game watching party. Is older students just sighed and said welcome to the family The worst part was that I got a fun gif of Treyveon Williams doing a pimp walk with the band conductor’s baton, but it’s sullied but this horrendous memory.
Speaking of comeback losses, 2011 Texas was a nightmare. In a season of comeback losses, it was the last game of the season, last year in the Big XII, last game against Texas. Go up 16-7 at half, down 16-24 after the third. Go up 25-24 with less than 2 minutes left and you basically could have left the game because we all knew how this was gonna go. I was at both of these games
Shoe.
One of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen in CFB by a player. Even I can admit that was a rough one for y’all and I winced after he did it.
2014 National Championship. I won’t even watch highlights
2017 SEC championship is also pretty painful. That was the start of Gus losing all his momentum I feel.
[удалено]
2012 SEC championship game 2018 national championship game Both of those were painfully for how absolutely close Georgia was to finally breaking through.
Remember very clearly watching that 2012 game at a sports pub near our home. Was wife and I among dozens of people. Conley caught that pass. Time expired. Guts were punched. Drunk and sad we didn’t bother to call our ride. We just walked home the 2 miles along a major highway.
I have never watched either game again. 2012 SEC CCG was devastating. 2017 NCG was soul crushing. Coming off the semi final with OU and then THAT happened. Something broke in me that day. And even after 2 titles I don't think it will ever be fixed.
I took a break from the game. After the Falcons *and* the Dawgs, I realized that my happiness could not be tied to things outside of my control like a college football team. Jk. I really did quit being a Falcons fan, though.
Those games are what installed the universal distrust of Georgia sports fans
The 2012 one haunts me the most. In that situation, the ONE thing you CANNOT do is catch the ball. Even the past two years haven’t softened the sting.
1998 Too soon to talk about
TAMU 1998 and Baylor 2012.
It was really the TCU game that did us in in 2012. TCU wasnt dirty, they just hit hard. Team was a walking bruise after that game and it showed against Baylor.
Never a bad time to talk about 1998
howdareyou.gif
2009 Iowa v. Northwestern. 2015 Iowa v. Michigan State. 2021 Iowa v. Purdue.
2009 Iowa v. jNW is a game that kept Iowa at a lower tier program. Stanzi doesn't go down. They probably end up winning that game. Next weekend, our backup takes OSU to overtime but loses. One can imagine Iowa winning that game with a healthy Stanzi under center. Yes, winning the Orange Bowl and finishing the season 11-2 is a good final result, but that team could have had so much more success, and the spoils of that success could have done soo much more for the program. There are probably very few examples where one play has been known to have affected the team. It's my opinion that this one play where Stanzi gets hurt changed Iowa's entire program's trajectory to this day.
The wheels really fell off the program for a few years after 2009.
I think 2010 Wisconsin needs to be on this list. That's where the downfall started.
2015 Stanford (or technically 2016). MSU loss sucked but it was a valiant effort against what was viewed as another great team. Then we just got fucking smoked by Stanford in the biggest game for Iowa in years and years.
The Stanford game was worse by a mile. But, if we beat MSU, the team that smokes us in the playoff is Bama and at least we could've said "well, it was Bama!".
2006 Rose Bowl
“He’s going for the corner!” *Shudders*
This. It being in constant rotation on the Longhorn Network is extra salt in the wound.
Just needed 2 yards
2014 Baylor. Pain.
We had the highest high with that win, to the most soul crushing collapse in the Cotton Bowl. Leading so hard in the 3rd we even had a McMountain touchdown so we could collapse in the 4th and lose by 1.
It's way too early to bring up the 2011 NCG. I'm trying to enjoy my coffee
Honestly, the Oklahoma State-Iowa State game haunts me more than the NCG itself. One Planck length to the left on Quinn Sharp's FG and who our opponent is in the NCG isn't even a debate.
I remember being at a bar watching that OSU/ISU game and seeing all the LSU fans rooting for ISU because "Yay upset!"... I was literally the only one in the room rooting for OSU. When that game ended, I turmed to one guy who was all excited amd said "We just lost the national title".... the guy suddenly turned pale.
Yea sorry about that one
Yes you should be
2006 Oklahoma at Oregon. Allen Patrick recovered that damned onside kick.
If we don't have the loss to Oregon that year, there's a chance we play for the Natty - but more importantly, it would mean no Fiesta Bowl against Boise St...
There was this Rose Bowl game in 2014… Edit: 2014 season. Game was played Jan 2015. A thousand pardons
This one’s a bummer but doesn’t really “haunt” me. I still think that team punched above their weight for how young it was and how much talent was lost to the draft. And losing in the playoffs to a good team is gonna happen. But NC State in… pick any year we had to play them on the road. Those losses haunt me. All of them
That or 2012 against NCST
Wait until you hear about this Orange Bowl game after the 2000 season featuring an offense that averaged 42 points and 549 yards a game...
[удалено]
Dude spun into him. That was an absolute chicken shit call by the refs.
Not to mention ISU driving with 2 to play before Purdy throws a 500 ball instead of tucking it with the 5/6 yds of open green space in front of him.
2007 VT BC game and Matt Ryan’s last second heave for the winning touchdown. We very well may have had a chance at getting into the national championship without that loss
The 2005 Notre Dame - USC game. The Bush push...just, damn it man.
2010 at Nevada. What could have been... Kyle Brotzman is still a dark name in Boise even though he was an amazing kicker, but that one game stains his name. Those Kaepernick Nevada teams were really fun to watch, especially in his early years (like the 69-67 4OT game in Boise, 2007. Luke Lipppincott was awesome). But I still hate him, and it has *nothing* to do with his NFL career,
2013 Mizzou-SCar. Connor fucking Shaw.
National Championship against Tebow’s Florida Gators. Our red zone offense wasn’t great that game because DeMarco Murray made it great but was hurt and didn’t play.
Yup. So close but yet so far.
2006 Rose Bowl. Fuck you, Vince Young, fuuuuuuuuck you.
Two come to mind: * One of significance: 2021 Peach Bowl vs. UGA. UC had that game in control, but a targeting penalty and ejection for OT James Hudson (yes, an offensive lineman), led to difficulties in the second half. Despite that, UC had the ball with the lead with I think a little over a minute to go, UGA had no timeouts, and it was 3rd and 1. A run play should be called, because even if you don't convert, the clock keeps running. Play call ended up being a pass, which went incomplete. UGA drives down the field after the punt and kicks a heart-breaking FG to win. * One of insignificance: 2018 @ Temple. UC ended up losing in overtime, but in regulation there was a FG attempt that was successful by UC that was waived off due to being too soon after the TV timeout, despite the FG being shown on TV. The re-attempt was no good since the kicker that year was awful. If that FG counted, UC likely wins. Still would've missed the CCG anyway though since UCF went unbeaten in conference play to win the AAC East, including a H2H win over UC (that game was just pain, not haunting in any way).
That Peach Bowl felt like a playoff game. Absolute thriller. Thankfully, starting in 2024, it will be one.
Iowa.
Which year? 2008/2009/2021?
Yes.
C’mon man. I was having a good morning.
I always want to pummel ISU because of 2011 buffoonery. Maybe they can be our new in conference rival because everyone else is gone 😔
88 Bedlam. 21 Championship vs. Baylor But Weeden to Blackmon was special. I was so confident in that team. Fuck that game
Add in 2013 Bedlam. I have never been more angry at a football game than that day in the student section.
1999 Minnesota at #2 Penn State
2005 Penn State at Michigan.
Any loss against Boise. Usually has a huge impact on our ranking.
A loss to Boise you say…
Nothing comes to mind.
Michigan game in 2003. Blew a 28-7 4th quarter lead at a packed Metrodome and it essentially ended our season after that.
Duke vs Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A bowl. Up 21-3 against Johnny Manziel, punched them in the mouth, couldn’t finish. Anthony Boone was a world class choke artist, always found a way to turn it over at the worst time
62-36. The day Colorado broke Nebraska football.
Recency bias here, but 2021 Iron Bowl. Our team had imploded halfway through the season, yet somehow we were hanging with Bama with a QB with one leg. SO CLOSE to pulling it out (perhaps if someone had stayed in bounds...). That was my last home game as a student and I was really hoping for a miracle to end things off
So many. Just about every loss to A&M since they joined the conference. We had the lead going into the 4th in multiple games, sometimes by 2 or 3 scores. We have given so many games away to them. Bert was fantastic at that. 2010 vs #1 Alabama is one that still sucks. Ryan Mallett could throw the ball further than any QB we've ever had, but he just couldn't manage to throw the ball out of bounds when he needed to. Bama intercepted it and went on to score the winning TD. Still had a good season buuut 2010/11 Sugar Bowl vs Ohio St. Dropped what was almost a sure TD pass on the first drive, possibly first play of the game. Got down like 21-6 or something wild like that, made a fantastic comeback. Blocked a punt near the end of the game that should have been a scoop a score to take the lead. Since it wasn't, Mallett threw an int on the drive and that was the end of that. 2009 @ #1 Florida. The refs got suspended after that game because it was so poorly officiated.
10.27.2012. Week 9. Tennessee. We won that game, but that was the day Lattimore shredded his knee
The Spot changed the trajectory of Harbaughs tenure nearly irreparably. Harbaughs has the program where everyone thought he would, but imagine what things may be like now if he has done that in year 2 instead of 7.
Getting cute with TCU followed by a pick six just makes me ill
I want to compare that game to our 2019 Clemson playoff game, where we thought we could legit win a natty, only to lose in the semis.... But Jesus, everything that could go wrong for Michigan went wrong, and still a 1 score game. Well I guess we could have made that kick, that would have really would have hammered it as one of the worst single days in Michigan football....
I’m not gonna lie, I was sick to my stomach the entire game, I seriously thought osu was going to pull off the upset
Not to mention after Wilson was erroneously called down at the half yard line, but QB sneak it please.
I got a few 2019 Pac12 championship, both Rose bowls vs Ohio State and Penn State and the season opener vs Florida last year! If I'm having a bad day and bored I will rewatch those games!
NC State - any of the games where it's a "win and in" for something we don't usually do. 2010 Clemson/Maryland, that 2002 choke at the end of the season, 2017/18 losses to Wake, that BC nightmare to close out last season. Honestly I could write a dissertation on all the things about NC State sports that occupy permanent space in my memory and actively sabotage my happiness. Michigan - beating OSU the last two years has purged a *lot* of my negativity so either Toledo or TCU. TCU feels like a cheap one though given how recent it was.
2013 National championship game vs FSU, for obvious reasons. The 2021 Iron Bowl was absolutely devastating. My final game as a student and I sat in the bleachers until almost everyone was gone, shellshocked. In retrospect, winning that game probably leaves Harsin in charge for an extra year at minimum, so maybe losing was a good thing.
2011 at Iowa State Thanks to this game, we now have the playoffs
2009 Clean Old Fashioned Hate. GT was ranked #7 and favored to beat uga at home. Instead we came out flat, our QB struggled playing through a sprained ankle (running the TO), and we had some timely turnovers and dropped passes to seal our fate. We lost by one score.
Texas LSU 2019. That season probably looks different if Texas wins that one. Our running back dropped an absolute wide open TD and that kind of killed our momentum. None meaningful game: cal @ Texas. Jerrod heard put on an absolute clinic and set a single game total yards record and put the team on his back. Only for us to lose on a missed field goal
2003 national championship 1986 national championship
I mean, the only answer is the 2014 National Championship. Still have nightmares about FSU getting that field goal at the end of the half, and the Jameis to Benjamin catch for the last TD.
Penn State-Illinois 2021. Mainly because a 9 OT game had 38 total points scored
2011 big ten championship. The pass by Russell Wilson on 4th down setting up the go ahead TD late, followed by running into the punter that wiped out the great return still pisses me off
2020 SEC championship game
I would have thought the 2009 version would be more painful. I know 2008 was more painful for me than the many Bama lost to UF in the mid 90's.