This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/OhioValleyCat on 2024-07-21 05:24:16+00:00.
The expanded College Football Playoff provides more breathing room for teams to lose during the regular season but still have a shot at the National Title. In the past, avoiding any loss was critical.
The 2002 Ohio State Buckeye team had a ton of close calls on the road to the 2002 National Title, but the most dramatic was probably in a pedestrian game against a 4-5 Purdue team where Ohio State was doing nothing on offense most of the game. Down 6 to 3 with about 2 minutes left, they are driving but stall at the Purdue 50-yard line with a 3rd and 14. They pick up 13 yards to make it 4th and 1. Everyone in the universe thought the Buckeyes were going to run the short distance to try for 1st down, but QB Craig Krenzel drops back then steps up with a 37-yard touchdown pass over the shoulder of WR/DB Michael Jenkins in play that Brent Musburger dubbed the “Holy Buckeye”. The Buckeye defense would hold Purdue to sustain a 10-6 win.
Another famous stunning play I recall is during the 1980 Georgia-Florida game. The Georgia Bulldogs led most of the game but archrival Florida came back to take the lead in the 4th quarter 21-20. With the clock marching down to a little over a minute left, it looks bleak for Georgia with its offense in mired on its own 7-yard on 3rd-and-11, but QB Buck Belue escape defenders and finds WR Lindsay Scott cutting across the field for a lightning strike 93-yard touchdown pass to bring pandemonium to the Georgia fans and brought them a 26–21 win on the road to the eventual 1980 National Title.
What were some other stunning regular season plays to capture victory from the jaws of defeat that allowed a team to continue on the road to an eventual National Championship?