This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/2Pollaski2Furious on 2024-08-28 15:13:25+00:00.
And so we’re here. The top of the list.
And no, as hilarious as it would have been, this hasn’t been a massive seven week troll just to name some random Oregon game #1. So no, its not the time Utah hung 62 on them in Autzen. Or the time UW won 70-21 in Autzen. Or the 2012 Stanford game. Or Ohio State thrashing them so thoroughly in the 2014 championship some of their players claimed practice was harder. Or them kindasorta forgetting to tackle Michael Dyer in the 2010 title game. Or when UW won the last Pac-12 championship even though everyone thought they were better just because we had some TEENSY little problem against Arizona State. Or…
I should stop. This is long enough as it is. SO without further ado…
1: LSU TIGERS (lost to Tennessee 14-10) [2010]
LSU and Tennessee were in incredibly different positions as programs as they prepared to meet in Week 5 of the 2010 season. LSU was undefeated, having two ranked wins under their belt against North Carolina (who, in fairness, was decimated by suspensions related to a scandal) and West Virginia. Ranked #12, after the Vols they were set to face a daunting gauntlet of Florida, Auburn, and Alabama over the next month.
Tennessee, on the other hand, was still reeling from the previous season, when they had snagged highly coveted former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, who immediately set the SEC on fire with a series of controversies that led to commissioner Greg Sankey yelling at everyone to shut up, led the Vols to a 7-6 season, and then abandoned Knoxville for sunny Los Angeles and USC. The Vols tapped Derek Dooley to replace him. Dooley, the son of Georgia legend Vince, was a curious hire, having just 17-20 at Louisiana Tech before being called to Knoxville. The Vols were just 2-2, albeit both losses coming to ranked teams, but faced their own October gauntlet of LSU, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.
LSU took the ball first, and brought out their offense, a unique, interchangeable dual-quarterback system that featured the more-scramble happy Jordan Jefferson and traditional pocket passer Jarrett Lee. Jefferson took the first snap, and immediately took off, going 83 yards for a touchdown just seventeen seconds into the game. Tennessee went three and out on their first drive, placing the Tigers near midfield, but three plays later Jordan Jefferson was picked off by Janzen Jackson. But on a fourth down, Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms was sacked, turning the ball back over to LSU, who brought out Lee this time. Lee drove the Tigers to the Vol 37, but stalled out, and kicker Josh Jasper missed the 53-yarder to keep it 7-0. Simms went to work, leading the Vols down the field with the help of halfback Tauren Poole, who ended up punching it in to tie the game at the end of the first quarter.
Jefferson took the next drive and took them all the way to the Vol 31, but Deangelo Peterson fumbled on a short pass and Mailk Jackson recovered- LSU’s second turnover of the game. The game slowed down from there, with every single drive left in the half ending with a punt to take it to the locker room 7-7. Tennessee went three and out to start the second half, but Jefferson threw his second interception at the Tiger 38, putting the Vols in prime position to take the lead. Tennessee drove to the 21, but on third down Simms was sacked by Barkevious Mingo for a seven yard loss, bringing out Michael Palardy to try a 45-yarder- he missed to keep the game tied.
After an exchange of punts, LSU took to the ground, relying on Jefferson and Steven Ridley to push Tennessee back, getting to the 13 as the third quarter came to an end. Jarrett Lee came out to start the fourth, but a third down pass couldn’t connect in the end zone, leading Josh Jasper to kick a 31 yarder to give LSU a 10-7 lead. Simms responded with a third down heave that found Justin Hunter for a 37 yard pickup, then a Tauren Poole scamper for 20 down to the LSU 3, where Simms punched it in to give the Vols a 14-10 lead, and bring just a bit of anxiety into Death Valley.
Jarrett Lee came out to answer, and he provided one- a massive bomb down the field hauled in by Rueben Randle at the Tennessee 9. But on the very next play, Lee tried a fade in the end zone, but Vol corner LaMarcus Thompson had better position and picked it off for LSU’s fourth turnover of the game. Tennessee came out looking to put the game away, and Simms led the Vols on a long 9 play, 4 minute excursion into Tiger territory. Facing a 4th and 1 on the LSU 31, Dooley elected to go for it, but Tauren Poole was stuffed, giving the Tigers the ball back at their own 31, down 4, with 5:41 remaining and two timeouts.
Casually- almost too casually, LSU worked their way up the field behind Lee’s arm. Three minutes remained as they crossed midfield, and after a second down run was stymied at the Tennessee 34, LSU called its second timeout with 1:27 remaining. On 3rd and 9, Lee tried to hit Terrence Tolliver, but couldn’t connect, bringing up fourth down. LSU lined up again, but as Lee went through his presnap motions the play clock ran out- Delay of game, making it fourth and 14. Again, Lee tried to get the team lined up, but with LSU discombobulated, he had no choice but to call their final timeout, more than a few boos echoing through Death Valley at the mismanagement as coach Les Miles gathered his team to discuss their all or nothing play.
Lee dropped back, and threaded a beauty right into Tolliver’s arms at the 18 for a first down, the Cajun crowd erupting at the new life. LSU quickly lined up and hit Deangelo Peterson over the middle for another eight as the clock dipped below one minute, then quickly lined up. Now it was Tennessee who was out of sorts, and Dooley called their final timeout with 52 seconds left. Lee handed the ball to Steven Ridley for a two yard gain, stopping the clock for a first down, and then tried to hit Reuben Rondle in the endzone, drawing a pass interference flag, setting the Tigers up at the 2. Lee dropped back again on first and goal, but the play quickly fell apart and he had no choice but to chuck it out the back of the end zone.
32 seconds remained, and Miles elected to bring in Jefferson instead. Jefferson took the snap, and tried to power it to the right, but was brought down a yard short with 28 seconds left. LSU quickly gathered itself to line back up for third down but then… just kind of milled around, confused, as the clock continued to run. 20 seconds to go- and LSU began running substitutions on, allowing Tennessee to make their own substitutions as the clock hit 10. Jefferson, still trying to convey the play to his teammates, bumped into Ridley as he took his position as the clock sped past 5… and then watched with horror as the ball flew by him, bouncing 20 yards back. Jefferson ran after it, and it was all he could do to fall on it as the clock hit triple zeroes. ‘’
As the sounds of “Rocky Top” desecrated the Death Valley air, pandemonium erupted, helmets from both teams flying, some tossed in frustration, others in elation. Derek Dooley was nearly squashed between two of his players in a hug as an orange clad wave streamed onto the field in jubilant victory. Dooley and Miles shook hands as 90,000 enraged Cajuns roared their displeasure. They had seen clock management mishaps before- it came with the territory with Les Miles- but this- this was beyond the pale. LSU had ran out of time on a drive it had started with nearly six minutes and two timeouts, and couldn’t get a play off in 28 seconds. Throw a pass. Spike the ball. ANYTHING.
But they didn’t and the result was exactly what was being shown on the Home Depot sponsored scoreboard- Tennessee 14, #12 LSU 10, FINAL.
Only… why was Dooley ignoring the post game interview lady, gesturing his players back to the sideline? And what was the referee doing there with the headset on? What in the actual…
1: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (lost to LSU 16-14) [2010]
So it turns out Tennessee had twelve men on the field.
Actually, it turns out they had THIRTEEN men on the field, but apparently once you go past eleven, it doesn’t matter if its twelve or twenty, the result is the same- half the distance to the goal, and, most importantly one additional untimed down.
There’s really two heroes to this story. The first is LSU Center T-Bob Herbert. Did he know that the Vols had too many men on the field? Probably not- he was one of the LSU players who had spiked his helmet in frustration. But he knew one thing- the only way LSU 100% loses this game is if he’s holding the ball when the clock hits zero. Anything else- improbable or not- is literally out of his hands. He got the snap off, and that’s all that mattered.
The other hero is the CBS replay crew. When the penalty was announced, they cut to a still showing the players, and as the commentators counted- they only saw 11 players, leading people to wonder, just briefly, if it was the referees who had screwed this up after all. And then they put things in motion, and we all saw what unfolded in all its glory- three Volunteers run off the field, four run on, and one turns around and comes back to give the final, unlucky number.
While the LSU fans seemed locked in an internal debate over whether they should be relieved or still outraged that it had even come to this, Jefferson led …
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