Top 10 National Championship Games

[SoxJox]

Thought I'd break out a thread for this in the wake of last night's game, which should probably should take its place somewhere on the list below.

ESPN has put out a list of what they think are the 10 best National Championship games. These types of lists always generate great debate. As a Nittany Lion, I was thrilled and heartbroken with Penn State's entries here. Shutting down Vinny Testaverde on the one hand, but then getting stopped on 4th and 1 at the goal line against the Tide

Have at it.

1. Texas 41, USC 38, BCS National Championship: Jan. 4, 2006
2. Miami 31, Nebraska 30, Orange Bowl: Jan. 2, 1984
3. Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2OT), BCS National Championship: Jan. 3, 2003
4. Penn State 14, Miami 10, Fiesta Bowl: Jan. 2, 1987
5. Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23, Sugar Bowl: Dec. 31, 1973
6. Texas 21, Notre Dame 17, Cotton Bowl: Jan. 1, 1970
7. Alabama 14, Penn State 7, Sugar Bowl: Jan. 1, 1979
8. Nebraska 24, Miami 17, Orange Bowl: Jan. 1, 1995
9. Georgia 17, Notre Dame 10, Sugar Bowl: Jan. 1, 1981
10. Florida State 34, Auburn 31, BCS National Championship: Jan. 6, 2014

 

[BigMike]

No love for FSU / Auburn 2 years back. Winning TD scored with 11 seconds to play.

Last night was a great game, but the fact it was basically decided with almost 4 minutes left when the Bama TE went up the sideline for 66 yards kinds of ruins it for me. Or at least it puts it behind games that were decided on basically the last couple of plays. If Clemson doesn't get the garbage time TD, does this still make the list as a 10 point gap?

I'm not a Canes fan, but #3 just doesn't do it for me. I didn't think it was a great game, and that ending. UGH

 

[JoePoulson]

No love for FSU / Auburn 2 years back. Winning TD scored with 11 seconds to play.

#10 on the list.

Hard to argue with their list. Agree about Monday's game as well...was entertaining, but not better than any of those ten.

 

[PaulinMyrBch]

My only thought here is I'm fine with that list provided the winner was going to be crowned National Champion. Can't really call it a title game when pre-BCS games often paired the #1 versus a lower seed that might not have been crowned national champion if they won. So if any of those games exist on that list, I'd bump them out and move the Bama/Clemson game onto the list.

Sorry but I don't have time to do that legwork today. Maybe over the weekend.

 

[luckiestman]

I have a tough time with #3 because I thought it was a robbery and I hate the Canes. Can something be an all time great game if the outcome is a lie?

 

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

The Miami-Nebraska Orange Bowl in 1984 wasn't a true national championship game, and if Texas hadn't choked in what was essentially a home game in the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day, they would likely have been the National Champions as the only undefeated team. Miami also jumped over 11-1 Auburn, who was ranked above them and won their bowl game, to be crowned as National Champions. All that said, it was an absolutely incredible game.

I'll quibble with the Miami-Penn State 1987 Fiesta Bowl as the fourth best on this list. Putting aside all of the pregame hype, that was a painfully bad game to watch. Miami turned it over 7 or 8 times (including on the Penn State goal line at the end of the game), and Penn State's offense was really bad-they had 160 yards of total offense, 75 of which came on one drive-they gained 85 yards the rest of the game. It was just not an enjoyable game to watch as a neutral observer, the way a number of those other games listed were.