For at least the first half of the 20the century, college football was more popular than the professional version. So when the powers met back then, the games often had a higher-than-life quality. On rare occasions, the combination of blueblood programs, high stakes, and intense media coverage has created a clash that has transcended all others. These games were presented by the media as a “game of the century”. Here’s a look at seven of those 20th century games and what made them so special.
November 1, 1935: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
What makes it special: It was the first game that the media called “The Game of the Century,” and despite being challenged in the midst of the Great Depression, demand for tickets was off the charts. Some tickets have sold for $ 50 each, and rumors of counterfeit tickets have multiplied.
The 81,018 people in attendance at Ohio Stadium in Columbus saw Notre Dame rally to win an undefeated team battle, 18-13 – the Irishman’s 18 points came in the fourth quarter. Grantland Rice, then the nation’s most famous sports journalist, wrote: “Notre Dame came out of hell to beat Ohio State 18-13 today before 81,000 and with the biggest win in football in the long and brilliant history of Les Bleus et Or. “
December 2, 1945: Army against Navy
What makes it special: At a time when both service academies were also footballing powers, the Army entered the No.1 ranked game and the No.2 Navy. World War II had ended three months earlier and President Harry S. Truman was present.
Despite a lot of patriotic fervor and the presence of the Commander-in-Chief at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, the game did not live up to the hype. The Army took a 20-0 lead after a quarter, and the Navy, although they played much better in the last three quarters, have never been able to come close. The army won, 32-13.
Grantland Rice, although he recognized the greatness of the Army, almost seemed more impressed with the Navy in defeat, writing: “While the Army has proven its greatness in vital places, the Navy has been the big surprise of the day and deserves lasting credit for showing off against a bigger, better and more experienced team.
November 3, 1966: Notre Dame v Michigan State
What makes it special: It was another clash of the nation’s top teams, in which 10 future NFL first-round picks dotted the rosters, and a total of 31 future pros took part. A TV audience of 33 million people and the East Lansing, Mich. Crowd were asking for more by the end.
With the score tied at 10, the top-ranked Notre Dame recovered the ball at her 30-yard line with 1 minute and 24 seconds to go. Irish combat coach Ara Parseghian has asked his team to throw the ball in six straight games, including a fourth conversion at the 39-yard Notre Dame line. Michigan state fans booed conservative strategy and are famous Illustrated sports College football writer Dan Jenkins wrote that Parseghian decided to “tie one up for the Gipper.”
In the Tribune in South Bend (Indiana)Michigan State defensive co-captain George Webster summed up the feelings of many when he said, “I would like to play another half, right now.” In the latest Associated Press poll of the season, Notre Dame was No.1 and Michigan State was No.2.
December 4, 1969: Texas v Arkansas
What makes it special: The game had 50 shares on TV, meaning that half of the TVs in the United States were plugged in. President Richard Nixon was in attendance, braving the cold and rain of Fayetteville, Arkansas, along with 40,000 other fans. He said beforehand that he would present a plaque to the winner proclaiming them the best team in the country, much to the chagrin of third and undefeated Penn State and its fans.
The top-ranked Texas were on an 18-game winning streak and Arkansas had won 15 in a row. The Razorbacks held a 14-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Texas rallied with 15 unanswered points to win, 15-14, and receive that plaque from the president.
As for those angry Penn State fans, well, the president seemed amused by the fury over his pre-game comments, saying with a smile that he was amused “Penn State gave me a lot of criticism. this week.”
November 5, 1971: Nebraska v Oklahoma
What makes it special: The Cornhuskers were the reigning national champions and enjoyed a 20-game winning streak, as well as the best defense in the country. Oklahoma, second in the standings, which used a heavy Wishbone offense, was on the verge of averaging an NCAA record of 472 rushing yards per game. A record 55 million viewers watched the game on ABC.
Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska, who would win the Heisman Trophy the following year, delivered the iconic play of the game in Norman, Oklahoma, smashing several tackles on a 72-yard punt return for the opener. The teams traded scores, with a late Nebraska touchdown providing the final margin of 35-31
Immediately afterwards, the competition was considered the greatest college football game played, a distinction it still holds with many historians. Wrote Dave Kindred from Louisville Courier-Journal: “They can stop playing now, they played the perfect game.”
January 6, 1987: Miami v Penn State
What makes it special: This Fiesta Bowl clash in Tempe, Ariz. Had it all: It featured the best teams in the country and it was moved to January 2 instead of its traditional slot before the Rose Bowl on January 1 to further highlight the challenges. Under the guidance of head coach Joe Paterno, Penn State had cultivated a crisp, grainy image. Meanwhile, Jimmy Johnson’s Hurricanes landed in Arizona dressed in military-style fatigues, giving this game a “good versus evil” theme to the media.
Dave Wannstedt, then first-year defensive coordinator for Miami, remembers his team being focused despite all the attention surrounding the Hurricanes outfit. “No one in Miami overreacted,” he says. “The players were preparing to win a national championship, and they knew it was going to be a battle.”
Wannstedt’s defense certainly did its job, holding Penn State at 162 yards, but seven turnovers, including five interceptions by Vinny Testaverde, doomed the favored Hurricanes, and Penn State won, 14-10, to claim the national title.
7. November 13, 1993: Florida State v Notre Dame
What makes it special: Much like the Miami-Penn State showdown in 1987, there was a “good versus evil” element that most of the media put forward. But David Haugh, who covered the match as a columnist for the Tribune in South Bend (Indiana), says the label didn’t quite match the state of Florida.
“It was hard to think of them as the bad guy because they had the friendliest, most cordial coach in the world in Bobby Bowden, who was telling jokes every round,” he recalls. Florida State also had quarterback Charlie Ward, whom Haugh remembers as charismatic and articulate.
Haugh says the animosity towards the Seminoles couldn’t even be spiked after their players visited the Notre Dame campus wearing green hats with shamrocks and golden Florida state initials.
“They loved being kind of the bad guy,” Haugh says of Florida State. “They played a bit more in there. But it seemed like they were a team that was trying hard to be hateful, but they were kinda hard to hate.
In the end, the game lived up to the hype. Ward’s attempt at a late rally failed when Shawn Wooden of Notre Dame managed a pass into the end zone, sealing a 31-24 victory for the Irish.
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