#1. Texas vs USC, 2006, Rose Bowl – Texas won 41-38, completing a perfect season for the team with their first national championship in over three decades. Star quarterback Vince Young had an exceptional performance in a crowded Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Texas, to end the Trojans' incredible 34-game victory streak--the longest active streak in D1-A at the time.
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The Longhorns, on the other hand, had a 19-game winning run (the second-longest during that season) and were the defending Rose Bowl champions. The game was incredibly close until the final 19 seconds when Young scored the game-winning touchdown after bursting through the end zone for his third running touchdown, which was made possible by a block by Justin Blalock.
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#2. Florida State vs Nebraska, 1994, Orange Bowl – Bobby Bowden of Florida State and Tom Osborne of Nebraska headed a famous showdown in the 1994 Orange Bowl. Bowden's team won 18-16 over a Cornhuskers team that was a 17.5-point underdog into the championship game. For the first few minutes, the two sides were stuck in a defensive deadlock, which was accentuated by a scoreless first quarter.
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The game stayed close until the final seconds, with the big underdog Huskers holding a tiny 16-15 advantage following a 27-yard field goal from Byron Bennett. However, the Seminoles' Heisman Trophy winner QB Charlie Ward immediately drove his team down the field. Then, with 21 seconds remaining, Scott Bently made his fourth field goal to give Florida State an 18-16 lead. Nebraska had one more chance to seal the victory, but Bennett's 45-yard field goal effort was wide left.
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#3. Georgia vs Alabama, 2018, CFP National Championships – The game went into overtime after the Bulldogs experienced a massive collapse in the second half. Alabama went scoreless for the first two quarters before outscoring Georgia 20-7 (including a 10-0 split in the fourth quarter) to force overtime. This was thanks to rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who helped fuel the comeback at halftime by tossing three touchdown passes, one of which was the game-winner.
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Nick Saban, couldn't believe it when Tagovailoa's ball flew through the air for the final touchdown. However, Jalen Hurts, the rookie quarterback's teammate, was not astonished by the youngster's performance in front of a boisterous crowd of 77,430. “He just stepped in and did his thing. He’s built for stuff like this. I’m so happy for him,” Hurts said.
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#4. Alabama vs Clemson, 2016, College Football National Championship – Clemson's Heisman contender quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 478 yards, the most in the national championship game's history. His performance contrasted sharply with that of opponent Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, who rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries and scored three touchdowns.
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Both teams were tied at halftime until Alabama head coach Nick Saban identified and exploited three flaws in Clemson's game plan in the fourth quarter. Clemson would still be able to react, giving the game its typical back-and-forth pace - five lead changes and three ties in total - that wouldn't finish until an onside kick recovery put Alabama in charge for good.
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#5. Miami vs Nebraska, 1984, Orange Bowl – Nebraska coach Tom Osborne had a chance to tie Miami in the last minute of regulation to force overtime. However, he elected to go for two, and things did not go as planned. The Hurricanes finally won 31-30, finishing off a run that saw them match the then-undefeated Cornhuskers (who annihilated the Big Eight Conference en route to the title game) as a big underdog, despite having a good 10-1 record.
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Nebraska bet everything on a late throw attempt by QB Turner Gill to RB Jeff Smith, which was intercepted by Miami's Kenny Calhoun, allowing the Hurricanes to celebrate a historic upset. For good reason, many fans believe this game to be one of the best college football national championship games ever played. With this win, the University of Miami established itself as a respectable college football program.
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