The 50 Greatest Plays in College Football History (Video)

College football kicks off tomorrow, but this season is already off to a wild start. Terrelle Pryor was exiled, Miami is on life support, and that's just the beginning. Yes, college football is in a weird place right now, with a number of high-profile programs facing serious off-field issues.

But we don't follow college football to hear about tattoo parlors and Ponzi schemers and compliance officers. We follow it because, on any given Saturday (and occasionally Thursday), you can witness some of the most amazing action in sports. So, as another season starts, we preview the action on the field with a look at the 50 Greatest Plays in College Football History.

By Richard Boadu (@6Magazine) and Aaron Stern (@aarondstern) for 6 Magazine

50. It's Not Supposed to Be This Easy

Game: Washington Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats
Date: 11/12/2005

Even a successful Hail Mary doesn't usually look like this. The formula is send four tall receivers down field, and let 'em camp out under a lob. Not 70-yard strikes caught perfectly in stride. Side note: Isaiah Stanback, the QB who threw the aforementioned 70-yard in-stride dart? They converted him to wide receiver in the NFL. Really? REALLY?

49. We're All Gonna Need a Timeout

Game: Indiana Hoosiers @ Purdue Boilermakers
Date: 11/18/2006

This is exhausting just to watch. Purdue first rips off a nice little option run, only to have running back Jaycen Taylor (not Jayceon Taylor) cough up the ball after a 26-yard gain. Hoosier cornerback Tracy Porter picks up the fumble and starts off on his own nifty return. This might've made the list if Porter had simply gone down after shedding a tackler at the 30. But he didn't, and Purdue wideout Jake Standeford catches him from behind and pokes the ball into the end zone for a touchback. See? We're tired just explaining it all.

48. Bo Knows Patience?

Game: Auburn Tigers vs. Boston College Golden Eagles (Tangerine Bowl)
Date: 12/18/1982

One of the reasons you don't see Option offenses in the NFL is because they have a tendency to get players hurt. Quarterbacks, running backs—if the play involves waiting until the last second to make a pass, well, people are gonna get popped. Even more so if the pitch is high and behind the runner. No matter to Bo Jackson, a.k.a. the greatest 227 lb. ballet dancer of all time.

47. Barry Sanders Makes It Look Easy

Game: Miami Redhawks @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: 9/10/1998

We don't suggest you read the comments left on YouTube message boards; generally speaking, they'll make you feel crappy about being a human being. But joekoe97 pretty accurately summed up this kickoff return by Barry Sanders that launched his successful Heisman Trophy campaign in '88: "Looks like when someone plays NCAA 10 on Easy and makes the computer his bitch."

46. There IS Puking in Football

Game: California Golden Bears @ Maryland Terrapins
Date: 9/13/2008

Maybe it was the heat, or maybe it was having his torso completely flattened. Either way, Cal's Jahvid Best is just sick of getting tackled. Absolutely sick.

45. Michigan's Misery

Game: Appalachian State Mountaineers @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: 9/1/2007

Before the stock market crash of '08, Vegas crashed in '07 when the mighty Michigan Wolverines laid a dinosaur egg to FBS subdivision foe Appalachian State. It's supposed to work like this: upstart stays in it all game with the heavyweight, only to have said heavyweight crush their dreams with a last second field goal. Not this time. Side bar: Can you imagine the commentary if somehow dude who picked up the block fumbled the ball and UM returned it for a score? Fall on the ball, homie, fall on the ball!

44. World's Greatest Cocktail Party Crasher

Game: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Date: 11/8/1980

Ninety seconds left, and Florida's up by 1. The party in the Swamp is about to go berzerk. But then Buck Belue flees trouble in his own end zone, throws back across the field to his receiver who sprints the rest of the way for the biggest buzzkill of 1980. Then the announcer breaks his chair and yells Lindsey Scott about a million times.

43. I Meant to Do That

Game: Western Washington Vikings @ Puget Sound Loggers
Date: 10/17/1992

Western Washington's Chris Moore won an ESPY in 1992 for hauling in a pass with just about every part of his body. It's as ungraceful as a catch can get while still being a catch. But, hey, could you do that?

42. Cougar Tricks

Game: Brigham Young Cougars vs. Missouri Tigers (Holiday Bowl)
Date: 12/23/1983

Mormons are not, in fact, allowed to have two wives. Doesn't mean they're above double-dealing in a football game though. In the waning seconds of a game in which legendary BYU QB Steve Young had been sacked four times, the Cougars took advantage of Missouri's rush, executing a deft halfback pass.

41. "The Game's Gonna End on This Play!"

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Louisiana State Tigers (Capital One Bowl)
Date: 1/1/2005

LSU were the defending national champions, with a coach about to depart for the greener pastures (or so he thought) of the NFL. Iowa was, well, lil' ol' Iowa, co-Big Ten champs but relegated to a non-BCS bowl because they lost to Michigan earlier in the season. But down by 1 with a live clock reading :10 left, Drew Tate took the snap and found a streaking Warren Holloway in the slot for the game-winning touchdown. Maybe the Dolphins had second thoughts about hiring Nick Saban after seeing this epic defensive meltdown?

40. The Stanford Samuels Sandwich

Game: Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: 10/11/2003

Not sure whose idea it was to have a 157 lbs. wide receiver going over the middle, but it sure wasn't Roscoe Parrish's. We bet after Parrish left the hospital two days later, though, he said, "F you coach!"

39. The Spartan Heart Attack Special

Game: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan State Spartans
Date: 9/18/2010

The Golden Domers and the Michigan State Spartans played a game for the ages in 2010 and one of the coaches was left heartbroken. Also, one of the coaches suffered a heart attack after this game...the coach that won.

38. Eric Crouch for 95

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Missouri Tigers
Date: 9/29/2001

Every Heisman trophy winner has a Heisman moment. Eric Crouch's came in the form of a 95-yard touchdown against Big 12 rival, the Missouri Tigers. Here is the Crouching Tiger Hidden Heisman.

37. The Greatest Negative Yardage Play Ever

Game: Oklahoma Sooners @ Southern Cal Trojans
Date: 9/29/1973

The Jay-Z quote says "Men lie, women lie, numbers don't." Bullshit! These numbers will lie to your face and tell you Joe Washington lost three yards on this punt "return." Nope, this is Sooner Magic at its finest. It might as well be a 98-yard touchdown return.

36. No, Not THAT Adrian Peterson

Game: Georgia Southern Eagles vs. UMass Minutemen (I-AA National Championship)
Date: 12/18/1998

For the record, this is Adrian Peterson, the 1999 Walter Payton Award winner out of Georgia Southern and longtime Chicago Bears third string running back, not Adrian Peterson, the guy you drafted No. 1 in your fantasy league. But the AP you know doesn't have a run like this on his resume.

35. Earthquakes in Baton Rouge

Game: Auburn Tigers @ Louisiana State Tigers
Date: 10/8/1988

LSU beat Auburn, and 80,000 fans made the earth shake in Baton Rouge. Another reason football is awesome: Because no slam dunk or home run is ever going to set off a seismograph.

34. Reggie Brooks Knockout Run

Game: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: 9/2/1992

In a 1992 Michigan-Notre Dame season-opening grudge match, Fighting Irish tailback Reggie Brooks shreds the Wolverine defense and dabbles in football metaphors. After breaking about a half dozen tackles, he takes a nap in the end zone. The game ends in a tie.

33. BYU Hail Mary

Game: Southern Methodist Mustangs vs. Brigham Young Cougars (Holiday Bowl)
Date: 12/19/1980

A game between two religious-centered universities, SMU-BYU featured the heavenly talents of Eric Dickerson, Craig James, and Jim McMahon. It could have only ended in a last minute prayer. It's only right. So, clearly God is cool with the Mormons and not the Methodists.

32. The Dumas Drill

Game: Auburn Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (Hall of Fame Bowl)
Date: 1/1/1990

Back when football was still football and knocking people out on the football field was still kosher, Zack Dumas was king. Long live Zack Dumas.

31. Johnny Rodgers Return of the Century

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Oklahoma Sooners
Date: 11/25/1971

This was the Game of the Century (the fourth such game played between 1966 and 1971, incidentally) and the contest that put Nebraska football on the map. Rodgers diced the Oklahoma punt coverage team on this play, setting the tone for the Cornhuskers signature win. But we have a couple questions: First, why do some Nebraska players have stripes on their jerseys and others don't? Second, did the announcer really say "Man, woman, and child did that put 'em in the aisles"? We quit.

30. The Bayou Bluegrass Miracle

Game: Louisiana State Tigers @ Kentucky Wildcats
Date: 11/9/2002

Kentucky was so close to victory before this freak play that half the stadium didn't even see it happen. But, like a tree that falls in the forest with nobody around, if Wildcat fans just keep celebrating, will that mean that they didn't have their souls crushed?

29. Randal "Thrill" Hill and the Miami Rules

Game: Miami Hurricanes vs. Texas Longhorns (Cotton Bowl)
Date: 1/1/1991

Miami football in the early '90s was like that hot girl that knew she was hot. She could say anything she wanted and you couldn't do anything about it. This is exactly what they did to Texas in the '91 Cotton Bowl. Let Randall Hill explain it, this was not his fault. Either way, after this game taunting in college football became nostalgia because the NCAA outlawed it the next season.

28. Peter Warrick Shakes an Entire Team

Game: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: 8/28/1999

Louisiana Tech sounds like a school with shrimp boat classes and Gator Wranglin'. Certainly it doesn't sound like they'd have a football program, but they do, and in 1999 they faced the No. 1 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Immediately following the game, all 11 Louisiana Tech defensive players had their scholarships revoked, their licenses suspended, and were sent back down to 9th grad Jr. Varsity to learn how to tackle. Just watch Peter Warrick's footwork and you'll understand why.

27. Seneca Slashing

Game: Texas Tech @ Iowa State
Date: 10/12/2002

When is an 11-yard run really a 100-yard run? When you scramble back to the 30 before heading back uphill. Before he became a running, gunning NFL QB, Seneca Wallace did this for Iowa football's little brother. The run is great. The block is one part textbook, one part posterization.

26. Textbook Technique

Game: Winston Salem State Rams @ Morgan State Bears
Date: 9/20/2008

Hey Edwin Baptiste! Merriam-Webster called, they're asking to use your likeness in the dictionary next to the definition of "laying out for a ball." You just won't see a sicker catch than this.

25. Tim Tebow Jump Pass

Game: Louisiana State Tigers @ Florida Gators
Date: 10/7/2006

The two SEC foes faced off in 2006 with Florida carrying a secret weapon named Jesus Tim Tebow. With the power of Urban Meyer, Jesus Tebow blessed us all with birth of the Tebow Jump pass. A classic from the Tebow glory days. We all miss college. Tebow's really missing college.

24. The Coolest Interception Ever

Game: Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: 11/27/2010

Oklahoma State tends to get overshadowed by both its in-state siblings, the Sooners, and its Red River neighbors, the Longhorns (sometimes they get overshadowed by the Red Raiders). But for sheer Wow! Factor, none of those storied programs can compete with this. It's the G- rated, no naked women, no BET Uncut, football version of the "Tip Drill" video starring Brodrick Brown and Shaun Lewis.

23. Ike Hilliard Seminole Demolition Derby

Game: Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles
Date: 1/2/1997

Every year since 1958 Florida and Florida State have played each other. In the 1996 season they played twice, once in the regular season and again for the National Championship. Florida went to work and took the championship home. On the way, one of the greatest plays you'll ever see happened. I didn't know this, but Nike and Goodyear collaborated on Ike Hillard's shoes for the national championship game.

22. The Greatest Celebration Ever

Game: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Date: 10/27/2007

The Florida-Georgia game is also known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In 2007 the party went from the fans tailgating party outside in the parking lot to the players celebrating in the endzone after Georgia's first touchdown. Mark Richt might not ever win another game, but he'll always have this.

21. Fumblerooski

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Miami Hurricanes
Date: 1/2/1984

Though they lost the game, the Nebraska shocked Miami with this play in the 1984 Orange Bowl. It begs the question of why giving the ball to your 300-lb pulling guard didn't become a staple of everybody's playbook.

20. Joe Montana 1979 Chicken Soup Bowl Comeback

Game: Notre Dame vs. Houston (Cotton Bowl)
Date: 1/1/1979

The legend of Joe Montana began here with a 22-point comeback in the freezing cold. That roll out looks a little like a toss Joe would make to Dwight Clark a few years later. Now if he'd only stop doing those God awful Shape-Up shoe commercials.

19. Cam's Heisman Moment

Game: Louisiana State Tigers @ Auburn Tigers
Date: 10/23/2010

Amidst a pay for play scandal involving his father and threatening his eligibility Cam Newton was able to keep his focus week in and week out in the toughest conference, the SEC. Here is Cam making the Louisiana State defense look like the Popcorn State defense.

18. Bush Push

Game: Southern Cal Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Date: 10/15/2005

Technically the Bush Push was illegal and shouldn't have counted. Well...five years later this play really doesn't count as the Trojans 2005 season has been erased from the records books. Thank Reggie now, not later.

17. Hail Flutie

Game: Boston College Eagles @ Miami Hurricanes
Date: 11/23/1984

The big, bad, swaggering U. One 5'10" whippersnapper quarterback. Who you think is gonna win that fight? Down 45-41 with six seconds left, Doug Flutie scrambled and absolutely heaved the ball 60 yards to Gerard Phelan. So what if you can't see over your linemen? Throw the ball like that, good things will happen.

16. Behind the Back Catch

Game: Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Alabama Crimson Tide
Date: 9/10/2005

Alabama's Tyrone Prothro somehow hauls in this bomb just before halftime, treating the DB like his ex-girlfriend after an emotional fight - getting all up close and personal just to get what he wants, then breaking her heart all over again. A damn shame that Prothro later shattered his leg and never played again.

15. Prelude to a Legend

Game: Army Cadets @ Marshall Thundering Herd
Date: 9/6/1997

Randy Moss introduced himself to the football world with this wizardly play against Army. Say what you want about him, but Moss put the football world on its ear (and a lot of defenders on their ass). And it started right here.

14. Charles Woodson Punt Return

Game: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: 11/22/1997

Oh goodness! Actually Keith, the phrase you're looking for is "outkicking the coverage." 1991: Desmond Howard, an Ohio native destroys OSU and wins the Heisman. Six years later—deja vu—Charles Woodson, an Ohio native destroys the Buckeyes, wins Heisman and a national championship for good measure. In case you were wondering, Terrelle Pryor is from Pennsylvania. He didn't play for UM, and he never won a Heisman or a 'chip. As for the other?

13. The Ol' Nebraska Tip Drill

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Missouri Tigers
Date: 11/8/1997

There are fluke catches and heartbreaking ways to lose games – and then there's this. Missouri led unbeaten Nebraska by 7 with 12 seconds to go. Then Mizzu lost out to one-in-a-million physics (a.k.a. plain old bad luck), and Nebraska went on to win the 1997 National Championship.

12. Herschel Walker Runs Over Bill Bates

Game: Georgia Bulldogs @ Tennessee Volunteers
Date: 10/6/1980

Herschel Walker announces his presence to the world, abusing Bill Bates in the process. The best part is, if they bumped into each other on the street today and Bates did the whole "Yeah, but who has more Super Bowl rings?" thing (for the record, it's Bates 3, Walker 0), the modern-day MMA fighter Herschel Walker would literally kill Bill Bates.

11. Devin's Dash from the Blue Devils

Game: Duke Blue Devils @ Miami Hurricanes
Date: 10/8/2005

They say that speed kills, but clearly it also bewilders. Just after fielding a punt on his own 30, Devin Hester briefly gets confused about which way he's supposed to go, running for a good 10 yards toward his own end zone. Luckily for Hester and the 'Canes he gathered his wits and proceeded to torch the Blue Devils for one of the greatest runs in the U's illustrious history.

10. Where's That in the Playbook?

Game: Trinity Tigers @ Millsaps College Majors
Date: 10/27/2007

Down 24-22 with 2 seconds remaining, Trinity eschewed the typical send-5-deep and rollout Hail Mary, instead opting for your ho-hum, run-of-the-mill 15-lateral, minute-long flea flicker. There are other great multi-lateral plays in football history; none are this long, or feature this many prostrate defenders at the end.

9. Introducing the Heisman Pose

Game: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: 11/23/1991

Rivalries. Isn't that what we're here for? In the sports world it is and everyone knows about "The Game" that occurs every year November Michigan and Ohio State. In one punt return, Desmond Howard graces the world with one of the greatest plays and poses of all-time and none of the sneaker giants used it as a silhouette? C'mon son!

8. Superman!

Game: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Date: 10/15/2001

The Red River rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas is never short of thrilling moments. It's the kind of rivalry game that people make plans for months, even years, in advance. Alas, in 2001, Chris Simms didn't have nearly the same foresight. Bird? Plane? Best safety in college football history? One of the above.

7. Crabtree Catch

Game: Texas Longhorns @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Date: 11/1/2008

In one play, Michael Crabtree defied physics, stunned Texas, and made Chris Fowler crap his pants. The best part? It never went to his head. Oh, wait...

6. Vince Young the Longhorn King of Sparta

Game: Texas Longhorns vs. Southern Cal Trojans (Rose Bowl)
Date: 1/4/2006

Reggie Bush and the mighty Trojans had become as hated, feared, and envied as their mythic namesakes. But long before Vince Young got weird and sad in the NFL, he slayed mighty USC with this one epic run. And everyone living east of Interstate 5 was grateful.

5. Calvin Johnson Superman

Game: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ N.C. State Wolfpack
Date: 11/6/2004

Would you believe a freshman would make the best catch of all time? Would you believe the best wide receiver in the country went to Georgia Tech? Then you probably won't believe this play, but it's hands down the greatest catch in the past 25 years in the tri-planet area.

4. Miracle in Michigan

Game: Colorado Buffaloes @ Michigan Wolverines
Date: 9/24/1994

Before Kordell Stewart became Slash, he slashed the hearts out of the Michigan Wolverines with this 70-yard, last-second Hail Mary to win a 1994 clash at The Big House. By the way yes, that IS Rae Carruth on your screen. Hmmm, whatever happened to that guy?

3. The Play

Game: Stanford Cardinal @ California Golden Bears
Date: 11/20/1982

It's always nice to have a 12th man, even nicer to have one on the road. But a 13th, 14th...75th, 76th man (including one with a trombone)? Yeah, that might be a little too much. John Elway foreshadowed his NFL career by leading the Stanford Cardinal to what would have been a great 4th quarter comeback. But then the Cardinal had to kickoff and Cal's return team showed that, for one play at least, it had better coordination than the Stanford band.

2. Trying to Tackle Tommie

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Florida Gators (Fiesta Bowl)
Date: 1/2/1996

The top 2 3 plays of all time, both from Fiesta Bowls? Tostitos is getting their money's worth. En route to winning the 1996 National Championship, Nebraska trampled Florida and broke their will on the last play of the third quater. Tommie Frazier ripped through the Kleenex-soft defense of Steve Spurrier's Gators – and made the concept of tackling seem useless. Then again, it's not like Spurrier has ever paid much attention to details like fundamental tackling.

1. Boise State's Bag of Tricks

Game: Boise State Broncos vs. Oklahoma Sooners (Fiesta Bowl)
Date: 1/1/2007

We cheated. This list should actually be called the 51 Greatest Plays in College Football History. But are you really gonna complain about false advertising when we give you more than promised?

This is two plays, in the best college football game we've ever seen. The first is the incredible hook and ladder Boise State pulled off on 4th and 18 to tie the game in regulation. What makes this play tied for the best of all time is that BSU receiver Drisan James (No. 11), probably could've made the first down without the lateral, and passing the ball back to fellow senior Jerard Rabb (No. 1), could've been an all-time blunder.

And then there's the two-point conversion to win it in OT. That's a double shot of cojones for head coach Chris Petersen, one for going for it in the first place, and two for going with the Statue of Liberty (actually looked more like a drug transaction but they can't call it that way on TV). With one play, Boise State staked its place on the college football map and Ian Johnson became the luckiest man alive. Major bowl upset on a trick play two-point conversion? Check. Proposing to your gorgeous cheerleader girlfriend in the end zone? Check. All of your childhood dreams fulfilled at the age of 21? Check. Take a bow, Mr. Johnson.