Whoa, Nellie!

We want to highlight some of the most remarkable finishes we've seen thus far.  And it's only been two weeks!  This is why we love College Football:

TCU at Baylor - Week 1

From the outrageous passing attack of RGIII, to his clutch reception on a trick play that kept alive a Baylor scoring drive to reclaim the lead, to the outstanding leadership of TCU quarterback Pachall - leading his team in an epic 24-point comeback, only to fall short - this game was a thriller.  It's games like this that make us appreciate the sport.  Baylor gets a huge win over ranked TCU, and first-time starter Pachall shines in a bitter defeat.  TCU erased a 24 point lead to go up by one point, with three TD's, two 2-point conversions, then a field goal.  Baylor moved the ball down the field to reclaim the lead by 2, and a TCU interception in the last minute of the game sealed this 50-48 shocker.

Utah State at Auburn - Week 1

What would life be like for Auburn without Cam Newton?  For a good 58 minutes of play, the Utah State Aggies had a very dark answer to that question.  The Aggies held a 38 to 28 lead with 2:08 remaining in the fourth quarter when Auburn punched in a 15 yard TD pass to inch within 3 of the lead.  Auburn fans bowed their heads and folded their hands and then… the Tigers recovered the onside kick, and drove the ball down the field to take the lead.  They held on to win 42-38, but the method of victory was too dangerous for most Tiger fans, who hope for a more solid performance the rest of the year.              

Missouri at Arizona State - Week 2

It looked like the Sun Devils had put this one away when they went up 30-16 in the fourth quarter.  They had moved the ball on the Tigers all night, and it didn't look like things were about to change.  But sophomore quarterback James Franklin of Missouri stepped up.  His exceptional play, combined with over 100 penalty yards given up by the Sun Devils, led to two scoring drives to tie the game at 30.  With 3 minutes left to play, Franklin moved the ball yet again and put the Tigers within 48 yards of putting 3 points on the board to take the lead for the first time in the game.  But questionable coaching decisions by Gary Pinkel led a nervous Grant Ressel to miss the potential game-winner after being iced twice.  This forced overtime, and the Sun Devils took charge, winning 37-30. 

Mississippi State at Auburn - Week 2

The Tigers were in for a close one again, but at least they were up the whole way this time.  The upstart Bulldogs kept it close, responding every time Auburn put more points on the board.  The Tigers had finally stretched the lead to 41-27 in the fourth quarter, and it looked like the Dogs were done.  But quarterback Chris Relf kept fighting, leading his team down the field in the last 5 minutes of play.  Running back Ballard punched in the TD, cutting the lead to 7.  The Bulldogs defense held, and Relf and company got another chance.  They marched the ball down the field, inching closer to the Auburn end zone.  Out of timeouts, and with only a few seconds left on the clock, Relf carried the ball on an option and dived towards the end zone to force overtime… but was stopped short!  The ball hit the ground just outside the plane, and time expired.  It can't get any closer than that and not be a touchdown, ladies and gentlemen!  The Tigers survive yet again.

Notre Dame at Michigan - Week 2

Numerous turnovers led to a Notre Dame loss in week one.  They looked to bounce back with a different starting QB in Rees, but in the hostile environment of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  At the end of the first half, it looked like they had done it.  The Irish held a 17-7 lead at the half, and then extended it to 24-7 in the third quarter.  It was still 24-7 at the start of the fourth when it all began.  Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense went off, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-24 lead.  But with 1:12 left, Rees led the Irish down the field and hooked up on a 29 yard pass for the score.  The Irish were up 31-28, and with only 30 seconds left, all the Michigan offense could hope for was to get in field goal range and force overtime.  But new Michigan coach Brady Hoke had something else in mind.  With 8 seconds left and a time out, it looked like the Wolverines would run the ball, center it up, and kick the field goal.  But Robinson pulled back and heaved one to the corner of the end zone!  Roy Roundtree hauled in an athletic catch (his first of the game) for the Michigan win!  The excitement increased (if at all possible) in the final 2 seconds of the game when Notre Dame muffed the kickoff, and it took a desperate effort by the Irish to knock the ball out of the back of the end zone to avoid another Michigan TD.   

Iowa at Iowa State - Week 2

The Hawkeyes struggled the whole way in this one, but finally managed a 24-17 lead with 5:50 left in regulation.  But in the final two minutes of the game, Iowa State put together a scoring drive to tie the game, and their defense held to force (the first) overtime.  Iowa had the ball first, and scored from 4 yards out with the run to go up 31-24.  Iowa State responded by scoring from 4 yards out through the air to tie the game at 31 and force a second overtime.  The Cyclones reached the end zone again and went up 38-31, but the Hawkeyes answered on the ensuing possession, hooking up on a 23 yard pass to tie the game at 38.  The third overtime commenced, and the Cyclone defense came up big, holding Iowa to a field goal and a 41-38 lead.  The Cyclones could win the game by reaching the end zone.  They did just that on a run from 4 yards out, and stunned the Hawkeyes with a 44-41 win.   

That wraps up our highlights from the first two weeks.  This is why we watch the Louisville / FIU game on a Thursday night, or the Purdue / Rice game (which came down to a blocked field goal)!  You never know when you might miss a thriller.