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          College football's top 100 games of the 2021 season -- Nos. 100-51

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          Cincinnati holds on to beat Tulsa in chaotic finish (1:34)

          Cincinnati edges Tulsa 28-20 after trading fumbles late in the fourth quarter. (1:34)

          • Bill ConnellyJan 17, 2022, 07:30 AM ET
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              Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.
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          The 2021 college football season brought welcome moments of normalcy, however temporary. It featured tons of early upsets, a slobberknocker of a national title game and plenty of reliable, "only in college football" wildness in between -- outrageous finishes, plot twists, imperfect kickers, rivalry wins and everything else.

          As always, we will commemorate the season over the next two days with a look back at its 100 best games. Here are Nos. 100-51.

          Week 1 classics

          We begin with some flashbacks. Early-season games can get forgotten over the course of a long season, but the 2021 campaign began with quite a few doozies.

          100. Wyoming 19, Montana State 16 (Sept. 4)

          Montana State rode a killer defense to the FCS finals, and the Bobcats nearly rode it to an upset of an FBS opponent as well, but Wyoming rallied just in time. Down 16-12, Sean Chambers hit Treyton Welch for a 21-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left, and the Cowboys held on.

          99. Mississippi State 35, Louisiana Tech 34 (Sept. 4)

          It's rare to give up a 34-0 run and win, but that's what Mike Leach's Bulldogs managed, turning a 14-0 lead into a 34-14 deficit thanks in part to four turnovers. But they responded with three consecutive touchdowns, then blocked a last-second field goal to survive.

          98. UCF 36, Boise State 31 (Sept. 2)

          After a storm delay, UCF spotted Boise State 21 points, then rallied. A 30-3 run gave the Knights the lead, but the Broncos took it right back. Finally, UCF's Isiah Bowser scored with 4:16 left, and a Dyllon Lester interception helped the Knights run out the clock.

          97. Notre Dame 41, Florida State 38 (Sept. 5)

          Notre Dame stormed to a 38-20 lead after three quarters, but then everything quickly went awry. Two long touchdown drives -- and an appearance by McKenzie Milton! -- brought FSU within three, and Ryan Fitzgerald forced overtime with a 43-yard field goal. But he missed one in OT, Jonathan Doerer nailed a 41-yarder, and the Irish survived.

          The Best of MACtion

          November's run of weeknight MAC games is always good for some bizarre fun. Here are four favorites.

          96. Kent State 52, Northern Illinois 47 (Nov. 3)

          NIU would get its revenge in the MAC championship game, but the Golden Flashes won a wild first matchup -- and scored their first victory over the Huskies since 2001 -- by going on a 35-7 midgame run and watching a 45-27 lead dissipate to 52-47 before holding on.

          95. Western Michigan 45, Akron 40 (Nov. 9)

          Akron went 2-10 this season but nearly scored a stunning upset, overcoming a 14-point deficit and taking a 40-38 lead with 2:22 left. But Kaleb Eleby, having thrown a pick-six minutes earlier, hit Corey Crooms for a 45-yard score in the final minute, and WMU survived.

          94. Northern Illinois 30, Ball State 29 (Nov. 10)

          93. Northern Illinois 33, Buffalo 27 (Nov. 17)

          NIU enjoyed steady late-game magic in 2021, winning seven one-score games on its way to the MAC title. Two came during MACtion. First, in a game with three fourth-quarter lead changes, the Huskies took down Ball State with a 32-yard John Richardson field goal at the buzzer. A week later, they watched Buffalo's Alex McNulty nail a late 55-yarder to tie the game, then had Richardson miss a 37-yarder at the buzzer to bring on overtime. But the Bulls' Matt Myers fumbled at the 1 in OT, and on NIU's first play, Clint Ratkovich raced 25 yards for the winning score.

          Bowl magic

          Bowl season usually gives us a healthy number of great games and tight finishes. There are more further up the list, but here are five standouts:

          92. Air Force 31, Louisville 28 (Dec. 28)

          Louisville inevitably got ready for the First Responder Bowl against Air Force with a heavy dose of triple-option prep. But Air Force won ... by taking to the air? Haaziq Daniels was 9-for-10 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, both to Brandon Lewis, and the Falcons kept the Cards at arm's length.

          91. Army 24, Missouri 22 (Dec. 22)

          Army wasn't quite as successful as Air Force through the air, but after Missouri took a 22-21 lead late in the Armed Forces Bowl, Jabari Laws completed a pair of big passes to set up a last-second field goal. Cole Talley nailed the 41-yarder, and Army moved to 9-4.

          90. Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41 (Dec. 17)

          When NIU took a 41-33 lead early in the fourth quarter, it appeared the Huskies were going to once again snare a tight victory. But Grayson McCall completed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes, and in rather controversial fashion, NIU ran out of time at the Coastal Carolina 4.

          89. UAB 31, BYU 28 (Dec. 18)

          This physical battle couldn't have been closer. UAB outgained BYU by only 16 yards, the teams split two turnovers, and UAB took a 31-28 lead with 6:17 left on a Dylan Hopkins-to-Trea Shropshire connection. BYU fumbled at midfield with 3:36 left, and UAB ran out the clock.

          88. Michigan State 31, Pitt 21 (Dec. 30)

          Pitt didn't have quarterback Kenny Pickett, and MSU didn't have star running back Kenneth Walker III. But the teams still put on a show in the Peach Bowl. Pitt led 21-10 in the fourth quarter, but the Spartans scored twice, then Cal Haladay took a pick back 78 yards for the clinching touchdown with 22 seconds left.

          #CollegeKickers

          Each year, tons of football games come down to one kick. Sometimes it goes incredibly well and, especially at the college level, sometimes it very much does not.

          87. Virginia 30, Miami 28 (Sept. 30)

          After trailing by 13 in the second half, Miami got to within 30-28 late, then drove 75 yards to set up a 33-yard kick for Andres Borregales, who had already beaten Appalachian State with a late 3-pointer. He missed it.

          86. Utah State 26, Colorado State 24 (Oct. 22)

          CSU outgained the Aggies by 128 yards and positioned itself for a late, game-winning kick, but ... the Rams' field goal unit rushed onto the field when it didn't have to. Chaos ensued.

          85. San Diego State 23, Nevada 21 (Nov. 13)

          The Matt Araiza game. Maybe the best punter in college football history, Araiza averaged 55.6 yards on five punts and nailed three field goals to boot, putting the Aztecs ahead for good with a 35-yard shot with 1:21 left.

          84. East Carolina 38, Navy 35 (Nov. 20)

          Down 35-27 late, ECU tied the game with a 28-yard strike from Holton Ahlers to Tyler Snead. Then, in the final minute, Ahlers and Snead had a 46-yard connection to give kicker Owen Daffer a chance to win in regulation. He nailed a 54-yarder at the buzzer.

          83. Buffalo 35, Old Dominion 34 (Sept. 25)

          Buffalo went ahead early on a blocked field goal return and charged to a 35-7 halftime lead, but ODU chipped away. With the Monarchs down 35-28 with 19 seconds left, Zack Kuntz and D.J. Mack Jr. connected for a 19-yard score. All they needed to do was make the PAT to force overtime.

          That the game is on this list tells you they did not, in fact, make the PAT.

          82. Colorado 37, Oregon State 34 (Nov. 6)

          What a roller coaster. OSU's Everett Hayes made a 45-yard field goal to end the first half and a 60-yarder to tie the game at 27-27 and force overtime ... where he missed a 38-yarder. Colorado's Cole Becker nailed a 43-yarder, and the Buffs survived.

          The best of the lower levels

          I say it all the time: The more smaller-school football you watch -- FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, whatever -- the healthier you become. Here are 15 games that prove my point.

          81. Upper Iowa 42, Wayne State (Nebraska) 41 (Oct. 30)

          If you're going to win one game, as Upper Iowa did in 2021, make it count. The Peacocks led 35-14 early in the third quarter, then Wayne State scored three straight times to force overtime. But while the teams traded TDs in OT, only one made the PAT.

          80. West Florida 39, Delta State 33 (Oct. 2)

          West Florida, the 2019 Division II champion, found itself down 30-10 at halftime against Delta State but charged back. The Argonauts scored three times in the third quarter, then took the lead on an Austin Reed-to-Shomari Mason pass with 5:32 left. But holding on to the win required a fourth-and-5 sack by Shea Campbell in the closing seconds.

          79. Southern Illinois 42, South Dakota State 41 (Oct. 9)

          SDSU raced to a 20-0 second-quarter lead and still held a 14-point advantage into the fourth quarter. But Nic Baker and Landon Lenoir connected for a 19-yard touchdown to send the game to overtime, and after the teams traded OT touchdowns, SDSU elected to go for two points and the win. Didn't get it.

          78. Eastern Washington 34, Montana 28 (Oct. 2)

          Montana would get its revenge in the playoffs, but EWU scored a huge early-season comeback win in this battle of unbeatens. Down 21-10 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles went on a 24-7 run and secured the win with a 30-yard field goal and a last-second red zone stop.

          77. Mount Union 35, Muhlenberg 29 (Dec. 4)

          In the Division III quarterfinals, Muhlenberg forced overtime against mighty Mount Union when Mike Hnatkowsky found Michael Feaster for an 8-yard score with 1:20 left, then nailed the 2-point conversion. But Muhlenberg missed a field goal in OT, and Mount scored the game-winning TD two plays later.

          76. Ferris State 47, Saginaw Valley State 45 (Sept. 18)

          Ferris State eventually rolled unbeaten to the D2 national title, but the Bulldogs had to survive seven turnovers, a pick-six, a blocked PAT return, five lead changes, a last-play-of-regulation touchdown and an overtime period just to move to 3-0. But they did so!

          75. Holy Cross 13, Sacred Heart 10 (Nov. 27)

          The Crusaders needed all 60 minutes to secure their first-ever FCS playoff win. Down 10-3 midway through the fourth quarter, they got a field goal from Derek Ng with 8:27 left, then drove 80 yards in three minutes, taking their first lead on a 35-yard pass from Matthew Sluka to Jalen Coker with 14 seconds remaining. They nearly beat Villanova in the second round too!

          74. Sam Houston 49, Incarnate Word 42 (Dec. 4)

          This second-round FCS playoff matchup featured nonstop haymakers. UIW's Cameron Ward threw for 481 yards, SHSU's Ramon Jefferson rushed for 166, and the game featured touchdowns of 40, 48, 48 and 62 yards. Sam Houston took the lead with 2:07 left, but the Bearkats' win wasn't secured until they stopped Ward inches short on fourth-and-goal.

          73. East Tennessee State 32, Kennesaw State 31 (Dec. 4)

          All was well for the visiting KSU Owls in the second round of the FCS playoffs as they led 31-17 with less than two minutes to play. But Tyler Riddell threw a touchdown pass, the Bucs recovered the onside kick, then Riddell and Quay Holmes hooked up with 35 seconds left to get ETSU within one. They went for two points and the win and got it.

          72. Newberry 33, West Florida 27 (Nov. 20)

          The D2 playoffs started with a stunner when UWF, one of the title favorites, found itself down 14-0 six minutes into the playoffs. The Argos charged back with a 27-0 run, and all was well ... until Newberry scored twice in the fourth quarter to force overtime, then sent the champs home with a touchdown in OT.

          71. North Dakota State 20, James Madison 14 (Dec. 17)

          Before NDSU could romp to a huge FCS title game win over Montana State, the Bison had to survive one last playoff battle with JMU. The Dukes are moving up to FBS next season and took a 14-13 lead into the fourth quarter in the FargoDome. Hunter Luepke scored from 22 yards out to give North Dakota State the lead, then James Madison drove to the NDSU 7 before Destin Talbert picked off Cole Johnson in the end zone to wrap up the win.

          70. Central (Iowa) 30, Wheaton 28 (Nov. 27)

          Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium hosted a thriller in the second round of the D3 playoffs when Central, trailing 21-10 in the fourth, charged ahead only to see Wheaton take the lead back with 2:14 left. But the Dutch drove 63 yards in 13 plays and scored a walk-off winner from 3 yards out.

          69. Grand View 34, Lindsey Wilson 28 (Dec. 4)

          Sometimes you've got to beat the champs multiple times to beat them. Lindsey Wilson, the spring 2021 NAIA champs, had won 23 games in a row, but Grand View scored to go up six early in the fourth quarter of their semifinal battle. Then the Vikings held on for dear life. They had an interception with 9:25 left, stuffed a fourth down from their 42 with 3:07 left, then stopped a fourth-and-goal pass in the closing seconds.

          68. Shepherd 38, Notre Dame (Ohio) 34 (Nov. 27)

          67. Shepherd 30, Kutztown 28 (Dec. 4)

          The Division II playoffs produced back-to-back moments of outright magic. First, in a game that featured six lead changes, Shepherd beat Notre Dame when Tyson Bagent and Josh Gontarek connected for a 23-yard touchdown with one second remaining.

          The very next week, Bagent one-upped himself. After trailing 21-0 early, Kutztown took a 28-24 lead with 39 seconds left, but Shepherd got just close enough to try a Hail Mary on the final play. It was answered.

          Here are both game-winners:

          66. UCF 17, USF 13 (Nov. 26)

          Pretty? No. Gripping? Absolutely. UCF won its fifth straight over USF thanks primarily to six sacks and great red zone defense. USF drove to UCF's 3-yard line late in the game, but Tre'mon Morris-Brash sacked Timmy McClain and time expired on the upset bid.

          65. Wake Forest 70, Army 56 (Oct. 23)

          The equivalent of a popcorn flick. The Demon Deacons and Black Knights combined for 1,233 yards and just four unsuccessful drives. When Traveon Redd returned an interception 83 yards to put Wake up 42-28 in the third quarter, it basically ended the game, but not until the teams combined for eight more touchdowns.

          64. North Carolina 58, Wake Forest 55 (Nov. 6)

          Wake reached 8-0 before finally stumbling in what predictably was another track meet. The Deacs led 45-27 before UNC went on a late 31-3 run capped by Ty Chandler's 50-yard score, his third of the fourth quarter. Wake scored late to cut the deficit to three but couldn't recover the onside kick.

          63. Virginia Tech 29, Virginia 24 (Nov. 27)

          Virginia Tech salvaged bowl eligibility in a game loaded with wonderful nonsense. The Hokies went up five on a late safety, but fumbled and gave the Cavaliers one last chance. But a throwback pass to an eligible offensive lineman (!!!) blew up in UVA's face, and Tech made a last-minute stop.

          62. Buffalo 27, Ohio 26 (Oct. 16)

          Ohio's Armani Rogers broke off a 99-yard run -- the longest by a quarterback in NCAA history -- to help the Bobcats to an early 21-0 lead, but Kyle Vantrease threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to get Buffalo to within two, then Alex McNulty hit a 27-yard field goal on the final play to win it.

          61. Auburn 24, LSU 19 (Oct. 2)

          The Bo Nix game. Auburn won in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1999, thanks in part to ... whatever this was.

          60. Alabama 42, Arkansas 35 (Nov. 20)

          The good news was that Bryce Young broke an Alabama single-game passing record with 559 yards. The bad news was that he needed to. Bama led the Hogs by 10 points at halftime in Tuscaloosa, but Arkansas kept throwing punches, cutting the lead to 34-28 early in the fourth quarter and 42-35 late. But the Tide held on.

          59. Alabama 20, LSU 14 (Nov. 6)

          Coming off of a bye week and playing with nothing to lose, LSU threw things at Bryce Young that it hadn't shown all year, and it worked. Alabama scored 20 points in a five-minute span midgame but was otherwise held scoreless, and LSU twice had the ball in Bama territory with a chance to take a late lead but couldn't get the job done.

          58. Cincinnati 28, Tulsa 20 (Nov. 6)

          Cincinnati bolted to an early 14-0 lead but couldn't land the knockout blow. Up 28-20, the Bearcats stopped the Golden Hurricane on downs at their 2-yard line with 1:14 left, but then lost a fumble and had to make another fourth-down stop in the final minute. Tulsa never got the ball over the line.

          57. Florida State 31, Miami 28 (Nov. 13)

          FSU scored the game's first 17 points and its last 11. That was just barely enough. The Noles trailed 28-23 but completed a fourth-and-14 heave with 58 seconds left, then scored the game winner 32 seconds later on a Jordan Travis plunge.

          56. Virginia 34, Louisville 33 (Oct. 9)

          Another down-to-the-wire ACC game. Louisville led 30-13 in the fourth quarter, but UVA scored three late touchdowns. Brennan Armstrong completed a fourth-and-8 pass to Keytaon Thompson with 33 seconds left, then found Grant Misch for the winner three plays later.

          55. East Carolina 42, Marshall 38 (Sept. 18)

          Up three at half, Marshall seemingly took control with a pair of touchdowns. But ECU scored twice, then recovered an onside kick with 2:31 left. Rahjai Harris scored to give the Pirates a shocking lead, and it held up when Ja'Quan McMillian picked off a pass at ECU's 1 in the closing seconds.

          54. Wyoming 24, UConn 22 (Sept. 25)

          After losing its first four games by a combined 184-49, UConn rallied to nearly stun Wyoming in East Hartford. Tyler Phommachanh piloted the Huskies to a 13-0 lead, and after the Cowboys responded with a 24-3 run, UConn scored with four seconds left to get back within two. The 2-point conversion failed, however, and Wyoming survived.

          53. Michigan 21, Penn State 17 (Nov. 13)

          PSU set a fun tone with an early fake punt attempt (successful) and fake field goal (not), then scored twice in two minutes to take a late 17-14 lead. But Michigan stunned the Nittany Lions and kept their CFP hopes alive when Erick All turned a short catch into a 47-yard touchdown with 3:29 left.

          52. LSU 49, Florida 42 (Oct. 16)

          There was no way this matchup was going to live up to its 2020 version, but it tried. LSU torched Florida for 321 rushing yards and led most of the way. Florida tied the game on a pass from Anthony Richardson to Jacob Copeland, but Jaray Jenkins scored with 3:30 left, and Damone Clark picked off Richardson to ice the Tigers' third straight win in the series.

          51. Syracuse 41, Virginia Tech 36 (Oct. 23)

          This was the fifth of five straight Syracuse games to go down to the wire, and it might have been the wildest. The Orange trailed by nine with less than 2:30 left when Garrett Shrader found Courtney Jackson for a 12-yard score. Tech punted, and Shrader hit Damien Alford for a shockingly easy 45-yard score with 19 seconds remaining.