The 2021 season was a unique ride, full of early upsets, an incredible Championship Weekend, a College Football Playoff with some new blood and a team winning its first national title in 41 years.
On Monday, we looked at the No. 51-100 games of the season. Today, we move into the top 50.
Big 12 classics
As you'll see when we get into the top 20, the Big 12 more than carried its weight from an "exciting games" standpoint. Let's walk through a few that fell just short of the top 20.
50. Baylor 31, Texas 24 (Oct. 30)
Baylor spotted Texas a 21-10 advantage but exploded for three touchdowns in 12 second-half minutes. A Cameron Dicker field goal brought the Longhorns within seven, but a last-minute tying drive stalled out before it could get started.
49. Baylor 27, Texas Tech 24 (Nov. 27)
The Bears led by 10 early in the fourth quarter before Tech started throwing haymakers: Donovan Smith to McLane Mannix for a 38-yard score, then Smith to Travis Koontz for 75 to make it 27-24. The Red Raiders scrambled into field goal range late, but Jonathan Garibay couldn't make a 53-yard attempt at the buzzer.
48. Oklahoma 28, Iowa State 21 (Nov. 20)
OU built a 14-7 lead off of a 74-yard Caleb Williams run and a Jalen Redmond fumble return and led 28-14 late. But then Iowa State scored, quickly forced a punt and mounted a two-minute drill that got the Cyclones to the OU 15 in the closing seconds before a Pat Fields interception ended the comeback.
47. West Virginia 38, Iowa State 31 (Oct. 30)
ISU led 31-24 heading into the fourth quarter before touchdowns by Winston Wright Jr. and Leddie Brown put the Mountaineers ahead. The Cyclones' Breece Hall lost a fumble in the end zone, and in the closing minute another ISU mad dash ended when Charles Woods broke up a game-ending pass intended for Charlie Kolar.
46. Baylor 31, Iowa State 29 (Sept. 25)
Tight ISU losses are a bit of a theme here. This might have been the most frustrating of all. The Cyclones outgained Baylor by nearly 200 yards but settled for four field goals, threw a red zone interception and, in the closing seconds after Hall scored from 16 yards out, failed on the 2-point conversion that would have tied it.
45. Iowa State 24, Oklahoma State 21 (Oct. 23)
OSU's Spencer Sanders and Tay Martin hooked up for a 25-yard score to put the Cowboys ahead with 8:36 left, but Iowa State responded with an 85-yard drive capped by a Hall touchdown. With time running out, Sanders threw to Brennan Presley on fourth-and-2, but he came up inches short. I think.
Did the refs get this spot right? pic.twitter.com/9On0IL0rpb
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 23, 2021
44. TCU 30, Baylor 28 (Nov. 6)
A week after Gary Patterson was fired, TCU played its best game of the year and knocked Baylor out of the CFP race. Chandler Morris threw for 461 yards and rushed for 70, and a 23-14 Horned Frogs lead just barely held up when Shadrach Banks picked off Gerry Bohanon with 1:03 left.
Nebraska losses
Let's face it: Nebraska defined the 2021 season in a way that no 3-9 team ever has defined a season. The Huskers were a top-40 caliber team that kept figuring out ways to lose thrillers. Let's look at their five most impressive "defeat from the jaws of victory" games.
43. Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 16 (Sept. 18)
In the resumption of one of college football's most storied rivalries, NU outgained OU per play and created more scoring chances. But the Huskers missed two field goals, Adrian Martinez threw an interception at the Oklahoma 3 and while Nebraska got within seven points late, a last-ditch comeback drive never got off the ground.
42. Wisconsin 35, Nebraska 28 (Nov. 20)
Wisconsin's Stephan Bracey returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, Martinez threw two picks, and Braelon Allen gave the Badgers a late lead with a 53-yard rumble. Nebraska had a first down at UW's 11 in the closing seconds before a holding penalty and four straight incompletions foiled the upset bid.
41. Michigan 32, Nebraska 29 (Oct. 9)
Nebraska led the eventual Big Ten champs with less than four minutes to go, but Michigan tied the game with a field goal, and Martinez suffered a terrible fumble three plays later. Michigan milked the clock, nailed a 39-yard FG for the lead and fended off another last-ditch comeback drive.
40. Michigan State 23, Nebraska 20 (Sept. 25)
The Huskers had held the explosive Michigan State offense to three points over a 34-minute stretch of action, but Jayden Reed took a punt return 62 yards to tie the game with 3:42 left. In OT, poor Martinez threw yet another pick, and Sparty took the game with a chip-shot field goal.
39. Iowa 28, Nebraska 21 (Nov. 26)
Backup quarterback Logan Smothers led Nebraska to a 21-9 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. But Iowa scored on a blocked punt and a safety, Caleb Shudak put the Hawkeyes ahead with a field goal, Spencer Petras sneaked into the end zone with 2:58 left and Jermari Harris picked off Smothers to seal a stunning comeback.
38. Texas State 33, South Alabama 31 (Oct. 9)
It had already been a fun game when Texas State's Jahmyl Jeter tied the game with 17 seconds left. But then things really got weird. Both teams scored in the first OT, then failed in the second ... and third ... and after TXST converted its 2-pointer in the fourth, South Alabama failed, then got another chance with a penalty, and failed again.
37. Oregon 35, Ohio State 28 (Sept. 11)
36. Stanford 31, Oregon 24 (Oct. 2)
The poles of a strange season in Eugene. First, Oregon scored the Pac-12's biggest nonconference win in years, taking an early lead in Columbus and answering Ohio State score for score down the stretch. The Ducks averaged 7.1 yards per carry, and a late Verone McKinley III interception all but sealed the deal.
Then came a dreadful loss. With coordinator Joe Moorhead out with illness, the Ducks offense started slowly, and Oregon didn't take its first lead until the fourth quarter. But Stanford tied the game with two seconds left after countless Oregon penalties. John Humphreys scored for the Cardinal in overtime, and the Ducks couldn't match.
35. Notre Dame 32, Virginia Tech 29 (Oct. 9)
34. Notre Dame 32, Toledo 29 (Sept. 11)
It took the Fighting Irish quite a while to find fifth gear in 2021. Having narrowly survived Florida State in Week 1, they had to fend off a ferocious challenge from Toledo. Turnovers kept the Rockets in the game early, and they took a 29-24 lead on Dequan Finn's 26-yard rush with 1:35 left. But just 26 seconds later, Jack Coan and Michael Mayer put the Irish ahead for good.
A month later, after Notre Dame's lone loss (to Cincinnati), a similar game played out in Blacksburg. Turnovers proved costly, and Braxton Burmeister's 19-yard touchdown with 3:55 left gave Virginia Tech a 29-21 lead. But Notre Dame scored quickly, forced a punt and used a couple of big passes from Coan to get into field goal range. Jonathan Doerer saved the Irish with a 48-yard field goal.
33. East Carolina 30, Memphis 29 (Nov. 13)
Whatever you enjoy, this game had it. Big defensive plays: How about seven sacks and three interceptions? Big plays: Thirteen players had at least one 15-yard gain. Dramatic ending? Lord, yes: ECU took the lead with 1:29 left, Memphis made a last-second field goal and in OT, after the teams traded scores, basically the entire ECU secondary broke up the game-deciding 2-point conversion.
32. Memphis 31, Mississippi State 29 (Sept. 18)
Mississippi State gained 222 more yards and 14 more first downs than Memphis, but the Tigers scored early on a fumble return and late on a Calvin Austin III punt return that maaaaaaayyybe shouldn't have counted.
Mississippi State appears to down the ball on a punt, but Memphis WR Calvin Austin III picks up the ball and returns it 94 yards for a touchdown.
31. Clemson 30, Louisville 24 (Nov. 6)
Louisville has still never beaten Clemson. Down 10 early, Clemson slowly pecked away and took its first lead with 4:12 left. Louisville drove to the Tigers' 2 in the closing seconds until, on fourth-and-goal, Malik Cunningham fell victim to the turf monster.
Baylor's defense comes up big and stops Oklahoma State on fourth down to secure the Big 12 title.
30. Appalachian State 31, Marshall 30 (Sept. 23)
App State controlled the ball but couldn't get its hands around the game until late. Marshall scored on a 56-yard pass and a misdirection kick return to stay within reach. But the Mountaineers scored all 10 points in the fourth quarter, and a huge Nate Noel run allowed them to run out the clock at the end.
29. Utah State 49, Air Force 45 (Sept. 18)
One of a few early-season thrill rides for Utah State, this one featured 1,247 yards and seven touchdowns of 37 or more yards. Explosions everywhere! The Aggies trailed 45-34 with 10 minutes left, but a 72-yard Deven Thompkins catch, followed by a 61-yard Calvin Tyler Jr. run, gave USU a comeback win.
28. UTSA 34, UAB 31 (Nov. 20)
Sloppy but gripping, this one featured five fumbles, eight sacks and a late comeback. In front of 35,147 in the Alamodome, UAB took a late lead on a DeWayne McBride touchdown run and made a fourth-down stop, but UTSA drove 77 yards in 63 seconds, and Oscar Cardenas scored with three seconds left to move the Roadrunners to 11-0.
27. Arizona State 35, Washington 30 (Nov. 13)
In rainy conditions, a spirited but disappointing Washington team took a 24-14 lead deep into the fourth quarter. But Arizona State scored on a 20-play drive to make it 24-21, forced a three-and-out and took the lead with 1:11 left. Then we got some fun late fireworks -- a Merlin Robertson pick-six and a late Washington score and onside kick recovery -- before ASU could finally close it out.
26. Appalachian State 30, Coastal Carolina 27 (Oct. 20)
Coastal was 14th in the AP poll, and App State was coming off of a big loss at Louisiana. It seemed clear where this was headed when Coastal took an early 14-0 lead, but the Mountaineers fought back. They tied the game at 27-all with a long Camerun Peoples run, and after losing a fumble at the Chants' 7, they got the ball back, milked the clock and nailed a 24-yard field goal at the buzzer.
25. Fresno State 40, UCLA 37 (Sept. 18)
After a rousing win over LSU, UCLA ran into an offensive buzzsaw. Jake Haener threw for 455 yards, and every time it looked like the Bruins were taking control, the Bulldogs responded. There were four lead changes in the last eight minutes, the last coming when Haener and Jalen Cropper connected for a 13-yard score with 14 seconds left.
24. Louisville 42, UCF 35 (Sept. 17)
Neither team led by more than seven points throughout, and UCF tied it with a Dillon Gabriel score with 81 seconds left. It looked like the Knights might steal a win when Tre'mon Morris-Brash picked off Malik Cunningham near midfield with 31 seconds left, but then Jaylin Alderman turned the tables.
THE PLAY.
— Louisville Football (@UofLFootball) September 18, 2021
💻: https://t.co/59FqPW7pRv#GoCards x @jaylin_alderman pic.twitter.com/PbhL5RmGHP
23. Iowa 23, Penn State 20 (Oct. 9)
What a spectacle: No. 3 vs. No. 4 in front of a chaotic Kinnick Stadium crowd. Penn State went up 17-3 early, but quarterback Sean Clifford got hurt, and the Nittany Lions held on for dear life. Eventually Iowa broke through. Nico Ragaini's 44-yard touchdown catch with 6:26 left made the difference, and Hawkeye fans rushed the field as time expired.
22. LSU 27, Texas A&M 24 (Nov. 27)
LSU sent Ed Orgeron off a winner in his last game in charge. Two Zach Calzada-to-Jalen Preston touchdowns gave the Aggies a sudden, late lead, but given one last chance, LSU rallied. Max Johnson hit Jaray Jenkins for 31- and 28-yard completions, the latter giving the Tigers the lead for good with 20 seconds left.
21. Jacksonville State 20, Florida State 17 (Sept. 11)
A game can go from utterly forgettable to spectacular in one play.
20. Kent State 48, Miami (Ohio) 47 (Nov. 27)
A winner-take-all battle for the MAC East title. Miami went up 16-7, but Kent responded with a 27-7 run. The teams traded long touchdown passes, and Graham Nicholson forced overtime with a 20-yard field goal at the buzzer. Kent scored to begin overtime, then Miami responded immediately and went for two points and the division title. The pass fell incomplete.
19. SMU 39, Louisiana Tech 37 (Sept. 18)
SMU seized control with a 23-7 mid-game run, but Louisiana Tech scored twice in the last 5:07 to take a 37-33 lead. But there was a little bit too much time left on the clock.
18. Illinois 20, Penn State 18 (Oct. 23)
Sometimes a game doesn't actually have to be good to be great. With Sean Clifford still limited by the injury he suffered against Iowa, Penn State failed to score in the last 41 minutes of regulation. Illinois had a number of chances to seize control but couldn't, and after trading field goals in the first two overtime possessions, the teams tested the limits of the new overtime rules: They combined to fail on 10 consecutive 2-point attempts before the Illini made two in a row to take home an exhausting train wreck of a win.
17. Michigan State 37, Michigan 33 (Oct. 30)
Michigan opened the scoring with a 93-yard Andrel Anthony Jr. touchdown and held a 30-14 lead late in the third quarter. While it's always too simple to say that one guy single-handedly brought a team back, Kenneth Walker III came close. He scored fourth-quarter touchdowns of 58 and 23 yards -- two of his five for the day -- and State took a 37-33 lead with five minutes left. Michigan got two chances to take the lead back, but failed on fourth down once and threw a late pick.
16. Alabama 31, Florida 29 (Sept. 18)
For the second time in five games dating back to 2020, the Crimson Tide and Gators put on a show. Bama leaped to a 21-3 lead in the Swamp, but Florida's offense was relentless, gaining 439 yards and charging back to within two on a nasty Dameon Pierce run with 3:10 left. But the 2-point conversion failed, and Alabama was able to milk the clock enough to prevent much of a last-gasp comeback attempt.
15. Texas Tech 41, Iowa State 38 (Nov. 13)
What, you thought, "Tech blows a big second-half lead, then wins on a 62-yard walk-off" wasn't going to rank really high?
14. Purdue 48, Tennessee 45 (Dec. 30)
The Music City Bowl was fun for 55 minutes, then turned into an epic. Aidan O'Connell hit Payne Durham for 62 yards to put Purdue up 38-31; Tennessee tied the game just 1:21 later. Purdue scored on a 70-yard throw to Broc Thompson 40 seconds after that, and Tennessee tied it again with 1:35 left. Tennessee missed a long field goal at the buzzer, and on fourth-and-goal in overtime, UT's Jaylen Wright appeared to score a touchdown before officials ruled his progress was stopped before he crossed the goal line.
Purdue won on a Mitchell Fineran field goal, an almost anticlimactic ending after all we had just witnessed.
13. Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (Nov. 27)
Alabama spent most of November narrowly avoiding a second loss. The Tide came particularly close in the Iron Bowl. A ferocious Auburn pass rush helped the Tigers to a late 10-0 lead, and it was 10-3 when the Tide took over at their 3 with 95 seconds left. Bryce Young needed only 71 seconds to drive them the length of the field and force overtime. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, then field goals in the second and 2-pointers in the third before a John Metchie III score kept Bama's CFP hopes alive in the fourth OT.
12. Ole Miss 31, Tennessee 26 (Oct. 16)
Act I: The teams play 59 super-tense minutes. Ole Miss takes leads of 24-9 and 31-19 but can't put the Vols away.
Act II: Tennessee comes up inches short of a miraculous fourth-and-24 conversion with 54 seconds left. When the spot is upheld on replay, angry Vol fans pelt the field with trash, and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin gets hit by a golf ball.
Act III: After a long delay, the game resumes, and UT's Velus Jones returns a punt into Ole Miss territory. But then QB Hendon Hooker gets hurt, and a last-ditch scramble by backup Joe Milton comes up eight yards short.
Bananas.
11. Kansas 57, Texas 56 (Nov. 13)
Kansas led by 21 points at halftime and by 14 with five minutes left, but the defense couldn't make one last stop. Texas forced overtime with a late touchdown, but that only delayed the inevitable. The teams traded overtime touchdowns before Jalon Daniels hit walk-on Jared Casey for the game-winning 2-point conversion ... turning him into an Applebee's spokesman in the process.
10. NC State 34, North Carolina 30 (Nov. 26)
NC State went up 14-0, but North Carolina outscored the Wolfpack 30-7 over a 45-minute period, and Grayson Atkins' 50-yard field goal with 2:12 to go seemingly put the game out of reach.
Then Emeka Emezie struck. He scored on a 64-yard bomb with 1:33 left, and NC State recovered the onside kick. A 24-yarder from Devin Leary to Emezie, their second touchdown in 26 seconds, gave the Pack a shocking lead. UNC worked the ball to the State 30 with five seconds left, but Derrek Pitts picked off a Sam Howell prayer.
9. Oklahoma 55, Texas 48 (Oct. 9)
Even by the standards of the Red River Rivalry, this was wild. Texas took a 38-20 lead into halftime, and OU's Spencer Rattler was benched in favor of freshman Caleb Williams. The Sooners scored 18 points in nine minutes to tie the game at 41-41, and the teams traded late touchdowns. Overtime? Nope! With just three seconds left, the Sooners' Kennedy Brooks burst into the open field and raced 33 yards to win the game.
8. Georgia 33, Alabama 18 (Jan. 10)
The first three quarters of the national title game: mild. The fourth quarter: spicy. Georgia led 13-12 with 11:35 left when a Stetson Bennett throwaway-turned-fumble set up a short, go-ahead touchdown for the Tide. But Bennett responded with a pair of touchdown passes, setting the table for Kelee Ringo to create the most cathartic moment for Georgia fans in four decades.
GEORGIA PICK-SIX TO SEAL THE WIN! 🐶#NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/MHlE9MMZHI
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022
7. Houston 44, SMU 37 (Oct. 30)
The second half of this one was perfectly symmetrical art. Bryan Massey gave SMU a 27-23 lead with a 100-yard kick return to start the half, and three scores (and three lead changes) followed. Down 37-34, SMU tied the game with a 45-yard Blake Mazza field goal with 30 seconds left ... and Houston's Marcus Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a wild Cougars win.
6. Oklahoma State 37, Notre Dame 35 (Jan. 1)
5. Baylor 21, Oklahoma State 16 (Dec. 4)
4. Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma 33 (Nov. 27)
Oklahoma State had already enjoyed a memorable season before its last three games -- the Cowboys started 10-1 with loads of close wins. Then fate turned the chaos dial up all the way.
Against Oklahoma, the Pokes took a 24-17 lead before the Sooners flipped the game with a 16-0 run that included a safety and a touchdown off a muffed punt. OSU looked disheveled but rallied, scoring a touchdown, then scoring again after OU muffed a punt of its own. The Sooners drove inside the Cowboys' 25 twice in the final two minutes, but the Pokes somehow kept them out both times.
In the Big 12 championship game the next week, OSU pulled the same "self-destruct, then rally" routine. Baylor took a 21-3 lead with help from a pair of Spencer Sanders interceptions (he threw four in all), but it was 21-16 when the Cowboys embarked on a 17-play, 89.9-yard drive in the closing minutes. They needed 90 yards.
Against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, it was the same routine. The Irish led 14-0 after eight minutes and 28-7 late in the first half, but the unkillable Cowboys once again struck back. Three Tay Martin touchdowns tied the game, and three Tanner Brown field goals gave OSU a stunning 37-28 lead. Notre Dame scored with 65 seconds left, but the Pokes recovered the ensuing onside kick, finishing one of the wildest three-game stretches you'll ever see.
3. Texas A&M 41, Alabama 38 (Oct. 9)
In 10 games against FBS opponents, Texas A&M's Zach Calzada produced a passer rating higher than 151.5 just once: against Alabama. He went 21-for-31 for 285 yards and three touchdowns, one of the most out-of-nowhere awesome games we've seen, and it set the table for a knuckling, game-winning field goal by Seth Small.
Why watch the kick when you can watch Small's family instead?
Seth Small's family watching him nail the game winning field goal vs Alabama. One of my favorite shots of the night. @12thManP pic.twitter.com/88cUgkcnyi
— Cam Worthy (@cameron_worthy) October 11, 2021
2. Ohio State 48, Utah 45 (Jan. 1)
It's just science: Any fun and wild game is twice as fun and wild if it happens in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State was missing star receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, and quickly fell into a 14-0 hole, but the Buckeyes still had Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Utah had no answers. Smith-Njigba caught 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, and a late 17-0 run gave Ohio State a 45-38 lead.
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising left the game with injury, so freshman walk-on Bryson Barnes took over ... and threw a gorgeous touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid with 1:54 left to tie the game. A strong kick return by Emeka Egbuka and a couple more passes to Smith-Njigba set up Noah Ruggles' game-winning 19-yard kick, and after failing to use any timeouts during OSU's drive, Utah didn't have time to mount a response.
1. Ole Miss 52, Arkansas 51 (Oct. 9)
Over the last seven seasons, Arkansas and Ole Miss have played games decided by scores of 53-52, 34-30, 38-37, 37-33 and 52-51. This might be the most reliably wild rivalry in college football, and with seven games in the top 50 (and three in the top nine) Oct. 9 was one of the greatest Saturdays in recent memory.
The last 20 minutes followed a theme: Ole Miss scores, probably on a huge play, then Arkansas responds. The Hogs tied a wild game at 45-45 with 1:22 left, only to watch Braylon Sanders break wide open for a 68-yard pass 15 seconds later. With time expiring, Arkansas' KJ Jefferson found Warren Thompson for a 9-yard touchdown and, not wanting any part of overtime against this smoking hot offense, the Hogs went for two. Jefferson's pass fell incomplete.
A joyous and wild afternoon at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and the best game of 2021.