11 College Football moments make Sporting News 140 greatest

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11 College Football moments make Sporting News 140 greatest

11 College Football moments make Sporting News 140 greatest originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The game of college football has evolved, but many moments stay frozen in our minds forever. We remember them like it happened yesterday. As we at Sporting News celebrate the 140th anniversary of being in existence as a trusted news source, we've put together the best in stories over our time as a publication.

Within the historic list are 11 moments that changed college football. From the first-ever game between Rutgers and Princeton 157 years ago to Indiana's historic run ending in triumph under the South Florida lights of Miami this past January. 

Here are the 11 college football moments from Sporting News 140 Greatest Sports Moments: Celebrating the games we've covered since 1886.

No. 133 – Penn State interception clinches upset of Miami in Fiesta Bowl, 1987

The 1987 Fiesta Bowl set in motion the groundwork for the Bowl Alliance, Bowl Championship Series and the College Football Playoff.

Johnny Rodgers

No. 126 – Johnny Rodgers' punt return sparks Nebraska in Game of the Century, 1971

The 1971 Big 8 matchup between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma remains the standard from a bygone era

No. 113 – Appalachian State upsets No. 5 Michigan with blocked kick on final play, 2007

The Wolverines were expected to win in a blowout against an FCS school in the first televised game on the new Big Ten Network

No. 102 – Desmond Howard burns rival Ohio State, strikes 'Heisman pose' after TD, 1991

Desmond Howard was the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy heading into The Game against No. 18 Ohio State

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No. 96 – Boston College QB Doug Flutie hits last-second Hail Mary to blow away Hurricanes, 1984

The "Hail Flutie" remains the standard for miraculous finishes in college football

No. 86 – Alabama beats Georgia for national title with astonishing 2nd-and-26 TD in OT, 2017

Alabama coach Nick Saban made one of the gutsiest halftime adjustments of all time, and it paid off

No. 74 – USC's integrated team routs Alabama, sparks change for SEC football, 1970

Black players scored all six touchdowns in the Trojans' 42-21 victory in Birmingham

No. 68 – Boise State's shocking 'Statue of Liberty' play beats Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl, 2007

A string of trick plays made the college football world believers of the Broncos

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No. 40 – Long-time doormat Indiana reverses course, storms to national title, 2026

Indiana? The Hoosiers became the ultimate Cinderella story under second-year coach Curt Cignetti 

No. 24 – Auburn ruins rival Alabama's perfect season with electrifying 'Kick Six' finish, 2013

The late Rod Bramblett's radio call still echoes to this day: "Auburn's gonna win the football game!"

No. 12 – Vince Young's TD dash beats USC in the greatest CFB title game ever played, 2006

The Trojans and Longhorns painted a masterpiece using the Rose Bowl as the canvas

Thanks for reading. Here's to another 140 years and beyond.

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