Game Of The Century?

Last night's Rose Bowl was certainly one for the ages, and the last second Texas win leaves The Ugly American very happy that he doesn't have to eat his words. While everyone is talking today about where the game belongs in the pantheon of "Greatest Games Ever Played", I'd like to remind people about another game that probably tops this one: Nebraska-Oklahoma '71.

Also a #1 vs. #2 game, this game had players who would go on to finish 1-2 for the Heisman trophy, as well as two Outland Trophy winners. The teams would finish a unanimous first and second in the rankings (as they did last night), and was an incredibly exciting offensive showing. The big difference, and why I think the NU-OU game was greater, was the level at which the game was played -- there weren't any dumb mistakes, like Reggie Bush's fumbled pitch or USC having to burn their last timeout before the 2 point conversion at the end. The NU-OU game had 1 penalty, for 5 yards, between the two teams. (There were 9 in last night's game.)

Don't get me wrong -- I think the game last night ranks in the Top 3, along with the Ohio State-Miami game at the end of the 2002 season. Just don't let the excitement over the more recent game make you forget that history offers some equally compelling choices that have already stood the test of time.

Going deep...