A college football game guarantees you certain things. You will get the fight songs. You will get tailgate smells. And you know that, no matter what game you’re attending — maybe it’s a storied rivalry game such as the Iron Bowl or Red River, maybe it’s a Friday night Louisville-Syracuse affair, and maybe it’s even a Division III game like Trinity-Millsaps — you might see something you have never seen, something you couldn’t have envisioned, something you’ll be talking about 25 years later.
Below are the top 25 plays of the 2000s, as voted on by ESPN college football writers. Some decided national titles, some provided all-time rivalry bragging rights, and all of them are stuck in our memories forever. This sport puts us through a good amount of nonsense sometimes, but the games, and the greatest plays, make everything worth it.
Eight ESPN writers and two editors nominated the top plays since 2000. Fifty-one plays were nominated and the eight writers ranked plays from 1 to 25, with 25 points awarded for first-place votes, 24 for second place and continuing until 1 point was awarded for a play voted at No. 25. Below is the result of those votes.
1. Kick-six | Nov. 30, 2013
The play was stunning, one of the most improbable endings in college football history, as Auburn’s Chris Davis raced 109 yards for a touchdown after Alabama kicker Adam Griffith was short on a 57-yard field goal attempt with one second remaining in the 2013 Iron Bowl. Alabama coach Nick Saban argued to have one second put back on the clock after Tide running back T.J. Yeldon was knocked out of bounds. Griffith was sent in to try the long field goal with the score tied 28-28 after Cade Foster had already missed three field goals. After fielding the kick deep in the end zone, Davis tiptoed down the left sideline before breaking into the open field and into the end zone, where he was mobbed by teammates, cameramen and fans.
The loss kept Saban and the previously unbeaten Crimson Tide from playing for what would have been their third straight national championship. Auburn advanced to the final BCS national championship game, where the Tigers in Gus Malzahn’s first season as coach lost to Florida State in the final seconds.
It’s a play that will live in the hearts of Auburn fans, who can still hear the school’s radio play-by-play announcer, the late Rod Bramblett, screaming “Auburn’s going to win the football game!” as Davis crossed the goal line. –…
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