Top 5 greatest comebacks in college football history ft. 2016 TCU-Oregon, 1979 Notre Dame-Houston, and more
Some of the greatest comebacks in college football history have happened in some major games. With the explosive offenses in the sport, a team is never truly out of the game until the clock runs out.
Let's look at the five greatest comebacks in college football history.
Top 5 greatest comebacks in college football history
#5. TCU vs. Oregon, 2016
The 2016 Alamo Bowl looked incredibly one-sided, as it was a 31-3 Oregon lead at halftime. However, what TCU did in the second half definitely deserved to be on the greatest comebacks list. They were able to tie the game and force overtime and went to triple overtime before quarterback Bram Kohlhausen's eight-yard touchdown run gave the TCU Horned Frogs their first lead, and the final 47-41 result was the biggest comeback in postseason history.
#4. Michigan State vs. Northwestern, 2006
The Michigan State Spartans and Northwestern Wildcats met and struggled as the team was combined 0-7 in Big Ten Conference play. Northwestern scored 38 unanswered points and took a 38-3 lead with less than 10 minutes in the third quarter.
The game ended with an interception and a field goal with 13 seconds remaining as the Michigan State Spartans picked up a 41-38 win. That is one of the greatest comebacks, and 38 points is the largest in FBS history.
#3. UCLA vs. Texas A&M, 2017
The most recent game on this list happened in 2017 as the Texas A&M Aggies were destroying the UCLA Bruins 44-10 with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter. Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen took the game over and had touchdown drives of 85 of 96 yards to get going. The defensive step up and the fake spike at the 10-yard line for the game-winning touchdown made the game memorable.
This was the second-largest comeback in FBS history.
#2. Auburn vs. Alabama, 2010
This game meant a lot, as the 2010 Iron Bowl could be the difference in either team making a run at the national championship. Alabama dominated the game early with a 24-0 lead, and Auburn only had two yards of total offense midway through the second quarter. However, the Tigers stepped up and began to get going as they won the game 28-27. Cam Newton delivered a comeback for the ages.
#1. Greatest comeback in college football history: Notre Dame vs. Houston, 1979
The 1979 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, had a wind chill of minus seven degrees Fahrenheit, which made the game very interesting. Joe Montana took an early 12-0 lead, and the Cougars bounced back and took a 34-12 lead.
However, Montana battled back and was fighting off both the flu and hypothermia and had the most remarkable comeback as the team came back from down 22 points with 7:37 remaining to win the game.