The 2005 regular season matchup of the year was No. 9 Notre Dame hosting No. 1 USC, with that season's National Championship being played between USC and Texas at the Rose Bowl. The 2013 regular season was highlighted by the Iron Bowl with No. 1 Alabama visiting No. 4 Auburn. While reminiscing on these historic face-offs, encapsulating your entire mind and being with nostalgia, I'll be taking star power/name recognition, pre-game hype, and the game itself into consideration.
The year is 2004 and it's week six of the college football season. The reigning National Champion USC Trojans are still No. 1 in the country, with many thanks to Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, and are fully expected to repeat come January. However, if someone is to obstruct their road to perfection, it very well could be the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend.
The Leinart and Bush years at USC were something truly remarkable; their names and careers are basically college football folklore. The fact that neither of these guys really panned out in the NFL oddly epitomizes collegiate stardom (seriously start rapidly thinking of college legends, only a select few carry their level of success over to Sundays), with their careers gracing us quickly and astonishingly like a shooting star. The same can't be said for Pete Carroll, who is now one of the NFL's better coaches and is one poor decision away from being a two-time Super Bowl Champ. To add to the list of legends on this team was the third component of the trinity with Leinart and Bush, power running back LenDale White. Bush was the lightning, White was the thunder. Leinart's main target was Dwayne Jarrett, who was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers. Also on USC's roster was Sedrick Ellis, Brian Cushing, and Mark Sanchez. Notre Dame's legends consisted of Brady Quinn, Tom Zbikowski, and Jeff "The Shark" Samardzija (currently pitching for the San Francisco Giants). And let's not forget that this ND team was coached by Charlie Weis, the master of the fall from grace. Weis was the Patriots' offensive coordinator for Brady's first three Super Bowls before taking the head coaching job in South Bend. There were a few others amongst both rosters that made it to the league, but don't quite have the household name type of recognition, especially with this game taking place 14 years ago (that's horrifying to think about).
The recency of the 2013 Iron Bowl helps the name recognition of the guys on those rosters, but that doesn't take away from the fact that a ridiculous amount of players from that game made it to the NFL. That 'Bama roster included: Reuben Foster, TJ Yeldon, Haha Clinton-DIx, AJ Mccarron, CJ Mosley, Jonathan Allen, Amari Cooper, Landon Collins, amongst others. And although neither of them recorded stats in that 2013 Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide had Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara on that running back depth chart. Auburn didn't have quite as many, but still boasted Jermaine Whitehead, Sammie Coates, Tre Mason, Jonathan Jones, to name a few. Also worth noting, this Auburn roster contained not one, but two different players on it that would go on to singlehandedly blow a playoff game for their NFL team in January of 2019: Dee Ford and Cody Parkey. Heck of a coincidence.
If I had to choose which game gets the edge in star power/name recognition, I'm going with the 2005 matchup between ND and USC. The amount of weight that the names Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart hold in the college football universe both past and present, is absolutely indescribable. I'm sure some nostalgia is playing a part in it, but honestly how many of those Iron Bowl names will we recognize 14 years from now? There are plenty of guys from the '05 game that made it to the league but are nowhere near household names. I'm guessing that will be the case with the '13 game not too many years down the road.
It goes without saying that both face-offs had incredibly insane pre-game hype leading up to them, as both were rivalry games with both teams ranked in the top-ten. Had Notre Dame not lost a week three overtime thriller to Michigan State, their ranking with the Trojans could've been a bit closer. But they didn't, and it wasn't. No. 1 against No. 9 is still fantastic. ESPN GameDay was in South Bend for the game, and their was a Friday night pep rally at the stadium where they brought in Joe Montana and Rudy to fire everyone up. USC was favored by twelve. To top off all of the excitement leading up to kickoff, the Fighting Irish came out of the tunnel in their green jerseys. Safe to say the boys were ready to take down the top dogs.
Heading into the Iron Bowl, Alabama was favored by ten, but Auburn had enough fortunate strokes of serendipity to believe they were destined for an upset. The David/Goliath narrative was certainly present, which almost seems absurd for a No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup, but Alabama was looking to three-peat as National Champs and Auburn was coming off of a 3-9 season. The manner in which Auburn had been winning games that year just simply made it seem as if the football gods were on their side. The College GameDay crew was present on Auburn's campus that evening. Since it was the final regular season game of the season, the winner of the game automatically moved on to the SEC Championship. Since the Iron Bowl was essentially a playoff game, the pre-game hype was more impressive. Notre Dame and USC do play the final regular season game every other year, but 2005 just so happened to be a year that they played mid-season.
Now onto the games themselves, which are both so iconic. There aren't a whole lot of games from any sport in 2005 that I remember as vividly as Notre Dame vs USC. It undoubtedly is one of the games that was a major gateway into my lifelong college football addiction. This game certainly had a lot of action, with pretty steady back-and-forth scoring. Reggie Bush went off with three touchdowns, Zbikowski had his infamous punt return touchdown, Leinart threw two picks, Brady Quinn threw one, and the Irish fumbled merely six yards away from the end zone in the third quarter. And all of that was topped off by a wild, wild ending. After USC marched up the field down 31-28. It appeared as if the game had ended with the Irish stuffing Leinart as he attempted to leap into the end zone. The ball popped loose and the clock wound down, but it shouldn't have, as the fumbled pigskin rolled out of bounds. The officials put seven seconds back on the clock, and then came what we now know as the Bush Push. The Trojans win streak continues.
Even though Cody Parkey will now forever be known as an unreliable kicker, ironically the theme of the 2013 Iron Bowl was abysmal field goal kicking by Alabama. Cade Foster missed three field goals for the Tide that night (he did make one but it didn't count due to a penalty). The game obviously did have highlights other than missed Alabama field goals; an Auburn punt to the one yard line, followed by a 99-yard AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper touchdown was an incredible series of events. At one point in the game, Alabama was up 21-7, although that only lasted for just over two minutes in the second quarter. Other than that, it was always a one-possession game. After 'Bama's booting woes, Saban subbed in freshman kicker Adam Griffith for the win, as it was all tied up at 28. And that brought us the Kick Six, returned by Chris Davis, which I can say is a top-two most improbable game-winning play that I've seen in my life. And for that reason, I've gotta go with the Iron Bowl. Much like the reason it gets the edge in pre-game hype, the fact that this was a win or go home game also played a factor. Everything was at stake and it ended in seemingly impossible fashion. It also gave us "AUBURN'S GONNA WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME!!!"
Both victors of those regular-season games of the year went on to play in the National Championship, which is obviously part of the reason those games were deemed best of the season. Both of these games were played at the Rose Bowl, which is the absolute best setting for the National Championship.
We've already covered the big names from the 2005 USC team, and just as their superstars were on an astronomical level of fame and popularity, the Longhorns had one of the few players in the same echelon of Bush and Leinart: Vince Young. Absolutely no disrespect to the other players on that Texas roster, but this will forever be Vince Young's team, and Vince Young's game. However, there was obviously still some serious talent in burnt orange that evening: Safety Michael Huff won the Jim Thorpe Award in '05 and was drafted 7th overall by the Oakland Raiders. Jamaal Charles was in the backfield. Brian Orakpo was a freshman that season, along with Colt McCoy on the sidelines. Jermichael Finley redshirted that season for the Horns.
I mentioned the recency bias in name recognition with the 2013 teams, and Florida State might benefit from that, but it doesn't take away from the fact that by the spring of 2016 all 22 Seminole starters from this game had an NFL roster spot. To name a few: Jameis Winston (that season's Heisman winner), Kelvin Benjamin, Devonta Freeman, Lamarcus Joyner, Bryan Stork, and Jalen Ramsey.
Again, maybe my sentimentality for the '05 big names is swaying my opinion, but the legacy that Bush, Leinart, and Young left on the game is untouchable. The fact that all three Heisman finalists were featured in the National Championship is absolutely magical.
It's a little difficult to really compare the pregame hype of separate National Championships, as every single one is obviously hyped up. The Longhorn's expectancy to play for the crown can be traced back to the previous season, where they edged out Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Knowing that the National Title for 2005 was already scheduled to be played at that very same stadium, Vince Young in his postgame interview infamously said into the microphone, "We'll be baaaaaaaacckk!" And he followed up on that promise. They were back, and they were seven point underdogs to the Trojans, who had won 34 straight games. Texas had won 19 consecutive. The Trojans were being deemed by some as the best team ever assembled in college football.
The 2013 National Championship had an extra storyline leading up to it, as it was the final BCS National Championship Game, with college football implementing the four team playoff in 2014. Florida State was a ten point favorite. The vibe entering this game was slightly off-kilter for an undefeated squad led by a Heisman QB, facing off against a "miracle-team," but that's because we were talkin' SEC vs ACC here. "BUT PAWWWLLL! FLORIDA STATE AINT PLAYED NOBODY!" Plus, one of Auburn's miracles came against Nick Saban's Alabama for God's sake. Why would they be intimidated by the team that's only No. 1 because of that Iron Bowl victory?
Both of these games will forever be remembered as some of the most thrilling college football championships ever played. In 2005, both Texas and USC took their turns lighting up the scoreboard without much separation; their scores differentiated by more than one possession just twice (Texas was up 16-7 for only two and a half minutes, USC was up 38-26 for 2:39). Vince Young put on a display of freakish athleticism, completing 30 of 40 throws for 267 yards, and running the ball 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Young completely owned the Longhorns' run game, as Jamaal Charles only had five rushes for 34 yards. For the Trojans, LenDale White was the leading rusher with 20 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn't mean Reggie Bush was absent in the slightest, as he rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while also catching six passes for 95 yards. USC's leading receiver was Dwayne Jarrett, as he reeled in ten catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Matt Leinart went 29/40 with 365 yards and a touchdown, and was picked off by Michael Griffin in the second quarter.
With 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, the Trojans led 38-33 and faced a 4th and 2. If they had converted this, the game was essentially over. A LenDale White attempt to bulldoze past the first down marker was stuffed by the Texas defense. Vince Young and the offense take the field trailing by five with 2:09 left on the clock, and 56 yards to go until the end zone. On the ensuing drive, a face-mask call on USC helped the Longhorns convert on a 3rd down, which crossed them onto USC's half of the field.
The entire 2005 college football season had 26 seconds left of football, and the Longhorns faced a fourth and five at the eight yard line. Vince Young drops back to pass, but scrambles to the right, and scurries into the corner of the end zone with just 19 seconds remaining. After a failed miracle, it was official: the Trojans' reign had ended. It was the Longhorns' time to dance in the raining confetti.
In 2013, Florida State got out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter before Auburn scored 21 unanswered points throughout the first half. The 21-3 lead was eventually diminished after Devonta Freeman rushed one in with a minute and a half to go until halftime. It was a manageable deficit, but the 'Noles needed get things moving, no questions asked.
The Seminole defense certainly stepped up after the halfway mark, allowing zero points in the third quarter, but unfortunately the offense could only muster up a field goal in that span. In the final quarter of the BCS era, the liveliness definitely got turned up a few notches. Halfway through the fourth, Jameis Winston led a 56 yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass to make it a one-point game. Auburn then added to their lead with a field goal, making it 24-20 with just under five minutes left. It would've been an ideal time for the Auburn defense to really lock down and not allow any points, had they even got the chance. Instead, FSU's Levonte Whitfield returned the kickoff for 100 yards into the end zone. The Tigers eventually stole the lead back on a commanding 75 yard drive, capped off by a 37 yard Tre Mason rushing touchdown.
As Jameis Winston took the field trailing 31-27, the clock read a measly 1:11, and the 'Noles were starting from their own 20 yard line. On the second play of the drive, Winston tosses it to Rashad Greene, who puts in work after the catch, causing two defenders to collide, resulting in a 49 yard gain. Florida State keeps pushing forward and eventually took a very untimely delay of game penalty at the five yard line with 21 seconds left. On the ensuing 3rd and 8, Winston threw to Greene on a slant in the end zone, which drew a pass interference call on Auburn's Iron Bowl hero, Chris Davis.
We have 1st and goal from the two yard line, Winston takes the snap, fakes the handoff to Freeman, and quickly tosses one up for Kelvin Benjamin, who reels it in amidst coverage from the Auburn defensive backs. They left only 13 seconds on the clock, spoiling the Tigers' miracle season, and solidifying their perfect season. The last team to ever raise the BCS crystal ball.
I do feel that the 2013 National Title does get overlooked by many; it was an incredible comeback by Florida State and came down to the final seconds. It also gave us Jameis Winston's postgame "We skrong" postgame interview. But I'm sorry, Seminoles. The 2005 National Championship victory led by Vince Young in taking down one of college football's most reckless juggernauts will forever be the best in my mind. The only one that is in the same discussion is Deshaun Watson and Clemson beating Alabama in 2016, but that's a different post for a different time.
If I had to choose which game gets the edge in star power/name recognition, I'm going with the 2005 matchup between ND and USC. The amount of weight that the names Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart hold in the college football universe both past and present, is absolutely indescribable. I'm sure some nostalgia is playing a part in it, but honestly how many of those Iron Bowl names will we recognize 14 years from now? There are plenty of guys from the '05 game that made it to the league but are nowhere near household names. I'm guessing that will be the case with the '13 game not too many years down the road.
It goes without saying that both face-offs had incredibly insane pre-game hype leading up to them, as both were rivalry games with both teams ranked in the top-ten. Had Notre Dame not lost a week three overtime thriller to Michigan State, their ranking with the Trojans could've been a bit closer. But they didn't, and it wasn't. No. 1 against No. 9 is still fantastic. ESPN GameDay was in South Bend for the game, and their was a Friday night pep rally at the stadium where they brought in Joe Montana and Rudy to fire everyone up. USC was favored by twelve. To top off all of the excitement leading up to kickoff, the Fighting Irish came out of the tunnel in their green jerseys. Safe to say the boys were ready to take down the top dogs.
Heading into the Iron Bowl, Alabama was favored by ten, but Auburn had enough fortunate strokes of serendipity to believe they were destined for an upset. The David/Goliath narrative was certainly present, which almost seems absurd for a No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup, but Alabama was looking to three-peat as National Champs and Auburn was coming off of a 3-9 season. The manner in which Auburn had been winning games that year just simply made it seem as if the football gods were on their side. The College GameDay crew was present on Auburn's campus that evening. Since it was the final regular season game of the season, the winner of the game automatically moved on to the SEC Championship. Since the Iron Bowl was essentially a playoff game, the pre-game hype was more impressive. Notre Dame and USC do play the final regular season game every other year, but 2005 just so happened to be a year that they played mid-season.
Now onto the games themselves, which are both so iconic. There aren't a whole lot of games from any sport in 2005 that I remember as vividly as Notre Dame vs USC. It undoubtedly is one of the games that was a major gateway into my lifelong college football addiction. This game certainly had a lot of action, with pretty steady back-and-forth scoring. Reggie Bush went off with three touchdowns, Zbikowski had his infamous punt return touchdown, Leinart threw two picks, Brady Quinn threw one, and the Irish fumbled merely six yards away from the end zone in the third quarter. And all of that was topped off by a wild, wild ending. After USC marched up the field down 31-28. It appeared as if the game had ended with the Irish stuffing Leinart as he attempted to leap into the end zone. The ball popped loose and the clock wound down, but it shouldn't have, as the fumbled pigskin rolled out of bounds. The officials put seven seconds back on the clock, and then came what we now know as the Bush Push. The Trojans win streak continues.
Even though Cody Parkey will now forever be known as an unreliable kicker, ironically the theme of the 2013 Iron Bowl was abysmal field goal kicking by Alabama. Cade Foster missed three field goals for the Tide that night (he did make one but it didn't count due to a penalty). The game obviously did have highlights other than missed Alabama field goals; an Auburn punt to the one yard line, followed by a 99-yard AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper touchdown was an incredible series of events. At one point in the game, Alabama was up 21-7, although that only lasted for just over two minutes in the second quarter. Other than that, it was always a one-possession game. After 'Bama's booting woes, Saban subbed in freshman kicker Adam Griffith for the win, as it was all tied up at 28. And that brought us the Kick Six, returned by Chris Davis, which I can say is a top-two most improbable game-winning play that I've seen in my life. And for that reason, I've gotta go with the Iron Bowl. Much like the reason it gets the edge in pre-game hype, the fact that this was a win or go home game also played a factor. Everything was at stake and it ended in seemingly impossible fashion. It also gave us "AUBURN'S GONNA WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME!!!"
Both victors of those regular-season games of the year went on to play in the National Championship, which is obviously part of the reason those games were deemed best of the season. Both of these games were played at the Rose Bowl, which is the absolute best setting for the National Championship.
We've already covered the big names from the 2005 USC team, and just as their superstars were on an astronomical level of fame and popularity, the Longhorns had one of the few players in the same echelon of Bush and Leinart: Vince Young. Absolutely no disrespect to the other players on that Texas roster, but this will forever be Vince Young's team, and Vince Young's game. However, there was obviously still some serious talent in burnt orange that evening: Safety Michael Huff won the Jim Thorpe Award in '05 and was drafted 7th overall by the Oakland Raiders. Jamaal Charles was in the backfield. Brian Orakpo was a freshman that season, along with Colt McCoy on the sidelines. Jermichael Finley redshirted that season for the Horns.
I mentioned the recency bias in name recognition with the 2013 teams, and Florida State might benefit from that, but it doesn't take away from the fact that by the spring of 2016 all 22 Seminole starters from this game had an NFL roster spot. To name a few: Jameis Winston (that season's Heisman winner), Kelvin Benjamin, Devonta Freeman, Lamarcus Joyner, Bryan Stork, and Jalen Ramsey.
Again, maybe my sentimentality for the '05 big names is swaying my opinion, but the legacy that Bush, Leinart, and Young left on the game is untouchable. The fact that all three Heisman finalists were featured in the National Championship is absolutely magical.
It's a little difficult to really compare the pregame hype of separate National Championships, as every single one is obviously hyped up. The Longhorn's expectancy to play for the crown can be traced back to the previous season, where they edged out Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Knowing that the National Title for 2005 was already scheduled to be played at that very same stadium, Vince Young in his postgame interview infamously said into the microphone, "We'll be baaaaaaaacckk!" And he followed up on that promise. They were back, and they were seven point underdogs to the Trojans, who had won 34 straight games. Texas had won 19 consecutive. The Trojans were being deemed by some as the best team ever assembled in college football.
The 2013 National Championship had an extra storyline leading up to it, as it was the final BCS National Championship Game, with college football implementing the four team playoff in 2014. Florida State was a ten point favorite. The vibe entering this game was slightly off-kilter for an undefeated squad led by a Heisman QB, facing off against a "miracle-team," but that's because we were talkin' SEC vs ACC here. "BUT PAWWWLLL! FLORIDA STATE AINT PLAYED NOBODY!" Plus, one of Auburn's miracles came against Nick Saban's Alabama for God's sake. Why would they be intimidated by the team that's only No. 1 because of that Iron Bowl victory?
Both of these games will forever be remembered as some of the most thrilling college football championships ever played. In 2005, both Texas and USC took their turns lighting up the scoreboard without much separation; their scores differentiated by more than one possession just twice (Texas was up 16-7 for only two and a half minutes, USC was up 38-26 for 2:39). Vince Young put on a display of freakish athleticism, completing 30 of 40 throws for 267 yards, and running the ball 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Young completely owned the Longhorns' run game, as Jamaal Charles only had five rushes for 34 yards. For the Trojans, LenDale White was the leading rusher with 20 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn't mean Reggie Bush was absent in the slightest, as he rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while also catching six passes for 95 yards. USC's leading receiver was Dwayne Jarrett, as he reeled in ten catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Matt Leinart went 29/40 with 365 yards and a touchdown, and was picked off by Michael Griffin in the second quarter.
With 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, the Trojans led 38-33 and faced a 4th and 2. If they had converted this, the game was essentially over. A LenDale White attempt to bulldoze past the first down marker was stuffed by the Texas defense. Vince Young and the offense take the field trailing by five with 2:09 left on the clock, and 56 yards to go until the end zone. On the ensuing drive, a face-mask call on USC helped the Longhorns convert on a 3rd down, which crossed them onto USC's half of the field.
The entire 2005 college football season had 26 seconds left of football, and the Longhorns faced a fourth and five at the eight yard line. Vince Young drops back to pass, but scrambles to the right, and scurries into the corner of the end zone with just 19 seconds remaining. After a failed miracle, it was official: the Trojans' reign had ended. It was the Longhorns' time to dance in the raining confetti.
In 2013, Florida State got out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter before Auburn scored 21 unanswered points throughout the first half. The 21-3 lead was eventually diminished after Devonta Freeman rushed one in with a minute and a half to go until halftime. It was a manageable deficit, but the 'Noles needed get things moving, no questions asked.
The Seminole defense certainly stepped up after the halfway mark, allowing zero points in the third quarter, but unfortunately the offense could only muster up a field goal in that span. In the final quarter of the BCS era, the liveliness definitely got turned up a few notches. Halfway through the fourth, Jameis Winston led a 56 yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass to make it a one-point game. Auburn then added to their lead with a field goal, making it 24-20 with just under five minutes left. It would've been an ideal time for the Auburn defense to really lock down and not allow any points, had they even got the chance. Instead, FSU's Levonte Whitfield returned the kickoff for 100 yards into the end zone. The Tigers eventually stole the lead back on a commanding 75 yard drive, capped off by a 37 yard Tre Mason rushing touchdown.
As Jameis Winston took the field trailing 31-27, the clock read a measly 1:11, and the 'Noles were starting from their own 20 yard line. On the second play of the drive, Winston tosses it to Rashad Greene, who puts in work after the catch, causing two defenders to collide, resulting in a 49 yard gain. Florida State keeps pushing forward and eventually took a very untimely delay of game penalty at the five yard line with 21 seconds left. On the ensuing 3rd and 8, Winston threw to Greene on a slant in the end zone, which drew a pass interference call on Auburn's Iron Bowl hero, Chris Davis.
I do feel that the 2013 National Title does get overlooked by many; it was an incredible comeback by Florida State and came down to the final seconds. It also gave us Jameis Winston's postgame "We skrong" postgame interview. But I'm sorry, Seminoles. The 2005 National Championship victory led by Vince Young in taking down one of college football's most reckless juggernauts will forever be the best in my mind. The only one that is in the same discussion is Deshaun Watson and Clemson beating Alabama in 2016, but that's a different post for a different time.
