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As we await all of the fireworks for the New Year's Eve games, including the playoff semifinal matches, here are the top 5 entertaining games that we have witnessed, so far.
Two brand names with one trying to continue a remarkable turnaround (FSU) and the other trying to avoid a sub.-500 record (OU). Ryan Fitzgerald's 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left provided the game-winning points in the 35-32 victory for the Seminoles, and the kick came just 2 minutes and 42 seconds after Oklahoma had tied the score. In fact, the entire 4th quarter was a bit nuts as the teams pretty much kept swapping scores. Oklahoma went up 25-18 only to see the 'Noles drive right back down in the field in just 2:17 to make it 25-all. An OU fumble on the next possession, when they were threatening to score again, set up FSU to take the 32-25 lead on a 68-yard drive that took just 2:38. Oklahoma responded with a 75-yard drive in 3:45, before the final drive by the Seminoles for the winning kick. Florida State got to 10 wins with the victory while the Sooners slipped to 6-7 in Brent Venables first season as head coach.
Arkansas and Kansas hadn't played since 1906 so they decided to make their matchup last as long as possible. Ultimately, Arkansas prevailed 55-53 in triple-overtime after coughing up a 25-point lead. Kansas got a little too cute with their 2-point conversion try in the 3rd overtime by running an end-around pass that sailed out of the end zone. The Razorbacks notably gave up a 24-0 halftime lead in the 2016 Belk Bowl to Virginia Tech and lost 35-24. This time, the Hogs led 38-13 until a Kansas TD with 3:15 to go in the 3rd. After holding Arkansas to a 3-and-out, the Jayhawks added a field goal to make it 38-23 with 14:07 left in the game. That score remained through several changes of possessions until an Arkansas fumble and subsequent return set up a 7-play, 48-yard Kansas drive to make it 38-30 with 1:05 remaining. An ensuing onside kick and recovery led to another TD just 24 seconds later and the successful 2-point try forced OT. Both teams scored TD's and PAT kicks in the first extra period, followed by TD's and 2-point conversions in the second extra period. Arkansas was also involved in the only previous Liberty Bowl overtime game on January 2, 2010 when the Razorbacks beat East Carolina 20-17.
As well as any PGA player could draw a wedge to the flag, the left-footed Ben Sauls kicked that type of a 47-yard field goal into a stiff left-to-right win with 4 seconds remaining to give Pittsburgh an incredible 37-35 win over UCLA. The Panthers, who scored 20 answered points to take a 34-28 lead, missed on two great opportunities to put the game away, including a perfectly thrown bomb at the goal line and, later, a bobbled hand-off on a 4th down play with 1:53 remaining that would have allowed them to run out the clock. After the 4th down play failed, UCLA backup QB Ethan Garbers led the Bruins on an 8-play, 70-yard drive to take a 35-34 lead with only 34 seconds left, and Pitt burned its last two timeouts on the drive. But QB Nick Patti completed 2 passes for 35 yards, then ran for 11 to set up Saul's kick. Garbers subbed for Dorian Thompson-Robinson who appeared to have suffered some form of a back injury or spasms in the 3rd quarter. Patti was playing in place of Kedon Slovis who transferred to BYU after the regular season. Additionally, the Panthers were without RB Israel Abanikanda (nation's 7th leading rusher) who had declared for the NFL draft, and the Bruins were without Zach Charbonnet (nation's 4th-leading rusher) who was a game-time decision not to play. For Pitt, Rodney Hammond, Jr. ran for 96 yards and 2 TD's in place of Abanikanda and UCLA's T. J. Harden ran for 111 yards and a TD in place of Charbonnet. Both teams finished the season with 9-4 records. UCLA hasn't won a bowl game since 2014 with losses in its last 3.
Tyler Buchner lifted Notre Dame to a 45-38 win as he threw for 274 and 3 TD's, and ran for 61 yards and 2 more scores. On the downside, he tossed a 100-yard pick six with 7:42 left in the game that allowed the Gamecocks to tie the score at 38-each instead of putting his own team up by at least 10. But Buchner was unfazed and led his team right back down the field to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:38 remaining on a 16-yard pass to Mitchell Evans. South Carolina's ensuing drive got as far as the Notre Dame 34 before an intentional grounding penalty and an unsportsmanlike conduct call left the Gamecocks with a 4th and 36. South Carolina took a 21-7 lead, partly on kicker Kai Kroeger's 23-yard pass to Hunter Rogers. Notre Dame later got in on the special teams trickery by using a fake punt to sustain a scoring drive. The Irish finished their inaugural season under head coach Marcus Freeman at 9-4 after an 0-2 start, and the Gamecocks finished 8-5. The teams hadn't met since 1984 and the Irish are now 4-1 all-time in the series. South Carolina is now 0-5 all-time in Gator Bowls, including the first one ever played at the end of the 1945 season.
Oregon rallied past North Carolina for a 28-27 win in the first-ever game between the two schools. The tying score came on a 6-yard pass from Bo Nix to Chase Cota with :19 seconds to play, concluding an 8-play, 79-yard drive after which Cameron Lewis made a bank-shot off the left upright for the crucial go-ahead PAT. North Carolina drove to the Oregon 41 but eschewed a 58-yard FG try in favor of a Hail Mary attempt that fell incomplete on the final play of the game. The Ducks entered the final period down 10, but pulled to with 24-21 at the 6:58 mark after which the Tar Heels added a field goal for the 6-point cushion. Oregon finished the season 10-3 in its first season under Dan Lanning as head coach while Mack Brown's Tar Heels went 0-4 down the home stretch to finish 9-5.