List of nicknamed college football games and plays

Several college football games and plays throughout its history have been given names by the media, football fans, and as part of a team's or rivalry's lore as a result of a distinctive play associated with the game, a unique outcome of or circumstance behind the game, the rivalry or undefeated nature of both teams, or for other reasons that make the game notable.

The following is a list of games that have been given names that are widely used or recalled in reference to the game or as part of an American college team's lore. This list does not include games named only after being a bowl game or a playoff game unless they are referred to by a separate nickname.

Nicknamed games NameDateAway teamScoreHome teamNotesFirst College Football GameNovember 6, 1869Princeton Tigers4–6Rutgers QueensmenFirst collegiate soccer match, and the birth of soccer in the United States.The Birth of Black College FootballDecember 27, 1892Biddle football team4–0Livingstone football teamFirst game between two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Hampden Park Blood BathNovember 24, 1894Yale Bulldogs12–4Harvard CrimsonNotoriously violent Harvard-Yale contest resulting in crippling injuries to four players, causing the contest to be suspended until 1897.Vancil (2000), pp 16–18C6H0October 29, 1921Centre Praying Colonels6–0Harvard CrimsonNamed based on a Centre College professor stating that Harvard had been poisoned by the impossible C6H0 chemical formula in reference to the final score, resulting in their upset defeat and the formula name being painted throughout Danville, Kentucky.The Game That Changed The SouthJanuary 1, 1926Alabama Crimson Tide20–19Washington HuskiesThe first radio broadcast bowl game and first national championship victory of the Alabama Crimson Tide.2010 Historical Media Guide, Published by Pasadena Tournament of Roses, December 2009Tall Grass GameOctober 6, 1928Notre Dame Fighting Irish6–22Wisconsin BadgersPlayed on a football field where the grass had not been mowed in a week, and resulted in a Wisconsin upset dubbed by fans as "The Victory In The Tall Grass".Oliver Koechle and Jim Mott, "On Wisconsin: Badger Football", pages 111-113 (c) 1977.Game of the Century (1935)November 30, 1935SMU Mustangs20–14TCU Horned FrogsMatch between two undefeated and untied Southwest Conference teams, with victory necessary to secure the conference championship. The first Texas football game to be broadcast nationwide.When Punts Rained from the SkyNovember 11, 1939Texas Tech Red Raiders0–0Centenary GentlemenGame marred by torrential downpour and muddy field conditions that prevented running or passing, forcing both teams to punt the ball 77 times together in hopes of a fumble recovery.Fifth Down Game (1940)November 16, 1940Cornell Big Red0–3Dartmouth IndiansGame conceded by Cornell after film confirmed that errors by the game officials had allowed an un-permitted fifth down as the last play of the game.Game of the Century (1946)November 9, 1946Notre Dame Fighting Irish0–0Army CadetsGame played between No. 1 (Army) and No. 2 (Notre Dame) ranked teams, resulting in a defensive battle leading to zero points scored and allowing both teams to finish the season undefeated.Anderson, Dave. "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; 'NO MORAL VICTORIES' FOR IRISH", The New York Times, September 14, 1986. Accessed January 10, 2008.LaPointe, Joe. "Notre Dame and Army to Wake Up the Echoes", The New York Times, September 8, 2005. Accessed January 10, 2008.Snow Bowl (1950)November 25, 1950Michigan Wolverines9–3Ohio State BuckeyesBig Ten Conference football championship-crucial game impacted by two inches per hour of snowfall and significant wind chill.Game of the Century (1966)November 19, 1966Notre Dame Fighting Irish10–10Michigan State SpartansConsidered one of the greatest games in college football history, played between two undefeated teams resulting in a tie, with criticism levied at playcaller Ara Parseghian for running the ball on five of six plays in the last minutes.Game of the Century (1967)November 18, 1967UCLA Bruins20–21USC TrojansWidely regarded as the signature game in the UCLA–USC rivalry, having a 64-yard run by O. J. Simpson for the winning touchdown considered one of the greatest run plays in college football history.Crosstown rivalry over the years – USC-UCLA, 1967. Los Angeles Times. In 1967, the L.A. rivals played what was billed as the Game of the CenturyGuiremand, Steve – 25 YEARS AGO O.J. SIMPSON MADE RUN THAT IS HALLMARK OF USC-UCLA GAME LORE. Knight-Ridder Newspapers Deseret News. November 21, 1992. Quote:" It is arguably the biggest play in the storied 104-year history of Southern Cal (sic) football."Harvard Beats Yale, 29–29November 23, 1968Yale Bulldogs29–29Harvard CrimsonSignificant Harvard last-moment comeback by scoring 16 points in the final 42 seconds to tie the game."Harvard Beats Yale"Game of the Century (1969)December 6, 1969Texas Longhorns15–14Arkansas RazorbacksNo. 1 Texas visited No. 2 Arkansas, with United States President Richard Nixon attending to award a presidential plaque to the winner. Highest Nielsen TV rating in American football history at 52.1 (a 74 share), college or professional."Sports: Millions watched the Texas-Arkansas game in 1969 - OCRegister.com". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.Game of the Century (1971)November 25, 1971Nebraska Cornhuskers35–31Oklahoma SoonersMatch between undefeated teams, helping to give the winning Nebraska program a national following.Punt Bama PuntDecember 2, 1972Auburn Tigers17–16Alabama Crimson TideIron Bowl game where Auburn blocked two Alabama punts and ran them back for touchdowns to win the game.The Vote for the RosesNovember 24, 1973Ohio State Buckeyes10–10Michigan WolverinesOne of the most controversial games in NCAA history, due to game's tie outcome resulting in Ohio State being voted into the Rose Bowl instead of Michigan.Pennington, John. The Ten-Year War: Ten Classic Games Between Bo and Woody. p. 113. Ulyssian Publications. , 2005.The Toilet BowlNovember 19, 1983Oregon State Beavers0–0Oregon DucksNotorious poorly played game with eleven turnovers and four missed field goals, and presently the last Division I 0–0 final score. Earthquake GameOctober 8, 1988Auburn Tigers6–7LSU TigersGame where an important play triggered a crowd reaction that registered on a seismograph.Catholics vs. ConvictsOctober 15, 1988Miami Hurricanes30–31Notre Dame Fighting IrishMatch between two undefeated teams involving Notre Dame's Catholic image and Miami's perceived flamboyance and player arrests.Fifth Down Game (1990)October 6, 1990Colorado Buffaloes33–31Missouri TigersGame involving an officiating error that allowed the Colorado Buffaloes to score a touchdown at the end of the game and claim the 1990 Division I-A 1990 national championship.Game of the Century (1993)November 13, 1993Florida State Seminoles24–31Notre Dame Fighting IrishMatchup between two unbeaten teams.Fighting Irish Win Game of the Century The Tech (MIT newspaper) Mike Duffy and Andrew Heitner. Volume 113, Issue 59 : Friday, November 19, 1993Band BrawlSeptember 19, 1998Southern Jaguars37–7Prairie View A&M PanthersNamed after a halftime brawl between the marching bands of the two schools, resulting in several injuries and suspensions on both bands for two games.Clemson–South Carolina football brawlNovember 20, 2004South Carolina Gamecocks7–29Clemson TigersExtensive and violent brawl between both teams, resulting in both teams being suspended from participating in any bowl game for the season.ESPN - Both teams were bowl eligible - College FootballClemson, South Carolina Reflect On Past Brawl :: Two teams had plenty of time off between games after ugly brawlGame of the Century (2006)November 18, 2006Michigan Wolverines39–42Ohio State BuckeyesMatch between two rival undefeated teams, resulting in Ohio State claiming the Big Ten championship and several players on both teams receiving awards and recognition.Game of the Century (2009)December 5, 2009Florida Gators13–32Alabama Crimson TideMatch between two 12–0 teams, often seen as the beginning of the Alabama dynasty.Separate But Equal BowlJanuary 4, 2010Boise State Broncos17–10TCU Horned FrogsFirst game where two teams from the BCS non-AQ (automatic qualifying) conferences, the historic predecessor to today's Group of Six conferences, earned BCS bowl berths in the same season.Game of the Century (2011)November 5, 2011LSU Tigers9–6Alabama Crimson TideMatch between two rival 8–0 teams.Trouble With the SnapOctober 17, 2015Michigan State Spartans27–23Michigan WolverinesMichigan–Michigan State football rivalry game where Michigan's punter fumbled the snap, resulting in the ball being returned for a touchdown on the last play of the game.Battle at BristolSeptember 10, 2016Virginia Tech Hokies24–45Tennessee VolunteersPlayed at Bristol Motor Speedway. Holds the record for the largest single-game attendance of an NCAA football game at 156,990.Game of the Century (2019)November 9, 2019LSU Tigers46–41Alabama Crimson TideMatch between two top-ranked teams, with both teams tied for first place in the Southeastern Conference's West Division entering the game.

Named individual plays, series of plays, and in-game instances