Best Orange Bowl moments ever

Before Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams, there was Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins. Watkins grabbed the Orange Bowl Most Outstanding Player Award in 2014 behind 227 receiving yards, but Boyd arguably was the best player with 378 passing yards, five touchdowns and 127 rushing yards with a score. Still, Ohio State had a chance to win the game before Stephone Anthony intercepted the ball late in the game to seal the victory.

Everyone knows the Geno Smith who hasn’t lived up to expectations in the NFL, but those expectations came from somewhere — and the Orange Bowl gave scouts plenty to drool over. Smith rewrote the Orange Bowl record books, throwing for 407 yards and six touchdowns. West Virginia scored 70 points, an Orange Bowl record that still stands today.

Rarely do kickers get three chances to win a bowl game, but Penn State’s Kevin Kelly was able to break through. In the third overtime, Kelly hit a 29-yard field goal to win the Nittany Lions their first Orange Bowl title in 30 years. Kelly missed his previous two chances to win, resulting in a game that lasted five hours.

Down eight points in the fourth quarter, it looked like Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne’s luck at the Orange Bowl was not going to change. Then, two fullback touchdown runs and one Tommy Frazier two-point conversion later, Nebraska secured its first national title with Osborne at the helm with help from an incredible defensive effort.

Florida State has a history of bad field goals, but when it counted for the Seminoles, a freshman came through. Scott Bentley sent a 22-yard field goal through the uprights with 22 seconds left in the game to win Bobby Bowden’s first national championship, with FSU topping Nebraska 18-16.

The Buffaloes were supposed to be dead in the water after starting quarterback Darian Hagan went down. With a little luck, however, Colorado topped the mighty Fighting Irish. Notre Dame returner Raghib “Rocket” Ismail took a punt 91 yards for a touchdown with 43 seconds left that was called back for a phantom clipping call that secured Colorado’s victory.

Troy Aikman’s injury early in Oklahoma’s season was supposed to doom the Sooners. Instead, freshman Jamelle Holieway stepped in and led Oklahoma to an Orange Bowl win over Penn State. Brian Bosworth was patrolling the middle of the Sooner defense, leading the team with 12 tackles in the game.

The “Fumblerooski” game nearly ended with a win for Nebraska, but Miami had other plans. The Cornhuskers pulled within a point of the Hurricanes with 48 seconds left when Tom Osborne decided to go for two to win the game. Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill unleashed a pass only to have Miami safety Ken Calhoun step in front of the ball to win the game for the U.

Arkansas was a heavy underdog against powerful Oklahoma after head coach Lou Holtz suspended three players, including running backs Ben Cowins and Donny Bobo, who accounted for 78 percent of the Razorbacks' scoring. Fortunately for Arkansas, it didn’t need the duo as Roland Sales stepped in and gained 205 yards with two scores. The Razorbacks dominated the Sooners, 30-6, to win the game. Sales's record rushing game would stand for 20 years.

Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian announced that he was resigning on Dec. 15, before the Orange Bowl was played, and the Fighting Irish were able to send him off a winner against the No. 1 team in the country no less. Alabama was driving down two points with less than two minutes to go in the game when Notre Dame’s Reggie Barnett intercepted the Crimson Tide’s Richard Todd to seal the win.

Football is a game of inches, and Nebraska quarterback Jerry Tagge knew that better anyone. With the score tied and 8:50 left in the game, the Cornhuskers were looking at a 4th-and-1 at the goal line. Tagge went in for the sneak, was initially stopped by the LSU defense, but stretched for the end zone and scored what would be the game-winning touchdown.

The Nittany Lions were down 14-7 with 1:16 left when a blocked punt gave Penn State the ball at the 50-yard line. Bob Campbell scored on a dive to make the score 14-13. With less than a minute left in the game, Penn State went for two and was short, but a 12-men-on-the-field penalty gave the Nittany Lions a second chance to convert. Campbell took advantage of the extra opportunity and scored, winning the Orange Bowl for Penn State, 15-14.

How do you win a national championship while losing a bowl game? Alabama found a way. In the first prime time game of the Orange Bowl, Texas shocked college football by beating the Crimson Tide, 21-17. Alabama was crowned AP national champions prior to the game, and the loss did not change that result. Crimson Tide quarterback Joe Namath won the game's MVP despite not starting by throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

The first Orange Bowl game featured a future regular in Miami and a Bucknell team that would make its only FBS bowl appearance in school history. The Bison made the most of it though, shutting out Miami, 26-0, in what used to be known as the Palm Festival.