Top 10 games in TEXAS football history

[echeese]

Off Season fodder to pass the time but the thread was started on OB (all my best jokes and ideas are stolen) and it's always a fun discussion. . . 

Your top 10 games in TEXAS history and why. . . . 

10. Ohio State 09 - Great game and a nail biter until Mccoy to Cosby in the final seconds sealed the Fiesta bowl win    Other games in consideration for the 10th spot. . .2008 OU (2 double digit comebacks)   2011 Aggie, last game of the rivalry, great comeback. . . The Tackle . ..1962 (63?) vs Arkansas 1973 Cotton Bowl v Bama/Bear. . Alan Lowery bootlegs for 32 yards and a come from behind win.

9. Michigan 04 - "W'ell be back!" Vince was amazing and the kick to win made this game special.   1st Rose Bowl trip and 1st time we played Michigan

8. Oklahoma 1977 - One of the best games of the rivalry and ended a 6 year drought 

*7. Nebraska 1996 -  James Brown "roll left" to seal the Big 12 championship 

6. tOSU 2005 .. . .TEXAS beat the 2 best teams in the nation that year. . both in amazing games 1st time we had ever played tOSU. . . . 

5. Alabama 1965 - Nobis drops Namath to win the Orange Bowl  

*4. ND 1970 - First outright title for Texas. Street to Speyrer was huge and led to the winning TD.  ND's first bowl game in decades

*3. Arkansas 1969 - Greatest game of the century .. . .in some ways, actual title game

*2. Cotton Bowl vs Navy 1964 for our 1st title (though before my time)

*1. USC 2005 - No explanation needed

So what are your top 10?

 

[texasdobbs]

I have a lot of favorites, including the 2005 national championship and last year's win over Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Game Was So significant because we were expected to get our butt beaten bad and we came in there and flat out kicked there butt.

And let's not forget the last atm game with Tucker's last second field goal for the win.

 

[echeese]

Last year's OU game was #2 for me after 2008 in the Mack era with 2005 #3 and 2006 #4

Bye Bye bomar

 

[streettopeschel]

1) the big shootout

2) usc 2005

3) navy 63

4) ND 70 cotton bowl

5) Michigan 04

6) aggy 95

7) nu 96

8) 0u 58 (dkr's first ou win and started us on a 12-1 run against them after years of butt kickings)

9) aggy 1940 (denied the ags a 2nd NC and was the win that propelled dx bible's run. texas was an afterthought in the swc in the 30s as smu, tcu and a&m all claimed NCs.)

10) bama 65 (certainly a big win, but arky was the swc champ that year and bama had already been named NC)

 

[JimR]

1) the big shootout

2) usc 2005

3) navy 63

4) ND 70 cotton bowl

5) Michigan 04

6) aggy 95

7) nu 96

8) 0u 58 (dkr's first ou win and started us on a 12-1 run against them after years of butt kickings)

9) aggy 1940 (denied the ags a 2nd NC and was the win that propelled dx bible's run. texas was an afterthought in the swc in the 30s as smu, tcu and a&m all claimed NCs.)

10) bama 65 (certainly a big win, but arky was the swc champ that year and bama had already been named NC)

great list, STP. my parents would have included this game:

Then the turning point came in October 1939 when Texas was playing Arkansas in Austin. Down 13–7 with under 30 seconds to play, and with many fans heading for the stadium exits, Texas fullback R.B. Patrick flipped a short pass to Texas' halfback Jack Crain and ran 67 yards untouched for the score in the waning seconds of the game to tie Arkansas at 13. Those same fans that were leaving the stadium came pouring back in and onto the field. After the field was cleared Crain booted the extra point and Texas defeated Arkansas 14–13. This game became known as the "Renaissance Game" of the Dana X. Bible era, and the win revitalized the Texas football program in 1939.

 

[primal defense]

My picks are from 1963, since that's when I started as a UT fan.

1. USC Nat champ

2. Arkansas 1969 It was maybe more hyped than the USC Rose Bowl game and Nixon showing up and declaring the UT National Champ over Penn State was icing on the cake.

3.Navy National Championship

4. N.D. National Championship

5. Michigan  Vince warming up for the National Championship for the next year.

6. Alabama exciting Orange Bowl win over Joe Namath.

7.Texas A&M 1963 UT 15 A&M 13  Led to UT's first National Championship, thought UT would lose. My first UT game.

8. UCLA 1970  Phillips to Cotton Speyer for 45 yards with19 seconds. Sitting in the end zone and everyone thought UT had lost and broken the winning streak.

9. Nebraska 1996 The James Brown pass when Nebraska was still at the top in college football.

10. A&M 1998 Ricky wins the Heisman game.

 

[armadillo slim]

well, the ending i always think of before any others was 1970 UCLA, so it would be on my list.

 

[Hiwood]

you can tell most people's age by how they rate the '69 UT-Ark game vs the '05 national championship game

The '69 game was THE GAME of the Century

The '05 game is the current holder of that title for this Century

 

[echeese]

you can tell most people's age by how they rate the '69 UT-Ark game vs the '05 national championship game

The '69 game was THE GAME of the Century

The '05 game is the current holder of that title for this Century

The '69 game was the 1st football game of any kind I ever watched so I have a strong emotional tie to it.  

Having said that, the '05 game was better at almost every level.   

 

[streettopeschel]

The '69 game was the 1st football game of any kind I ever watched so I have a strong emotional tie to it.  

Having said that, the '05 game was better at almost every level.   

eye of the beholder, i suppose.

if UT loses the big shootout, the ND cotton bowl (which everyone has in their top-5 greatest longhorn games) never happens. we play ole miss in the sugar bowl instead.

the legendary 30-game winning streak becomes 19.

6 straight conference titles doesn't happen.

4 all-time NCs becomes 3 and maybe 2. the end of the 69 season propelled us to a preseason #2 in 70. ohio state went undefeated in 70 as well. if we're further down in preseason, do we pass them . maybe, maybe not. 

no right or wrong obviously. 

 

[harpethhorn]

One game that doesn't get mentioned often:

1968 Oklahoma

Third game with James Street at QB. Texas at 1-1-1 and trying to run the new Wishbone offense while replacing Bill Bradley under center.

OU scored late to lead 20-19. Texas gets ball on own 15 with 2:37 left. Street goes to the air. Third pass is dropped by an OU LB, then he leads us to the 7-yd line with :40+

left. Worster scores next play for a 26-20 win. Great game.

Second win in the 30-game streak and IMO the real start of the Wishbone taking off.

 

[primal defense]

I chose USC over Arkansas for two reasons. USC was for the National Championship and with Arkansas we still had to beat ND in the Cotton Bowl. The other is and maybe I'm showing my UT bias, was VY performance which I consider the greatest individual college football performance I've seen.  Vince running into the end zone with 19 seconds left that has been the best sports thrill I've had so far.

Any one who says the Arkansas was a better win I have no problem with. That game and the 1971 Nebraska-OU were the most hyped game in the pre internet ESPN era which also lived up to the hype. It was on the level of a Ali-Frazier fight. I would say the Street to Peschel pass was the greatest play in UT football history. How many college football games can say the current President of the United States went to the game, even if it was Nixon.

 

[Capn Hook]

*4. ND 1970 - First outright title for Texas.

The 1964 Cotton Bowl after the 1963 season was Texas' first outright title.

 

[Etex Horn]

I chose USC over Arkansas for two reasons. USC was for the National Championship and with Arkansas we still had to beat ND in the Cotton Bowl. The other is and maybe I'm showing my UT bias, was VY performance which I consider the greatest individual college football performance I've seen. Vince running into the end zone with 19 seconds left that has been the best sports thrill I've had so far.

Any one who says the Arkansas was a better win I have no problem with. That game and the 1971 Nebraska-OU were the most hyped game in the pre internet ESPN era which also lived up to the hype. It was on the level of a Ali-Frazier fight. I would say the Street to Peschel pass was the greatest play in UT football history. How many college football games can say the current President of the United States went to the game, even if it was Nixon.

 

[Etex Horn]

Very good post, primal. I agree with everything you said. Believe I goofed up posting...those 3 margaritas I had with supper sure were good..dont think too badly of me, the wife drove us there and back!

 

[echeese]

The 1964 Cotton Bowl after the 1963 season was Texas' first outright title.

Sorry, that line should be edited out (it was actually from the OB poster). . . 

if you notice, i did point that out in the 1964 Navy Cotton Bowl game line but my mistake. . . 

 

[doc longhorn]

1958 - When Texas beat OU 15-14, with Bobby Lackey and DKR.  This game was the beginning of his stellar career, the end of the line for Bud Wilkinson and UT's domination of OU. 

Good times.

 

[Etex Horn]

Not to disparage the picks of previous posters...we all have our opinions and favorites..

my personal fave is "The Big Shootout", Texas vs. Arkansas, 1969. Arkansas ahead 14-0. Dramatic drives led by James Street in 4th quarter. 4th and 3 on our on 43 in 4th and we pass to our TE, Peschel? Ever a more daring play to win a big game...ever? Really...in all the Texas games youve seen, including "Roll Left" against Nebraska in 1996? And the President of the US in our locker room after the game, saying "you are without a doubt No. 1". Cant imagine a bigger game ever for UT. I know we had to beat Notre Dame later to win the NC, but really, a bigger game than that, ever, on national tv? To me that was the biggest and best. Just my two cents worth.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

Cheese

You posted something similar to this on another board but most of your list was post-1990. At that time, I compiled a list of my top 10 UT games from 1990 and before.

1. 1969 Arkansas

2. 1963 Cotton Bowl (Navy)

3. 1964 Orange Bowl (Bama)

4. 1969 Cotton Bowl ( ND)

5. 1963 OU (1v.2)

6. 1977 aggy

7. 1990 UH

8. 1977 OU

9. 1983 SMU

10. 1962 Arkansas.

Of course, the '05 Rose Bowl is #1 all-time.