Top 10 Greatest Rose Bowl Games
You talk about marathons, this was it. Long before epic overtime games that we see today, the 1963 Rose Bowl had an awesome epic shootout. USC first drew blood as quarterback Pete Beathard threw a touchdown pass to Ron Butcher and there USC build a 42-14 lead. At this time a capacity crowd was heading for the exits when Wisconsin came alive in the 4th period when Ron Vander Kelen led Wisconsin to 23 unanswered points and Wisconsin broke many of Rose Bowl records, but they're last drive ended short in a wild epic shootout.
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This time no dispute or controversy like last year. USC's Charles White clean touchdown was probably the play of the 1979 College Football post season. White left USC as a college football legend, Oh my.
It was called "The Game That Changed the South". The game that would change the Rose Bowl forever. Alabama was led by Johnny Mack Brown who would later become a Hollywood actor. It was also the first Rose Bowl to be heard nationwide on radio and what they heard was the coming of the Crimson Tide as they made a statement to the college football world that this team has arrived, and their win would forever change the landscape of football.
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Ohio State was expected to be there, but Arizona State wasn't, but Jake Plummer led the team to a surprise 11-0 record and a chance to become national champions. Throughout the game Ohio State, we're in a fight. Then came the greatest final 2 minutes in Rose Bowl, through rainy conditions Plummer led his team to a potential victory after he himself scored on a 11-yard touchdown run. Then Ohio State rallied back as Joe Germaine threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Boston and Ohio State won that game.
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World War II was raging but in America the games went on even though the 1940 Winter and Summer Olympics we're cancelled. These games we're the gridiron as Nebraska made its first ever bowl appearance and made the most of it by delivering a goal line stand against Stanford after 4 cracks at the end zone yielded nothing for Stanford. Late in the game though Stanford got a second chance and got it when Pete Kmetovic returned a punt 39 yards for the clinching touchdown for Stanford.
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50 years since the most hilarious foul up in Rose Bowl history (Roy Riegels wrong way run), the Rose Bowl produced without a shadow of a doubt the most controversial play in its history. Even today Michigan fans still think it was a fumble. Charles White's "Phantom Touchdown'" still registered an earthquake for fans who we're at the game or seen this game worldwide. Oh, by the way a real mild earthquake happened a little after that "touchdown" but no damage.
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