Game of the Year...So Far
| 8
|
by user Jason Mish
We are halfway through 2007 and that got me thinking of some of the great games of the year. After thinking for a while about it, one game stuck out in my mind that maybe went under the radar. It pitted an undefeated dark horse against a storied college football juggernaut.
Boise State vs. Oklahoma, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
This game had everything from trick play after trick play to a marriage proposal, all the while with an undefeated season on the line.
With a 1:26 left in the 4th quarter, trailing 28-20, Oklahoma scores to put them down 2. After three shots at the two-point conversion due to penalties, Oklahoma finally ties it up on a lob in the corner of the end zone. Now with the game tied, the Boise State senoir QB Jared Zabransky pulls a Buckner-esque play with throwing a lame duck off his back foot down the sideline to Oklahoma's Marcus Walker for a pick 6. With Boise State now trailing by a touchdown with a minute left, Zabransky is now aligned to be the goat. After an eight yard sack and two incompletions, Boise is at the fifty with :17 seconds left and faced with an improbable 4th and 18. On 4th and 18, they call the famous hook and ladder, a play you rarely see done successful. The gadget play works for a 50 yard touchdown with 7 seconds left that ties the game. Miraculous. Tied at 35, the game goes to overtime. After all the momentum now on Boise's side, Oklahoma on the first play of overtime hands it off to the work horse Adrian Peterson who goes 25 yards for the score. 42-35 Oklahoma. On Boise State's overtime possession they advance it to the 4 yard line and are now faced with a 4th and 2. And with the guts of a burglar, they go to another trick play on 4th down. They line up their slot receiver at QB and run a sort of halfback run-pass option with Vinny Perretta(who had not thrown a pass all year) and he finds the TE for the touchdown. But the best is for last. Down a point, 42-41, Boise does the unthinkable and lines up to go for two. They show a three receiver stack to the right and as Zabransky fakes a throw to the stacked side he pulls the ball behind his back and hands it off to the RB Ian Johnson. Statue of Liberty. My words can't describe the play. Johnson runs it into the left corner of the endzone giving Boise State the 43-42 victory. After the game, Johnson celebrates by proposing on national television to his cheerleader girlfriend. What a way to end a game.
Boise State remained undefeated with the win, improving to 13-0. In my opinion, they deserved a shot at the title. This is my game of the year and I wonder if you guys agree or disagree. That game is why I am a sports fan.
