Change One Play In CFB History For Maximum Impact

[CB4]

2003 Fiesta Bowl. tOSU misses their field goal in regulation and Larry Coker win back to back MNCs.

I thought of that one as well.

 

[CajunCrimson]

If Ingram doesn’t fumble OOB in 2010

If Bo doesn’t get hurt vs Clemson

 

[TexasBama]

Vince Young trips in the Rose Bowl, the University of Texas decline starts 4 years earlier.

 

[jabcmb]

[There is a great series co-authored by Newt Gingrich based on the premise that the south won Gettysburg. I highly recommend it.]

Or Guns Of the South, where confederates received M-16s from the future.

 

[TexasBama]

Alabama plays TCU in the 2010 Rose Bowl due to the. Big 12 officials not giving Texas a second to kick the winning FG against Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game

 

[TexasBama]

what if Stanford’s tuba section had been better tacklers?

 

[jabcmb]

Alabama’s second of two straight goal line stand plays in the 1979 Sugar Bowl. It won the NC, sure, but I think it cemented Bama as one of the toughest programs of the century and it has affected every team that has played them since. People took notice when Lee Roy Jordan made 31 tackles against Oklahoma 15 years before, Bama got its reputation started. but that goal line stand play made Bama a measuring stick for success. It still is, over 40 years later.

 

[bvandegraff]

The pick 6, but only because CBS would've actually had to come up with something else to replay a dozen times every single iron bowl.....

 

[colbysullivan]

The refs don’t give the Barn a free field goal in 2019…

Mac was still learning but he might have carved up that LSU defense in the playoffs. Hell, we almost beat LSU with a one-legged Tua…

 

[RammerJammer14]

Much of this thread - almost expectedly - is Alabama-centric, though.
Most of these responses are "how this would have affected ALABAMA" as opposed to the larger picture of college football.

And granted - something affecting the King of CFB is liable to have the biggest ripple effect.

I rarely watch Pate but having seen this question, I was intrigued. He settled on two moments:

1) Okie St missing the kick in regulation to lose to ISU in 2011
2) UGA not hitting the TD at the end of the 2012 SECCG.

His point with the first one was - to my view - flawed in that while he correctly did say the ripple effect was huge (though he conceded Alabama is still "fine" in that scenario)...NO, that DID NOT CAUSE the CFP!!! UGH!!!

The second is interesting, though. Because if UGA wins in 2012 there's no way they fire Richt in 2015 - and Kirby goes elsewhere and who knows?

I for one simply don’t know enough about things that happened outside of Alabama’s seasons other than the obvious ones like the 5th Down. The other ones would be the ones I witnessed between other teams that affected Alabama, like the 2011 OSU-ISU game or Oregon losing whenever we needed them to.

Since Alabama is arguably one one of if not the most dominating program in the nation historically, I comfort myself by saying that anything that affected Alabama was consequential to all of college football.

 

[JDCrimson]

Here is 2 more for you...

- The play resulting in 10-10 tie between ND and MSU in 1966,
- Whoever the coach was that taught Bob the Bucket Step...

 

[FaninLA]

Or Guns Of the South, where confederates received M-16s from the future.

They were AK-47s.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Alabama plays TCU in the 2010 Rose Bowl due to the. Big 12 officials not giving Texas a second to kick the winning FG against Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game

This is another interesting one to me - except in all honesty, it's probably Cincinnati, and we probably treat them about as badly as Florida did.

 

[Padreruf]

They were AK-47s.

That was actually a really interesting book...listened to it on PRN every morning while shaving, etc. The good old days of the 90's.

 

[CB4]

There are some that say Antonio Langham’s interception and return for a TD versus Shane Matthews and Florida “changed the college football landscape”. That first conference championship was seen by many as a big roll of the dice by Roy Kramer. You have an undefeated West Champion Alabama playing a three loss East Champion in Florida . The game is tied at 21-21 with under 4 minutes left and Florida in possession. An Alabama loss and any chances at a national title match up with Miami is out the window and the idea of “conference divisional play and championships” along with it.

I don’t know if I necessarily buy that. That game was going to be financial winner regardless of the outcome. And we know it is the dollars that drives the decisions.

 

[BamaMoon]

This is a good thread. I'm only half way thru reading the responses. I'm more of a Bama history guy than college football history so most of my thoughts are geared toward Bama. I'll also offer some "decisions" not plays.

Somebody mentioned the 4th down goal line stand against Penn State. That one kinda blew my mind cause it's one of my first and favorite Bama memories of all time!

Bo Jackson comes to Bama in the early 80's.

Antonio Langham doesn't intercept against UF in 1992 SECCG!

The kick six...ugh

Mike Price doesn't go to that hotel: Maybe no Shula OR CNS?

Tim Tebow chooses Bama. Does Shula win a NC with him? No CNS?

CNS/Miami gets Drew Brees cleared. Mal Moore moves to Cuba.

Julio goes to OK - Would CNS really have "won without him?"

Mt. Cody doesn't block that FG against TN (already mentioned)

AJ McCarron grows up an Auburn fan.

Drake doesn't return that kick for a TD against Clemson (I'm not sure we when that game without it!).

Tua misses Smitty and the most famous Bama play in history never happens (no NC...Georgia wins it that year too).

Tom Herman wins enough to still be at Texas and Sark stays at Bama (a possible 3 peat in 20, 21 and 22).

we beat them even worse

I think that's true. When Colt went out we went super vanilla.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Not to sound like a school marm, but some of this is getting far more complicated than the question is even intended to be. This is not some "what if Jesus was never born" scenario.

It's more of:
a) something actually did happen BUT
b) happens slightly differently, a matter of inches, history turns on a dime

Not "well if Tebow picks Alabama" (I'll tell you how that ends - he transfers and Shula gets fired anyway but we miss Saban). That - to me - is taking this WAY TOO FAR.

In the case of the missed OSU FG - changing that one thing but leaving everything else the same - OSU plays LSU. Whether they win or not is irrelevant...Alabama has one less title and maybe Miles has a longer chain before he's tossed off the ship.

=================

Another interesting one I see is the Goal Line Stand at the 1979 Sugar Bowl. That one certainly has POTENTIAL ramifications all across the board.

1) Bryant does not win six national titles
2) Alabama is NOT "the team of the 70s", which changes perceptions greatly
3) Paterno wins THREE, not two titles - a huge difference in that perception, too

How that plays going forward....nobody knows. But on the other hand, it changes PERCEPTIONS but does it really change much? Paterno still blows himself up and Bryant still dies in 1983. Well - I guess it affects Daniel Moore but.....

 

[TexasBama]

Not to sound like a school marm, but some of this is getting far more complicated than the question is even intended to be. This is not some "what if Jesus was never born" scenario.

It's more of:
a) something actually did happen BUT
b) happens slightly differently, a matter of inches, history turns on a dime

Not "well if Tebow picks Alabama" (I'll tell you how that ends - he transfers and Shula gets fired anyway but we miss Saban). That - to me - is taking this WAY TOO FAR.

In the case of the missed OSU FG - changing that one thing but leaving everything else the same - OSU plays LSU. Whether they win or not is irrelevant...Alabama has one less title and maybe Miles has a longer chain before he's tossed off the ship.

=================

Another interesting one I see is the Goal Line Stand at the 1979 Sugar Bowl. That one certainly has POTENTIAL ramifications all across the board.

1) Bryant does not win six national titles
2) Alabama is NOT "the team of the 70s", which changes perceptions greatly
3) Paterno wins THREE, not two titles - a huge difference in that perception, too

How that plays going forward....nobody knows. But on the other hand, it changes PERCEPTIONS but does it really change much? Paterno still blows himself up and Bryant still dies in 1983. Well - I guess it affects Daniel Moore but.....

I have a picture of the goal stand on my wall, but there were still several minutes left in the game after that series. It doesn’t fit the criteria of “one play”

 

[colbysullivan]

As if on queue…

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I have a picture of the goal stand on my wall, but there were still several minutes left in the game after that series. It doesn’t fit the criteria of “one play”

Also - what a lot of folks forget is that the BIGGER play was that moments after that stand we shanked a punt and they were set up good...and they had 12 men on the field, so we kept the ball.

The Goal Line Stand was high drama, but it's sorta like The Catch. Everyone remembers THAT moment but forgets Drew Pearson catching that slant and seeming off to the races only to be pulled down horse-collar by Eric Wright.

Without the other moments right after them the high drama moments are lost to time.