Bill Connelly tracks the 61 best college football games of the 21st century ($$) and it says something about the Georgia program that it makes four of the top ten games on his list, three of which (Alabama 2012, Alabama 2018 and Auburn 2013) were losses. Okay, it says a lot.
But here’s number two:
2. Georgia 54, Oklahoma 48 (Jan. 1, 2018)
This game was everything college football can be. It was stocked with future pro talent, it featured two completely different styles of offense, it was played within the Rose Bowl’s perfect confines (as were so many games on this list) and the plot twists were legion.
Oklahoma went on a 24-7 run to take a commanding lead in the second quarter, but two touchdowns in two minutes gave Georgia a sudden edge early in the fourth. But after OU tied the game with a Baker Mayfield-to-Dimitri Flowers touchdown pass, Steven Parker returned a Sony Michel fumble 46 yards to push the Sooners back ahead. A short, late Nick Chubb touchdown sent the game to overtime, and in the second OT possession, Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter blocked Austin Seibert’s field goal attempt. That gave Michel a chance to atone: His 27-yard explosion sent the Dawgs to the national title game.
Still the most thrilling Georgia win I’ve watched in person.
Get The Picture 
I really regret not going to that game.
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Me too and I was out of the country for the 3017 Natty / learned
My lesson – wasn’t missing Indy under any circumstances.
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No regrets my man, you apparently are a DAWG man and a family guy to the bone, that’s enough!
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The game may have been the most thrilling I have ever attended, as well. The actual sporting event experience, including the game itself, plus setting, pregame experience, and the venue, was the greatest sporting event experience I ever had, and probably will ever have.
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Didn’t attend but it was still incredible. And my stream kept dropping in overtime. Made me seriously question whether streaming was a good way to watch a game. (Obviously that turned out ok, lol.)
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In the last few years I have been amazingly lucky to have attended both Notre Dame games, the Rose Bowl and the CFP Championship in Indy. I agree that the Rose Bowl was the most thrilling I have attended too. That setting is amazing, the game was spectacular, etc. However, the last game was the most satisfying I have ever attended. Beating Bama for the championship was the ultimate.
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My friend told me about the list yesterday, and how most of it was absolutely crushing Georgia losses.
No thanks.
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Not only only the best game I’ve been to but the best sporting event of any kind. And that includes the many Army-Navy games I’ve attended. I still don’t understand why Riley abandoned the run game snd why he isn’t dinged more for it when people compile their Best Coaches lists.
One underrated part of that Rose Bowl was when we UGA fans were entering the stadium and the final score of the Sugar Bowl was announced. Everyone cheered Auburn losing like UGA had just won the natty. That was great.
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Thought that sounded weird. Auburn played UCF in the Peach Bowl that season.
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Good correction. Misremembered. In my defense we pregamed the night before and all morning with lots of SoCal friends since my wife is from San Diego.
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I will always thank the lord that I got to be at that game in person. Thrilling action, perfect setting, Georgia victorious…what more could you ask for?
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Agree, best game I ever saw live. Was literally “the best day ever” til Indy. Having all of my personal Dawg Nation family finally visit after 13 years out west at the time was a glorious icing on the cake.
Let’s do it again this year @ the CFP @ the Dawg friendly confines of SoFi.
I’ll start the year in ATL for Oregon game, so only seems fitting y’all come on back out to wrap it up! GATA.
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I’ve been thinking along the same lines. Do you have tix yet?
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Save us some space on your sofa!
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Couldn’t go to Cali.
My list of best games in person (all UGA wins)
1. Sugar Bowl 1981 vs Notre Dame UGA National Champions
2. GA/FL 1980 Run Lindsay Run!!
3. UGA/Clemmons 1980 Run Woerner Run!!
4. UGA/South Carolina 1980
5. UGA/Auburn 1982 Look at the sugar falling from the sky!!
6. UGA/trade school 1978
7. UGA/Brigham Young 1982
8. UGA/trade school 1971 Thanksgiving night, DAWGS rally, Poulous over the top!! Broke a two year losing streak!!
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That BYU game was on a rainy day so the pregame atmosphere wasn’t good but the game was exciting. It is a win that is more impressive viewed from perspective of time. You know this, Archie, but some younger readers may not. We played defending national champion Clemson on Labor Day night. Clemson was an old school run the ball with power offense That game started at 9:00 pm and the players didn’t get to their beds until early Tuesday morning. They had to play BYU, which had the most prolific passing offense in college football at the time led by a quarterback who is in the NFL Hall of Fame 4 days later. We beat them both. Amazing accomplishment that has sort of been lost to Georgia lore.
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That Clemson game in 1982 was the first game under the newly installed lights. We were all wearing tee shirts we had printed up for that game. “Georgia-Clemson 9/6/82 Under the Lights”
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Archie, I too saw those 1980 games (except I didn’t go the Florida – bad move on my part). Those games where we were first seeing what we had in Herschel and then the later games are still etched in my memories. Watching Herschel first break free against A$M was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Someone that big move that fast wasn’t seen back then.
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Damn you’re old……and so via the transitive property so am I. I saw almost all of these games except Jimmy the Greek over the top….still in high school and wasn’t into college sports because my family didn’t have college grads. Your number 3 was a greatly under appreciated game. My limited recollection (I think I drank Bacardi’s and coke back then and your dates purse was not searched) was Clemson beat us every way a team can beat another team except on the scoreboard. Scott Woerner went nuts between kick offs, punt returns and interceptions he probably had more yards than our offense. I don’t think we’re National Champ if Woerner doesn’t have the day he had.I personally need to add 1)Appleby to Washington/ Ga. upsets Florida 1975…I still think of you Pam McMInn , wherever you are…. and 2)the four overtime game at Aubarn in 1996 when UGA tried to neuter the Aubarn receiver. O yea the Rose Bowl and Indy were OK. too. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldawg.
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The 1980 Clemson audio highlights are on MunsonVault.com
Go to Games by Season, then 1980
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thanks…. enjoyed refreshing my recollection.
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Agreed. Best game I’ve ever seen in person.
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Yes, without a doubt the most thrilling game I ever saw live. What game was better? What did he have #1?
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It was the Texas/USC Rose Bowl.
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Of course, and I’ll agree with it being #1 considering the stakes.
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I’ve never seen a better game than that Rose Bowl. Even if I didn’t have an emotional stake in it, it’d still qualify as an all-timer.
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I like UGA’s last game myself.
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It’s bodes well for the future of UGA Football that two of the four games and the only win were coached by the Dawg’s current HC. Well, that and the 2021 National Championship. Everything’s coming up Georgia Football.
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What about the 2015 Georgia Southern game?
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Vote to ban.
😉
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Being at that game, not to mention in the end zone corner where Sony took it in, is one of the top 5 highlights of my entire life.
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“the Rose Bowl’s perfect confines ” That all depends on where your seats were. I’ve told the story here of sitting right next to the band in abut the 15th row. There was and elderly lady in front of us and she cried the entire first quarter because she had NO chance of seeing anything. I noticed this year that they have tarped that area in both end zones and it’s a good thing. There is a small wall at the bottom of the seats and people had to start up to see over the people standing in the end zone and the ripple effect was that everyone basica
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There is a small wall at the bottom of the seats and people had to start up to see over the people standing in the end zone and the ripple effect was that everyone basically had to stand in their seats. The good news was, that in those overtime rules, then entire OT was played in that end zone so we saw it all right in front of us. Imagine the Oklahoma fans who not only were in the opposite end zone but there was only one screen in the stadium (I think they added some to the sides this year) and it was behind them. The good new was that the next season I saw the lady who left at the half and asked her how it went? She said “Oh, they moved me to great seats and wasn’t it a great game”!!!! YMMV but some of it wasn’t all that perfect even though is was the best game (and parade) I’ve ever seen!!! https://flic.kr/p/22KssME
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This is the best video I’ve seen. The band reacts and gets right back to business. https://youtu.be/Z-yxghVXDHY
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Certainly one of the wildest for me, right up there with Auburn 1996.
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