Top 10 Regular Season CFB Games of 2023

There can be no arguing that the 2023 college football season was one of the closest, most intense competitions of the last couple decades.  It was the year that Deion brought Colorado to primetime television, the year that Texas was actually back, the year that an undefeated power five champion was left out of the playoffs, the year that Michigan made the playoffs surrounded in controversy, and, of course, the final year of the Pac-12 going out with fireworks.  So many headlines could summarize the season and bowl games have only just begun.  Below are my Top 10 games of the 2023 regular season.

#10 Florida State @ Clemson

September 23, 2023 - Week 4

The last couple seasons, the Clemson Tigers have not really been meeting expectations. This season started off with a shocking loss at Duke in a rather blowout fashion. Florida State was also coming into 2023 hoping to erase the last few years from memory and take a shot at gold. After their first week come-from-behind victory over LSU, we all knew they had potential. Coming into this game, Clemson was looking to prove themselves at home while Florida State was up against their first big ACC opponent. The stage was set for a stunning football game.

The game did not disappoint. Clemson took the early lead. Florida State, led by Jordan Travis, mounted a comeback. Tied at the end of regulation with tension piling on, an outstanding catch by Keon Coleman proved to the be difference as Florida State remained undefeated and Clemson fell to 2-2, ending their playoff hopes early yet again.

Final Score: Florida State 31, Clemson 24 (OT)

#9 Kansas State @ Missouri

September 16, 2023 - Week 3

At this point, we all know how Missouri's season turned out. Against all preseason odds, they worked their into the #9 spot in the final CFP Rankings. However, coming into the third week of the regular season, they were the underdogs at home against #15 Kansas State. The game was not originally on my radar for drama, but that was clearly my mistake.

The game was full of explosive plays, broken tackles, tipped passes, and utter chaos. End-to-end offense with the occasional turnover made for an action packed storyline. The game was tied at 27-27 with 3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. What followed was the longest successful field in SEC history. Harrison Mevis hit a 61 yard field goal as time expired to win the game and complete the upset.

Final Score: Missouri 30, Kansas State 27

#8 Colorado State @ Colorado

September 16, 2023 - Week 3

Arguably, the most intriguing preseason headline was "Prime to Colorado!"  How would Deion stack up against the rest in his first year at Colorado?  After the first couple of games, things were looking up after an upset win over TCU and a strong showing against Nebraska.  Deion's sons on either side of the ball and Travis Hunter on both were shining bright in the spotlight, but this game felt different.  This was a Deion's first taste of the Rocky Mountain Showdown and if history has taught sports fans anything it is that rivalries bring chaos.

In this case, chaos came early with traded turnovers going for 6 either way.  Shortly thereafter, the first major sign of the rivalry was revealed when a dirty late hit took out Travis Hunter who would be sidelined for a number of weeks.  However, the early touchdown lead by Colorado State would be matched constantly by Colorado, including a momentum swinging moment when Colorado blocked a CSU field goal that would have put them two scores ahead.  Despite their efforts, though, Colorado found themselves down 8 with just over two minutes to play and 98 yards away from a touchdown.  90 seconds and a big 45-yard scoring play later, Colorado had brought themselves within touching distance and a two-point conversion sent the game into overtime.  Once again, trading touchdowns was the name of the game.  In the second overtime period, though, the Rams were unable to match the Colorado drive and the Buffaloes stormed the field after a dramatic rivalry win.

Final Score: Colorado 43, Colorado State 35 (2OT)

#7 Stanford @ Colorado

A month following their big win over their rivals Colorado State, the outlook on the Colorado season had drastically changed.  After two big losses against Oregon and USC, all playoff talk had halted in its tracks and the hype was plummeting fast.  Despite bouncing back against Arizona State, this upcoming game against Stanford at home was still a toss up despite Stanford having lost their last four coming in.

Early in the game, it appeared as though Colorado would quiet at least some of their critics with a dominant performance.  Up 29-0 at the half, traveling Stanford fans had already begun to leave the stadium and the game felt over.  Stanford had a shot to put some points on the board but were stopped at the goal line and that felt like their shot.  Things drastically changed in the second half.  A comeback was mounting.  It started with a pair of field goals, but built quickly as Colorado's offense began to struggle.  The standout player for Stanford?  Elic Ayomanor!  The receiver put on a show in the second half.  Briefly, we saw a stint of first half Colorado as they scored another touchdown.  The game felt, once again, out of reach, but Stanford took "never give up" to heart and pushed until they got a late equalizing field goal to send the game into overtime.  After one of the catches of the season by Ayomanor in the first overtime and an interception in a second, Stanford scored a game-winning field goal to complete the epic comeback to give those fans who stayed some midnight magic on Friday the 13th.

Final Score: Stanford 46, Colorado 43 (2OT)

#6 Alabama @ Auburn

The Iron Bowl!  Does this series need any more of an introduction?  After their Week 2 loss to Texas and their Week 3 struggle against South Florida, Alabama had been written off.  They had no chance of making the playoff and no chance of making the SEC Championship.  Why?  Because somehow we have yet to learn that Nick Saban coaches the Crimson Tide and Nick Saban don't quit.  Auburn, on the other hand, are finishing up yet another disappointing season and are just happy to be bowl eligible.  They had one big chance to take down reigning champions Georgia, but other than that, their season was nothing to write home about.  All bets were on Bama and Bama big.  Nobody expected the events that transpired.

Starting the game, Auburn had negative offensive yardage through their first couple of drives.  Bama was up, but were not exactly looking the best, especially Milroe.  Still, things were following the script we had all written in our heads.  Then, Auburn's run game showed up.  Next thing we knew, there was a game on!  Alabama and Auburn traded blows.  The Milroe-led Crimson Tide offense was struggling and Auburn was keeping up.  Auburn took the lead before the half.  In the second, Auburn stayed just one step of Bama all the way deep in the fourth quarter, but Bama was driving.  Bama was first and goal with a chance to score a touchdown to win it.  Disaster struck!  Bama went backwards and three plays later it was 4th and goal from the Auburn 31 and a touchdown had gone from expected to near impossible.  Then, because big games at Jordan Hare are incapable of ending in any normal way without drama, it happened.  Milroe with time in the pocket found Isaiah Bond in the back corner of the end zone to win the game.  Bama relief and Auburn despair swarmed the football-loving state of Alabama.  Only time will tell how this play will be remembered?  "The Kick Six" of 2013 has gone down as one of the (if not the #1) greatest plays in college football history.  Only time will tell how "4th and 31" will stack up, but one thing's for sure: Never say an Iron Bowl is over.

Final Score: Alabama 27, Auburn 24

#5 Washington @ USC

Nearing the end of the regular season, USC's playoff hopes had virtually disappeared, but they could to still play spoiler to the undefeated Washington Huskies who were still on track for the last ever Pac-12 Championship Game.  Michael Penix Jr. was one of the Heisman favorites and Caleb Williams was the reigning champion.  Pair the inevitable QB duel with the underdog Trojans playing at home was sure to result in a phenomenal night of football.

The game was just as offense-oriented as expected.  Penix versus Williams was the name of the show.  Touchdowns were traded all the way through the first half.  At one point, there were touchdowns on six consecutive drives.  Potential Heisman moments were around every corner.  The question was, who would make a defensive stop and win the game?  USC's special teams were the first to make a move with a blocked punt, but Washington were able to recover a fumble and score a touchdown to lead into the halftime break.  At the start of the second half, Penix threw an interception to equalize the turnover margin and, 8 USC plays later, the game.  Another trade of touchdowns and a Washington field goal had the Huskies up by 3 before finally making the all-important defensive stop.  Another Husky touchdown put them up by two scores and cemented their victory.  Washington went on to be an undefeated Pac-12 Champion and will be in the College Football Playoffs while USC plummeted to 7-5 and will play Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.

Final Score:  Washington 52, USC 42

#4 Colorado @ TCU

The hype surrounding this Week 1 matchup was massive.  Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, opens his account as head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.  The hosts for the event, TCU, were coming off a loss in the 2023 National Championship Game.  Coming in ranked 17th in the country, TCU were ready to show that they could still compete at the highest level.  Colorado were coming off a horrible 2022/23 season and were looking to bounce back.

For those who tuned into the early time slot on the first big Saturday of the season were treated to an instant classic.   The entire game felt like a highlight reel.  The theme was flare and fireworks with touchdowns around every corner, turnovers, blocked field goals, and a shootout at 100% speed all day long.  Colorado had a narrow lead at the half that was extended thanks to a 75 yard touchdown run by Dylan Edwards.  After a TCU answer and defensive stop, they had the chance to take the lead.  Thus began the back-and-forth lead-changing touchdowns.  The game turned into a definition for the term "Don't blink or you'll miss it".  Between Shedeur Sanders leading quick drives and TCU almost returning a kickoff, the game felt like it would come down to whoever had the ball last.  With less than a minute to go, Colorado leading, the Buffaloes got a huge game-winning stop on 4th down to upset the Horned Frogs on their home turf and spark the already-existing hype train that followed Colorado and Deion the next several weeks.

Final Score: Colorado 45, TCU 42

#3 Texas vs Oklahoma

The Red River Rivalry is a highly anticipated spectacle every single season.  This one came with an added twist.  Both Oklahoma and Texas were 5-0 coming into the game.  Texas came in ranked #3 in the country after their massive upset victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Oklahoma had shown their explosive offense, but had yet to be tested.  The neutral site of a full Cotton Bowl split down the middle with fans and ESPN's College Gameday present to build the hype made for an atmosphere like no other.

To say we got what we asked for is a wild understatement.  Oklahoma took a quick lead, but Texas answered with a touchdown off a blocked punt.  Holding Oklahoma's response to a field goal allowed Texas to taste the lead with their next touchdown.  Down the stretch, the Red River Rivalry was an elite showdown of talent led by Quinn Ewers and Dillon Gabriel giving everything they had.  Midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma found themselves up 10 and forced a fumble.  At this point, it looked as though Oklahoma would finally run away with it and put an end to the Texas hype.  Unable to score points, Texas was able to lead a drive of their own to pick up a field goal and close the gap.  After getting the ball back again, Texas drove down to the 1 yard line poised to tie the game at 27-27.  The Sooner defense had other plans as they were able make a massive goal line stand that would prove to have massive implications in the result of the game.  Oklahoma took the opportunity to bleed some clock, but still could not put up any points.  Texas welcomed their opportunity with open arms and an explosive drive later, had tied the game.  Oklahoma again failed to score and Texas had enough time to storm down the field and kick a game-winning field goal.  Texas up by 3 with less than 90 seconds to play felt like a mountain to climb by Oklahoma, especially with their inability to score on their recent possessions.  At this point, we saw Texas show how not to close out a football game on defense.  Oklahoma with explosive plays down the field with Longhorns secondary in shambles.  With 15 seconds on the clock, Gabriel found his receiver Anderson in the back corner of the end zone to win the game.  A shake up in the rankings would leave people questioning how far Oklahoma could go and if Texas would be able to bounce back.

Final Score: Oklahoma 34, Texas 30

#2 Oregon @ Washington

The final season of the Pac-12's existence was arguably one of its greatest.  Multiple teams heading into championship weekend with valid playoff arguments and 4 teams in the final CFP Top 25 which did not include Utah and USC who both had respectable seasons as well.  Of them all, Washington and Oregon were the two frontrunners by far.  Bo Nix of the Oregon Ducks and Michael Penix Jr. of the Washington Huskies earned the honor of being finalists for the Heisman.  In my opinion, Penix deserved the ultimate honor of winning that trophy, but that belongs in another article.  The Ducks and Huskies entered the weekend knotted up at 5-0 and were nearly inseparable in every way being ranked #7 and #8 in the country.  A cool, cloudy afternoon made for a Pac-12 showdown like no other.

On their second drive of the game, explosive plays from Penix led the Washington Huskies to the first lead of the game.  Oregon responded with a touchdown of their own and, just to make a statement, converted the two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead.  The Huskies had an answer of their own with a beautiful pass from Penix to Polk to retake the lead.  To start the second quarter, Bo Nix drove the Ducks down the field for another touchdown to retake the lead by 1 courtesy of their earlier two-point try that was still paying dividends.  To counter this, Washington drove for another touchdown which was capped off with a successful two-point conversion of their own to lead 22-15.  Finally getting a stop, the Huskies forced Oregon to kick a field goal, retaining their precious lead with little time left in the half.  However, with a minute to play, Penix made the game's first big mistake, throwing an interception.  Perhaps playing with a little too much greed, Oregon elected to take four shots at the end zone instead of taking points which cost them as time ran out in the first half with the scored at 22-18.  Washington started off the second half with a touchdown to strengthen their grip on the game and the Pac-12 as a whole.  Late in the third quarter, a desperate Oregon finally found the end zone again to cut the lead to 3 thanks to yet another successful two-point conversion.  After a quick three-and-out, the Ducks seized their opportunity to take the lead early in the fourth quarter.  Midway through the fourth quarter, the Huskies found themselves on the doorstep of the end zone again.  This time, however, Oregon held strong for a huge goal-line stand.  Unable to put up points of their own, Washington got the ball back with time to score a potential game-winning touchdown.  Michael Penix Jr., in 2 plays, covered 53 yards with passes to Polk and Odunze in what I believe should have been the Heisman moment of the season, gave the Huskies the lead with an improbable display of skill and accuracy to find the end zone.  They almost scored too fast, though.  Oregon had one last chance and Bo Nix was not going to go quietly.  With time running out, the Ducks sent out the field goal unit to try and tie the game.  As time expired, the kick sailed right and Washington fans could storm the field after a phenomenal showdown in Husky Stadium.

Final Score: Washington 36, Oregon 33

#1 Ohio State @ Notre Dame

Two undefeated college football powerhouses met early in the season in Indiana.  This game needs very little introduction and needs no extra pregame hype.  #6 Ohio State at 3-0 and #9 Notre Dame at 4-0, both with playoff hopes, were set to be the evening entertainment old school football fans so greatly desired.

This game was no offensive shootout or a game full of fireworks and explosive plays.  This was an old-school, hardcore classic football game.  A defensive battle with an ending fit to be a gift for neutral football fans everywhere.  What the game lacked in scoring, it more than made up for with its intensity.  Stress and anxiety rained down from the Notre Dame home crowd.  While McCord and Hartman struggled to really get going, the defenses made numerous strong stops in the first half.  Notre Dame had the first scoring opportunity, but missed a field goal to keep the game deadlocked at 0-0.  Halfway through the second quarter, Ohio State had their big opportunity snuffed out with a goal-line stand by the Fighting Irish defense.  Who would break the tie?  The answer would come with 30 seconds to play in the first half as Ohio State scored a field goal to lead 3-0 at the intermission.  Into the second half, Notre Dame had a fourth down conversion stopped.  Ohio State took their opportunity to drive down and score the game's first touchdown.  Down 10-0 with the defenses playing like they had so far, the home crowd was getting antsy, knowing there were limited opportunities remaining.  Hartman and the Notre Dame offense answered the call with a touchdown drive of their own to cut into the deficit late in the third quarter.  After a defensive stop, Notre Dame opened the fourth quarter with a long drive to the end zone to take the lead.  Ohio State sought to retake the lead, but once in the red zone, the Irish defense stood them up on 4th down to force a turnover on downs with very little time to play.  In a defensive battle such as this, it was no surprise when Ohio State fought to get the ball back with 90 seconds or so to play.  Led by McCord, the Buckeyes found themselves inside the 5.  To conserve time, McCord took to their air, but fired two incomplete passes.  On 3rd and goal with 3 seconds on the clock, Ohio State would have one last opportunity.  Choosing to run it up the middle, Trayanum forced himself into the end zone as time expired for a walk-off touchdown victory for Ohio State.  The referees added 1 second to the clock after review, but it was not enough time for Notre Dame to pull off a miracle.  An instant classic that will live long in the memories of Ohio State and Notre Dame fans.

Final Score: Ohio State 17, Notre Dame 14

Honorable Mentions

There are several more games that could be on this list.  Think I missed some?  Email me your thoughts at zorropicksblog@gmail.com or use the Contact form on my blog!