Game of the Century (college football)

The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States. It is a subjective term applied by sportswriters to describe the most notable games of the period.

The phrase "Game of the Century" is usually placed in quotation marks to indicate the irony or emphasize the incorrectness of the term as it applies to college football games. What makes the phrase subjective is that sportswriters and fans list the games that they remember or attended. Games that were played before radio and television broadcasts are only preserved in print. Working sportswriters have a history that goes back at most to the middle of the 20th century. Television and the Internet have made broadcasts of more recent games available to all. Unlike the "Game of the Century" in college basketball, or the 1958 NFL Championship Game, which is commonly called "The Greatest Game Ever Played", there has been no specific college football game that changed the sport as dramatically.

Some of the games were a No. 1 vs No. 2 in the AP Poll, which happened only 31 times in the 20th century. Quite often a winning streak is on the line and the winner goes on to win the national championship. The prospect of two juggernaut teams on a roll, or "the irresistible force meets the immovable object", creates a high-interest spectacle.

While the Bowl Championship Series was created to produce a matchup of the top two teams in the nation at the end of the year, a BCS championship game does not automatically constitute a "Game of the Century." Otherwise, every year's championship game would be a "Game of the Century."

Although college football is a team game, individual performances can be the difference maker in a great game. The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the greatest players in the game. A top player, having the best game or best play of his career, is another common theme in the "Game of the Century".

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