College football stars are born out of the big plays that they deliver on the biggest stages with highlights that are played over and over for decades to come. However, while those outstanding catches, long runs and big hits steal the spotlight, it’s also important to consider the significance of the big decisions that helped lead to some of those moments. College football is defined as much by the pivotal decisions as it is the big plays. Here is a look at the five best decisions in college football over the last 10 years.
Guz Malzahn’s Timeout Before The Kick-Six
The Kick-Six will be remembered as one of the most incredible plays in the history of college football. There is a good chance it never would have happened if Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn didn’t call timeout with one second left on the clock. The Tigers staff didn’t think that Alabama kicker Adam Griffith had the leg to make the kick and they were able to call timeout and get Chris Davis in position to return a potential miss. Davis caught the missed field goal and took it all the way for the game-winning score in one of the most memorable plays of all-time. It would have never been if it weren’t for Malzahn’s fateful decision.
Les Miles Fourth Down Call Versus Florida
Miles might not be the head coach at LSU any longer but he will be remembered for the incredible job that he did with the program. His best coaching performance might have come in a 28-24 win over Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators back in 2007. LSU scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-21. Then after a quick Florida drive they killed 8:11 off the clock by marching the field and scoring the game-winning touchdown. Miles decided to go for it on fourth down five times that day and the Tigers somehow converted on all five opportunities. It was a trademark game that will never be forgotten with the types of gutsy decisions for which Miles will forever be remembered.
Ohio State Hires Urban Meyer
Meyer was the perfect fit for Ohio State. The fact that the Buckeyes managed to pull off this move is incredible in retrospect. Meyer went undefeated in his first season in Columbus and then led Ohio State to its sixth national title two years later. He has done an outstanding job both as a head coach on the football field an when it comes to recruiting. The Buckeyes could have gone in a couple of different directions after Jim Fassel resigned but the fact that they landed Meyer should go down as one of the best decisions made by any program in college football over the last decade.
Oregon Hires Chip Kelly
This decision can actually be traced back to 2007 when the Ducks hired New Hampshire’s offensive coordinator for the same job in Eugene. That OC was Chip Kelly, who eventually assumed the position as head coach at Oregon two years later. Kelly led the Ducks to a BCS bowl in each of his four seasons at the helm and posted a 46-7 record that stands as the best four-year run in the team’s history. It will be very interesting to see if there is eventually a reunion between Kelly and Oregon at some point down the line.
BCS Replaced With College Football Playoff
The BCS was a constant source of frustration and angst among fans that knew that the system was never going to get it right. The fact that the BCS bowls generated so much money made it seem like it would never be replaced. That changed with the advent of the College Football Playoff, which despite its own flaws is still better than the previous system. The College Football Playoff has already given us several memorable moments and that will continue for as long as they continue to run with the improved system. And there has even been talk of expanding it to eight teams, which would be even more fun.
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