Top 20 Current Coaches Who Have Not Made the Final Four

Honorable Mention

Larry Krystkowiak, Utah (212-143, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

Steve Prohm, Iowa State (199-102, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

Steve Alford, Nevada (606-310, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s)

Bobby Hurley, Arizona State (134-87, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)

Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa (268-169, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

Nate Oats, Alabama (112-58, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)

Steve Pikiell, Rutgers (261-240, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)

Anthony Grant, Dayton (257-141, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)

20. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska (122-81, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

The Mayor’s return back to college after a few years in the NBA was rocky, to say the least, as the Huskers finished dead last in the Big Ten. Hoiberg remains on this list because of his accomplishments at Iowa State, making the tournament four times in five seasons. However, he only made it past the first weekend once, and included in that was an embarrassing 60-59 loss to No. 14 UAB. Nebraska should be better next year with six of their top seven scorers returning next season and the Huskers gaining transfers Kobe King (Wisconsin, 10 ppg) and Kobe Webster (Western Illinois, 17.1 ppg). But still. The Huskers must improve a great deal if Hoiberg wants to remain in the top 20 on this list.

19. Kevin Willard, Seton Hall (236-183, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances)

A new entry to the list, Willard has seemingly come out of nowhere to make Seton Hall into a national power. The Pirates had three wins in conference play the year before he arrived in Newark. The 25 wins in 2015-16 were the most for the program since P.J. Carlesimo led them to 28 wins in 1992-93. This past year, Willard led Seton Hall to its first conference crown since that 1992-93 season, reaching as high as No. 8 in the polls. Willard has the Pirates on the cusp of being a force to be reckoned with, but next year will be a little more difficult as first team All-American Myles Powell departs. Still, what he has done at Seton Hall has been incredible.

18. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State (71-26, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)

It took awhile for Dutcher to be the head man at a program, but he was given that chance when Steve Fisher retired. And he has ran with it. Dutcher was given the reigns following a 19-14 year for the Aztecs in and has put together two solid years and this past season, which was one of the best in school history. The Aztecs were primed to be a No. 1 or at the very worst, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A Final Four trip would have matched the best season (record-wise) in program history. He has elevated the program from when he took over after the last year was average for Fisher. Maybe he will be a late bloomer like Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton.

17. Archie Miller, Indiana (194-106, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

 Archie took a big dip here because Indiana is one of the most storied programs in college basketball and he missed the NCAA Tournament in his first two years in Bloomington and on the bubble this season. That is despite the fact that the Hoosiers have so many resources and are in a basketball-rich state. At Dayton, he went 139-63, which is the reason he was given this job and why he is on the list. But he needs to not only make the Big Dance, but make a deep run or he will be feeling the heat. At a program like Indiana, it is unacceptable to not make the NCAA Tournament since 2015-16.

16. Brad Underwood, Illinois (157-75, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances)

After two underwhelming seasons in Champaigne, Underwood’s crew turned it around, led by Ayo Dosunmu and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Kofi Cockburn. The Illini won 21 games and finished 13-7 in conference, good for fourth in the conference. The 13 league wins are more than Illinois had in its previous two seasons combined. Illinois was going to be going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 before the Coronavirus cancelled March Madness. After an incredible run at Stephen F. Austin in which he led the Lumberjacks to an 89-14 record and an incredible 53-1 conference record, he led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the tournament in 2017. He showed how good of a coach he is in Nacogdoches, so it is not a surprise he is beginning to turn things around in Champaigne.

15. Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s (440-182, 7 NCAA Tournaments, 1 Sweet 16)

Death, taxes, Randy Bennett leading St. Mary’s to a stellar season. This time, it was 26-8 and likely a berth in the NCAA Tournament until the Coronavirus forced everything to be cancelled. He has led his Gaels to 20+ wins in each of the last 13 seasons. Despite leading the Gaels to a 30-win season in 2017-18, they missed the tournament and were bounced in the NIT Quarterfinals. Bennett took over a woeful St. Mary’s program and has turned it into a powerful program. I wonder if Bennett will ever take an offer from a major conference job because that might he might have reached his ceiling with this program and he wouldn’t be able to take the next step. Despite making the tournament seven times, he has only advanced past the first round twice.

14. Jamie Dixon, TCU (404-166, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8s)

Dixon took a tumble on this list, as TCU finished .500 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. This is “What have you done for me lately?” sport and his teams have not made it to the second weekend since 2009. In his first six years, his Pitt Panthers advanced to the second weekend three times. Those days look so long ago. However, he does get credit for turning the Horned Frogs around. Prior to Dixon’s arrival in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs were a doormat. In Trent Johnson’s four years with the program, TCU only had one winning season and was a combined 8-64 in conference play and never finished higher than ninth in the conference. Prior to Dixon, TCU had not made either the NCAA Tournament or NIT since 2005, and not made the Big Dance this millennium. Next year will be a big one for him.

13. Eric Musselman, Arkansas (129-46, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

After an 18-16 season last year, Arkansas was primed to take a major leap in year one under Musselman. The team began the season 14-2, but dropped 10 of its last 16 games and a 7-11 SEC record took them off the bubble and firmly out of the NCAA Tournament running. However, they improved their overall record, which is outstanding considering the Razorbacks lost eight players (six seniors, two transfers). Musselman came to Fayetteville after beginning his collegiate head coaching career at Nevada. In his first season there, he rebuilt the Wolfpack after a 9-22 season. He led Nevada to a 15-win increase in 2015-16 and a CBI championship. In his next three seasons, he led them to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2018. Musselman is the right man for the job and will have Arkansas among the upper echelon teams in the SEC in a few years.

12. Mike White, Florida (209-105, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Elite 8)

White has had a solid time in Gainesville so far, but nothing has come close to the success of his 2016-17 team. In his past three years, he has averaged 20 wins a season and has not finished higher than third in the SEC standings. The Gators would have made the NCAA Tournament this year, but wouldn’t have been a high seed and likely would have fallen before the Sweet 16. He came from Louisiana Tech, where he found plenty of success. In his final three years with Louisiana Tech, he led the Bulldogs to 83 wins and a conference title all three years. However, he could not get his team over the hump and into the Big Dance and had to settle for the NIT all three seasons. His team only had two seniors on it, so the Gators could make a deep run next season.

11. Greg Gard, Wisconsin (101-57, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s)

What a season for Gard. If I were to have made this list after 10 games, he probably would be off the list. But fortunately for him, the season continued and he led the Badgers to one of the more improbable Big Ten championships in recent memory. What he and the program had to deal with and turn the season around was remarkable. His team lost its best two defenders, Khalil Iverson and do-everything big man Ethan Happ. In May, assistant coach Howard Moore and his family were in a car accident that claimed the life of his wife and daughter. Then, Micah Potter inexplicably kept being turned down in his appeal to try to play right away. He kept being denied, so he had to begin the season on Dec. 21 against Milwaukee. Then, finally, second-leading scorer Kobe King transferred, and rumors surfaced that he wasn’t happy with the direction of the program, leaving Wisconsin with only eight scholarship players. Well, fast forward two months and Gard had the last laugh. His Badgers won eight consecutive games to earn a share of the Big Ten title. Any one of those could have caused the season to derail, but Gard kept the team together and was rewarded with the Big Ten Coach of the Year. With Brevin Pritzl being the only contributor departing the team, Wisconsin could be a contender to make the Final Four in 2021.

10. Mike Brey, Notre Dame (536-285, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8s)

This one is similar to Jamie Dixon, as Brey fell six spots to No. 10. What have you done for me lately? He made it to the Elite 8 in back-to-back years in 2014-15 and 15-16, but has not made the tournament since 2017-18 and would not have made it again this year unless they made a deep run in the conference tournament (and probably would have to actually win it). As good as Mike Brey is, those Elite 8 appearances are the only trips to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2003-04. In that period, the Irish have missed the tournament completely seven times. He did have a nice bounce back season this year after going a woeful 3-15 in league play in 2019-20, but he is running out of time to reach his first Final Four.

9. Mark Turgeon, Maryland (451-255, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s)

For the fifth time in the six seasons since Maryland joining the Big Ten, the Terps reached at least 23 victories, including 24 wins and a Big Ten championship this season. It was his first conference title since 2005-06 when he was with Wichita State. Turgeon had a chance to make a run this year, but the Coronavirus ended those hopes. He’ll have to replace point guard Anthony Cowan, but he is the only scholarship senior on the roster. He has a great sophomore class that includes Jalen Smith and Aaron Wiggins and if they stick around, Turgeon might exit this list soon. Still, he will need to prove more in the NCAA Tournament, though, as he has only led one team past the first weekend since he took the jump to a major conference school.

8. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State (180-119, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

Holtmann had Ohio State in the top five early in the season before falling off a bit and finishing at 21-10 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes would have made the NCAA Tournament again, but he hasn’t gotten out of the first weekend yet in Columbus. Next year, he will be without D.J. Carton, who transferred, and most likely Kaleb Wesson. However, they do bring in coveted Harvard graduate transfer Seth Towns. The Harvard transfer has missed the last two seasons with a knee injury but was the 2017-18 Ivy League Player of the Year. The Buckeyes likely be a top 15 team next year. Holtmann’s overall record is a little deceiving, as he turned around a Gardner-Webb program that had not had a winning record since 2005-06. In his first two seasons with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, they went 23-41 and did not finish higher than ninth in the Big South. However, in his third season, he led them to a 21-13 record and a berth in the CIT. He was hired to take over for a Butler legend in Brad Stevens and was 70-31 in three seasons and reached the Sweet 16 in 2017.

7. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M (268-169, 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)

It is only a matter of time that Buzz turns around the Aggies. He did the same at Virginia Tech and elevated the play at Marquette after the departure of Tom Crean. Williams took over the Hokies following a 9-22 season in which they won just two league games. In his fifth season, he took Virginia Tech to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1966-67 and fell by just two points to top-seeded Duke. Before Virginia Tech, he averaged more than 23 wins per season with Marquette and made the Sweet 16 twice and an Elite 8. In his first year, he improved the team’s record to 15-14 after going 14-18 in 2018-19 and won three more league games than the previous year too, so Buzz has the program looking up.

6. Matt Painter, Purdue (362-179, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)

Purdue took a step back this season, but that was to be expected after Carsen Edwards graduated. They would have been NIT bound after five consecutive years in the Big Dance, including advancing to the second weekend the last three seasons. I have faith in Painter, as the Boilers try to make the Final Four for the first time since 1980. It will be interesting to see if Painter (and Purdue) will finally be able to get over the hump because the Boilermakers are a bit snakebit in that regard because Gene Keady was the same way.

5. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State (579-431, 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)

Hamilton shot up the charts after another stellar season for the Seminoles. He has led FSU to at least 26 wins in three of the past four seasons. This season, unfortunately, ended due to the Coronavirus, but the Noles would have been a top two seed and they won the ACC regular season title with a 16-4 record. At 71, he is the oldest coach on the list and it seems like he is getting better with age. His head coaching career began in 1986 with Oklahoma State, and he lasted four seasons with a 47 percent winning percentage. He went to Miami for 10 years, turning around the program, and making the NCAA Tournament his final three seasons with the Hurricanes. In 2002-03, he went to Tallahassee and turned things around. In 2018, he led them to their first Elite 8 in 25 years. It’s a shame that there was no tournament because he could have made it this year.

4. Mick Cronin, UCLA (384-182, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)

Mick Cronin did a great job getting the Bruins on the right track after Steve Alford was fired early last season. After a one-year absence, he likely would have had UCLA right back in the NCAA Tournament, as the Bruins went 19-12 and 12-6 in Pac-12 play. There is no doubt he is a great coach, but he can’t seem to get his teams to the second weekend. Cronin came from Cincinnati, and under him, the Bearcats averaged nearly 27 wins per season the past six seasons, but could never make it to the second weekend. He’ll have the assets to do that at UCLA, so it would be considered a failure if he doesn’t do that with the Bruins.

3. Scott Drew, Baylor (361-220, 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s, 2 Elite 8s)

Like Hamilton, he shot up this list. He has led Baylor to unprecedented success in basketball after he came in following the scandal in the early 2000s. The Bears would have been a No. 1 or 256-115, 2 seed and had a chance to make it to the Final Four, if not for the Coronavirus. He has led the guys from Waco to 11 20-win seasons in the last 13 years. Including 30 wins in 2011-12. Once his teams do get in the tournament, though, they either go far or get bounced by a lower-seeded team early. Drew has been a really solid coach for the Bears, and maybe at some point, he could get lucky and make a run to the Final Four. It is a shame because this past year could have been his season to do just that.

2. Chris Mack, Louisville (256-115, 9 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)

Chris Mack has been such a good coach for so long that it is surprising that he has never been to a Final Four before. His two best years at Xavier, in 2016-17 and 2018-19, were spoiled before the second weekend by Wisconsin and Florida State, respectively. He won more than 20 games in every season but one and has had at least 24 wins five seasons. Like I said last year, nothing against Xavier, but it is just a matter of time before Mack reaches the Final Four with Louisville and heading to the Cardinals was great for his career. It seems inevitable, but of course, people probably thought that with Gene Keady and John Chaney too.

1.     1. Sean Miller, Arizona (404-147, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 4 Elite 8s)

Once again, Miller takes the top spot, and I am sure the Arizona coach is sick of being at the top of this list. After a one-year absence, the Wildcats would have made the NCAA Tournament again this year for the seventh time in eight seasons. It seems like he is snake bit. Going to four Elite 8s and not winning one will make it seem that way. It does not help that two of the best teams Miller has had ran into Frank Kaminsky in the Elite 8. At some point, though, Miller will break through, you’d think. It is a mystery how he has yet to reach the Final Four. I know I have been saying this for awhile, but it is just a matter of time for him.

Top moments of the decade

Honorable mention:
Louisville wins it for Ware (2013)
Loyola and Sister Jean makes Final Four (2018)
Dallas Braden throws perfect game on Mother's Day (2010)
American Pharoah wins Triple Crown (2015)

10. No ordinary Joe (2018)

Joe Mauer was well on his way to being one of the greatest catchers to ever play baseball, winning three batting titles and an MVP following the 2009 season. However, concussions took its toll and he was forced to make the switch to first base. But in the last regular season game of his career, Mauer put on the catcher's gear one more time. Shortly after he doubled in his last plate appearance, Mauer went out for one pitch against Chicago's Yoan Moncada. There was a deal where Yoan would not swing at the pitch to Mauer and Matt Belisle delivered a ball before Mauer left and rode off into the sunset after a Twins 5-4 victory.

9. 38-1 (2015)

This was the most anticipated semifinal game in a long time. In the previous season, Aaron Harrison hit a deep 3-pointer from the left wing to give Kentucky a 74-73 national semifinal victory. Kentucky was also in the midst of a historic season. At 38-0, they were aiming to become the first undefeated team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers. Also, in the KenPom rankings, Wisconsin had the best offense since his rankings began, while Kentucky had the No. 1 defense. Game on in Indianapolis.

Kentucky fell behind early, but came back to tie the game at halftime. Wisconsin jumped out to a 52-44 lead, but the Wildcats came back with an 18-4 run to take a 60-56 lead with six and a half minutes left. But the Badgers showed the fight of champions, outscoring the undefeated Cats 15-4 the rest of the game. Sam Dekker scored on a layup and then Nigel Hayes scored on a controversial putback. That set the stage for the kill shot, a Dekker triple from the top of the key over the outstretched arm of Karl-Anthony Towns. Wisconsin salted the game away at the free throw line and there was no undefeated season.

8. This was for Skaggs (2019)

On July 1, Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room when LA was in town to play the Texas Rangers. In the first home game after Skaggs' death, the Angels took on the Seattle Mariners on July 12. Taylor Cole pitched two perfect innings to begin the game before giving way to Felix Pena. He pitched seven innings, and only allowed a walk to Omar Narvaez in the fifth inning. It was just that walk away from a combined perfect game, but they'll settle for a combined no-hitter. It was a great tribute to Skaggs and he was looking down smiling at the result.

7. The Captain with a great send-off (2014)

New York is one of the greatest organizations in sports, and one of the most famous players on said organization was Derek Jeter. In the last game at Yankee Stadium in Jeter's career, New York played Baltimore. In a 2-2 game, New York scored three in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-2 lead. However, the Orioles hit a pair of homers off David Robertson to tie the game at 5. Even though New York blew a three-run lead, it set the stage for the one of the decade's signature moments.

Jose Pirela led off the inning with a single to left, and was pinch ran for by Antoan Richardson. A bunt moved him over to second, which brought up Jeter. On the first pitch against Evan Meek, the Captain lined a single to right and Richardson came racing around third and beat the throw home and Jeter had a storybook ending with a walk-off in his last at-bat at Yankee Stadium.

6. LeBron brings championship back to Cleveland (2016)

It had been a long time Cleveland had won a championship. The Indians won in the 40s and the Browns in the 60s, but nothing else until 2016. Cleveland lost the NBA Finals in 2015 and it seemed like it would in 2016, as the Cavaliers trailed the Golden State Warriors 3-1 in the Finals. No team had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals. If that weren't daunting enough, the team they have to do it against finished 73-9. After an incident at the end of game four, Draymond Green was suspended for game five. With Green out, Cleveland won going away in game five and then came back home and won convincingly in game six, setting up a winner-take-all game seven in California.

In game seven, it was a tight game throughout. With the clock winding down, the Warriors were in transition and Stephen Curry found Andre Iguodala, but Iggy's shot was blocked by LeBron to keep the game tied at 89. With less than a minute left, Kyrie Irving drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Cavs the lead, one they would not relinquish and LeBron made good on his promise to bring Cleveland a championship.

5. What were you doing in 1908? (2016)

Back in 2004, the Boston Red Sox ended their curse at 86 years with a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs had a chance to end their curse at 108 years. Just like LeBron and Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs trailed 3-1 in a series. Chicago won 3-2 in game five, but had to win twice at Progressive Field to win the whole thing. A blowout in game six set up a game seven and complete the same thing the Cavaliers did four and a half months earlier.

Game seven was a really good game. It looked like Chicago would run away with the game, as it jumped out to a 5-1 lead against Indians ace Corey Kluber. With the Cubs holding a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, an unlikely hero stepped up for the Tribe. After the first two batters were retired, the Indians hit a single and a double to cut it to 6-4. Then stepped in Rajai Davis. After a long seven-pitch at-bat, Davis hit a line drive off Aroldis Chapman that barely cleared the left field wall. The two-run homer tied the game at 6, and the game went into extras.

But not before a rain delay. When play came back, the Cubbies jumped all over Bryan Shaw, scoring two runs in the top of the 10th. Davis again did damage in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single, but that was all and Chicago celebrated its first championship since 1908 when the Cubs defeated the Tigers. They made seven appearances between 1910 and 1945, but lost each time.

4. Kobe being Kobe (2016)

Kobe Bryant had a legendary career and is one of the best players in the history of the NBA. He had down years in his last few, but he was primed to go back to vintage Kobe in the last game of his career against the Utah Jazz. It wasn't an 81-point performance like he had earlier in his career, but he dropped 60 in an incredible farewell by the Black Mamba.

The Lakers, wrapping up their worst season in franchise history, needed something to smile about. Kobe did just that. He dropped 60 points in a comeback victory over Utah, his first 50-point game since February 2009. The Lakers were down by as many as 15 and nine heading into the fourth. But Kobe scored 23 of his 60 points in the fourth, as LA outscored Utah 34-21. With LA down 96-86, Kobe went on a personal 13-0 run to put his team in front 99-96. He hit a triple with 59 seconds left to cut it to one and hit a jumper with 31 seconds remaining to put Los Angeles in front for good. He added a pair of free throws to cement a 101-96 comeback win. He exited the game to a much-deserved standing ovation with four seconds left. It was hard for anybody to not be happy for Kobe, as he ended his career on a very high note.

3. Dee Gordon hits a HR for his friend (2016)

Late in September 2016, Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident. In the first game after Fernandez' death, the Marlins hosted the New York Mets. On the first swing of the game by Miami, infielder Dee Gordon launched a shot to right field off New York's Bartolo Colon. It was hit well over the right field wall for a homer. It was the ninth career home run for Gordon and it was the only one in 2016. As he crossed the plate, he had to wipe tears off his face. Gordon was quoted as saying "I told the boys, 'If ya'll don't believe in God, ya'll might as well start. I ain't ever hit a bad that far, even in batting practice. We had some help.'" It was a great tribute by Gordon. Miami blew out New York, but the leadoff homer is what anybody will remember, and rightfully so.

2. 16 over 1 (2018)

The Virginia Cavaliers had become a dynasty in the ACC under head coach Tony Bennett. It was not only a No. 1 seed once again, it was the No. 1 overall seed after winning both the ACC regular season and tournament titles. The 31-2 Cavaliers' first round matchup was against 24-10 UMBC of the America East. No 16 seed had ever beaten a 1. But that string had to end sometime. However, how it happened was incredibly surprising.

The game was tied at the half, but the Retrievers went on a 17-3 run to begin the second period to open up a 38-24 advantage and Virginia could not get it to single digits the rest of the way. A 16 over 1 was bound to happen sometime, but UMBC won by 20 (!!!). The 74-54 win is the biggest win in NCAA Tournament history, and school will remembered forever.

1. He's back. (2019)

Tiger Woods had won a few tournaments in the decade, which was a rough one for him. However, he had not won a major yet. In the early 2000s, it just seemed like a matter of time before Tiger overtook Jack Nicklaus' record for major wins at 18. But Tiger had a bad decade, some of which it was his own doing with his affairs. Then, there were the injuries. He has never been the same, but in 2019, he won his first major of the decade. Woods won coming back after 54 holes for the first time in his career as Francesco Molinari faltered down the stretch. He won by one shot over fellow American Xander Schauffele. It is a story of redemption and the country loves those types of stories. That is why this is the No. 1 moment of the decade.

Top 10 games of the decade

Honorable mention:
Super Bowl LII (2018)
Baylor/TCU (2014)
Twins/Yankees (2019)
NBA Finals game six (2013)
SEC Championship game (2012)

10. Alabama wins the All-SEC title game (2018)

For the first time in the College Football Playoff, two teams from the same conference made it to the final four: Alabama and Georgia. After Alabama clobbered Clemson and Georgia outlasted Oklahoma in a classic Rose Bowl, the All-SEC title game was set. The underdog Bulldogs dominated in the first half, jumping out to a 13-0 advantage at halftime. Of Alabama's five first have possessions, the Tide went three-and-out three times. At halftime, Nick Saban made a switch. Jalen Hurts, who had so much success with Alabama, was benched in favor of true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. On Bama's second drive of the second half, Tua found Henry Ruggs for a 6-yard score. He then found Ridley with a 7-yard toss to tie the game at 20 with less than four minutes to play. The Tide had a chance to win in regulation, but Andy Pappanastos missed a 36-yard field goal and it went into overtime. Georgia lost nine yards on its overtime possession, but Rodrigo Blankenship drilled a 51-yard field goal to put UGA in front 23-20. It would appear that the Dawgs would pull out the win after Tua was sacked for a loss of 16 on first down and Alabama had a kicker problem. Never fear, though. Tua went back to pass and found a wide open DeVonta Smith down the left sideline for a 41-yard score. It was the rise of Tua Tagovailoa, and it showed the genius of Nick Saban.

9. Look away, Falcons fans (2017)

Most dangerous lead in sports? 28-3. Atlanta started it and Michigan State and Baylor have joined the dubious club. Each team breezed into the Super Bowl, as the Falcons won their two playoff games by an average of 19.5 points per game and the Patriots won their's by an average of 18.5. After a scoreless first quarter, the Dirty Birds outscored the Patriots 21-3 in the second. With Atlanta already in front 14-0, Brady was picked off by Robert Alford and he returned it 82 yards for a score that have the Falcons a commanding 21-0 lead. New England got on the board with a field goal at the end of the half to pull within 18. Tevin Coleman punched it in from six yards out with eight and a half minutes left in the third to make it 28-3. Yes, 28-3.

New England responded with a 13-play drive, converting on a fourth down in the process. James White caught a 5-yard touchdown to cut it to 28-9 after Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point. It was the first of three scores for White. A field goal on the Pats next drive cut it to 16. Then, Atlanta fumbled and it set up a Danny Amendola touchdown. White scored the two-point conversion with a run and it was 28-20. The Dirty Birds drove down the field, but attempted a pass on second down from the New England 23. Matt Ryan was sacked. Then, an offensive holding pushed them back even further and were forced to punt. Tom Brady had 91 yards in front of him and 3:30 to work with. No problem. Brady drove his squad down the field in 10 plays. The biggest moment came on an improbable catch by Julian Edelman for 23 yards down to the Atlanta 41. Four plays later, White plowed in from a yard out and a Brady to Amendola two-point conversion tied it up. In overtime, Brady led his team down the field without even facing a third down. White scored on a toss to win the exciting game and the choke job by Atlanta has made the Falcons a punch line for the rest of time.

8. Godgers (2017)

Three weeks before Super Bowl Sunday, the Green Bay Packers played at the No. 1 Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Packers were once a 4-6 team and Aaron Rodgers made the famous "Run the table" comment. After that, Green Bay won its final six games to win the NFC North and then beat New York in the Wild Card round to force a game at top-seeded Dallas. Against New York, Packers top wide receiver Jordy Nelson got hurt and missed the game in Dallas. Green Bay jumped out on Dallas, punching the Cowboys in the face right out of the gate. Dallas kicked a field goal on the opening possession, but the Packers scored 21 straight. Aaron Rodgers connected with Richard Rodgers for 34 yards for the score to put Green Bay in front. Then, converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery ran in two scores. The Cowboys scored 10 consecutive points to end the half to cut it to 21-13 at the half.

Jared Cook had a big day and caught a touchdown to make it 28-13. But Dallas scored 15 straight and the game was tied with four minutes to play. Mason Crosby made a 56-yard field goal, but Dan Bailey responded with a 52-yard kick and the game was tied at 31 with 35 seconds left. With the Packers on their own 42 with 23 seconds left, Rodgers was sacked by Jeff Heath. On 3rd-and-20 from the 32 with 12 seconds left, the quarterback made one of the greatest plays of his career. He rolled out to his left and threw a dart down the left sideline to Cook for 35 yards. It was an incredible throw that set up a Mason Crosby game-winning attempt. The first attempt....GOOD! But.....timeout. Second try....ALSO GOOD! Aaron Rodgers was exceptional, and showed why he is one of the best of all-time.

7. Astros get huge win in World Series (2017)

In the World Series, Los Angeles and Houston were tied at 2 and the Astros had one more in Houston. They needed to win in order to avoid having to win twice in Los Angeles. It was a wild game in Houston, with nobody being able to get anyone out. At one point, if the opponent just got one run in an inning, it was considered a success. LA scored three runs in the first and led 4-0 after three and a half. Against Clayton Kershaw, it would be tough to come back. Four of the first five batters in the fourth inning reached, including the big shot from Yuli Gurriel, a three-run homer to tie it up at 4. But Cody Bellinger hit a three-run bomb right back at Houston.

Kershaw could not blow another lead, could he? Well, yes, he did, as Jose Altuve hit a three-run gopher ball right back at the Dodgers and it was 7-7 after five. In the seventh, Bellinger came through again with a triple to put LA back on top. But then Houston scored four more times, hitting two more homers. The Astros led 12-9 heading into the ninth, but Yasiel Puig hit a two-run homer and Chris Taylor hit a game-tying single and they headed to extra innings tied at 12. After LA was kept off the scoreboard in the 10th, Houston had a two-out rally. Brian McCann was hit by a pitch and George Springer walked, which brought up Alex Bregman. On the first pitch, Bregman lined a single to left which scored pinch runner Derek Fisher and the Astros took the 3-2 lead in the series. The win helped win them the series, as they won game seven behind a strong team pitching effort.

6. Clemson saves America (2017)

Alabama was in the midst of a dynasty, and the teams met for the second consecutive year in the championship. In the previous season, Alabama outlasted Clemson 45-40 to win the title. The Tide scored the first 14 in this one, but a run by Deshaun Watson cut it to 14-7 going into the break. It appeared like Alabama would run away with this one after Wayne Gallman fumbled and the Tide recovered on Clemson's first possession of the second half. But that only led to a field goal and the lead was 17-7. The teams traded touchdowns and the Tide led 24-14 heading into the final quarter.

Mike Williams caught a touchdown early in the fourth to cut it to 24-21 and took the lead with 4:38 remaining on a Gallman 1-yard plunge. It was a six-play, 88-yard drive for the Tigers, taking less than two minutes. But Alabama had championship pedigree and grabbed the lead back. O.J. Howard, who killed Clemson the year before, caught a 24-yard pass, which set up a 30-yard touchdown scamper by Jalen Hurts with 2:07 left. Starting at their own 32, Clemson drove 68 yards to win it. Watson threw to Williams, who made an incredible catch, for 24 to move into Bama territory. A pass to Jordan Legett for 17 yards moved the ball to the 9 with 14 ticks left. After an incompletion, Watson threw an incomplete pass to Williams. But a pass interference. On the final play, Watson rolled out a found Hunter Renfrow in the end zone for the touchdown with one second left. It began the Clemson dynasty, as they aim for their third title in four years next month.

5. Darnold outduels Barkley in Rose (2017)

USC and Penn State had similar seasons. Both teams started off slow before turning it on down the stretch. The Nittany Lions began the season 2-2, with losses at Pitt and a blowout loss at Michigan. Their season changed with a 24-21 victory against Ohio State when the Lions scored 17 in the fourth. With OSU in front 21-17, the Buckeyes lined up for a field goal, but Marcus Allen blocked it and Grant Haley returned it 60 yards for the score to put PSU in front and it held on. The Nittany Lions won nine straight leading up to the Rose Bowl. USC, on the other hand, went 1-3 in its first four, and Max Browne was benched in favor of redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. The Trojans won eight in a row after the 1-3 start, including a win at previously unbeaten Washington. After the Huskies made the College Football Playoff, USC went to Pasadena to battle the Big Ten champs.

After having such a great year, PSU quarterback Trace McSorley was picked off on his first two attempts of the game. That led to a USC missed field goal and a touchdown. The Trojans did not punt once in the first half and led 27-21 at the break. It was a game in which you had to respond after allowing a score or else you were at risk of being blown out. After USC led 13-0, there was a stretch in which there were five touchdowns scored on five possessions, with PSU scoring three of them. The lead could have been more, but USC's Matt Boermeester missed two field goals. Penn State rolled out of the locker room with four straight touchdowns, outscoring USC 28-8 in the third to go ahead 49-35 heading to the fourth. The Nittany Lions actually scored touchdowns on their first three *plays* of the half, with Saquon Barkley having a weaving 79-yard touchdown, seemingly breaking tackles of every USC defender in the process. Then, McSorley found Chris Godwin for 72 yards and then the quarterback ran in from three yards out after a Darnold pick.

The fourth was all USC, as Ronald Jones ran in a score after a Juju Smith-Schuster reception set it up. Two pass interference penalties set up the tying score, as Darnold found Deontay Burnett for 27 yards to tie the game at 49. McSorley threw three interceptions in the game. After his first two passes, he was flawless....until his last pass. On 3rd-and-9 from his own 36, he threw his third and final pick. Leon McQuay intercepted a pass along the sideline and ran in down to the Lions 33. After missing twice earlier in the game, Boermeester came through with a 46-yard field goal to send USC to a Rose Bowl victory. Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns, outdueling Barkley, who ran for 194 yards and two scores. It was the highest scoring Rose Bowl of all-time....for one year.

4. Isner outlasts Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon (2010)

In the first round of the 2010 Wimbledon, American John Isner and Nicolas Mahut of France battled in one of the best tennis matches you'll ever see. The match began on June 22 and was suspended early in the fifth set. The match lasted three days and 11 hours and five minutes, which is easily the longest match in tennis history. Each competitor had at least 100 aces, but in the end, Isner outlasted Mahut in the fifth set 70-68 to win the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68. Because of this match, a rule was put in place starting in 2019 where the fifth set would have a tiebreaker, so this match will have its place atop the longest tennis match list for years to come.

3. Kris Jenkins daggers UNC (2016)

Villanova was coming into the National Championship flying high after destroying Oklahoma 95-51 and holding Buddy Hield to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. UNC won handily as well, beating Syracuse 83-66 to set up a date with the Wildcats on championship Monday. In the much-anticipated championship, it was a tightly contested first half with the Tar Heels leading by five at the half. After a Brice Johnson jumper to begin the half, Villanova went on a 12-3 run to take a 46-44 lead. The Wildcats gained distance between themselves and the Tar Heels and always kept UNC at arm's length. A pair of Phil Booth free throws actually gave Nova a double-digit lead at 67-57. But UNC came right back with a 7-0 run to cut it to three. North Carolina cut it to one on two occasions, but could not break through. Until the final seconds.

With Villanova in front by three under 10 seconds, Marcus Paige shot a double clutch 3-pointer. It should have had no chance of going in, but it did. Paige hit a huge 3-pointer to tie the game at 74 with 4.7 seconds left. But the Heels still needed a stop or else Paige's triple would be thrown in with Larry Fitzgerald's Super Bowl score and Jeff Janis' Hail Mary at Arizona as great forgotten (or overshadowed) moments in sports. On the Nova possession Ryan Arcidiacono brought it up the floor and pitch it to a trailing Kris Jenkins. Pure. It was buried. Villanova had its first championship since 1985 and Jenkins had his name in the same breath as Lorenzo Charles, who made the winning dunk in the 1983 title for North Carolina State against Phi Slamma Jamma.

2. Dawgs come back to win classic Rose Bowl (2018)

Georgia rolled into the College Football Playoff by avenging its regular season loss and rolling Auburn 28-7 in the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs were the No. 3 seed, facing No. 2 Oklahoma. The Sooners started out blazing fast with three touchdowns on their first three possessions to jump out to a 21-7 lead and carried it to a 31-17 halftime advantage. Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes and Rodney Anderson had a pair of touchdown runs to lead the Big 12 champs. The tide turned early in the third, as Georgia scored three straight touchdowns to begin the quarter to take the lead. But then a touchdown pass from Mayfield and a fumble return for a touchdown gave the Sooners the lead back. With less than a minute left, Nick Chubb plowed in from two yards out to tie it back up at 45. The game went into overtime.

Each team kicked a field goal in the first overtime, but Oklahoma's Austin Seibert had his second overtime attempt blocked, giving Georgia a golden chance for victory. After a loss of two on first down, Sony Michel took the direct snap and ran to the left and found a lane. He blasted through it and went virtually untouched into the end zone from 27 yards out to send UGA to the championship with a 54-48 win. I mentioned that USC/Penn State had the record for most scored points in a Rose Bowl for just a year. Well, this is the one that broke that record.

1. David Freese's heroics lead World Series to a game 7 (2011)

Texas led the World Series 3-2 and needed to win just one in St. Louis to win its first World Series. It was a good game going into the seventh, tied at 4. But the Rangers changed that, as Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz led off the inning with back-to-back homers off Lance Lynn. Ian Kinsler added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 7-4. It was 7-5 going to the bottom of the ninth, when David Freese assured he would never have to buy a drink in St. Louis again. With runners on first and second with two outs and the Cardinals down to their final strike of the season, Freese came through with a triple to right field off the base of the wall and bounced back past Cruz. Both Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman scored to tie the contest.

In the top of the 10th, Josh Hamilton homered to give the Rangers a 9-7 lead. An RBI groundout in the bottom of the inning cut it to 9-8. With Berkman at the plate, there were runners on first and second with two outs. Once again, the Cardinals were down to their final strike. Berkman came through, as he hit a single to right-center for a single to score Jon Jay and once again, it was tied. Jake Westbrook got out of the 11th without allowing a run, which set up more heroics from Freese. Texas brought it Mark Lowe to pitch the 11th and Freese led off. The count ran full, and then he found a pitch to his liking. Freese teed off and hit one over the center field wall. Joe Buck quoted his late father by saying "We'll see you tomorrow night." It was one of the greatest baseball games ever and it takes its place as the best game of the decade.

Top 10 most memorable plays of the decade

Honorable mention
DeSean Jackson GW TD at NY Giants (2010)
Demaryius Thomas GW TD vs. Pittsburgh (2012)
Prayer at Jordan Hare (2013)
Ray Allen tying 3-pointer vs. San Antonio (2013)
Aaron Harrison wins back-to-back tournament games (2014)

10. Unlikely hero finishes improbable comeback (2017)

In the third quarter, the Atlanta Falcons led Super Bowl LI 28-3, but the Patriots scored 25 straight points in 17:05 to send it into overtime. The comeback was led by Tom Brady and James White. The latter broke the records for most points scored in a Super Bowl (20) and receptions in a Super Bowl (14). The last of his touchdowns ranks No. 10 on this list. With New England and Atlanta tied in overtime, the Patriots faced a 2nd-and-Goal from the 2. Brady tossed it to White who reached the ball across the goal line for the New England victory.

9. Make bat flips great again (2015)

In a wild and exciting game five of the ALDS between Toronto and Texas, it was one home run that stole the show. Or more specifically, one bat flip. Texas had just scored to take a 3-2 lead. However, errors loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh. A pop sacrifice fly tied the game, and with two outs, the Blue Jays had two on and two out for the dangerous Jose Bautista. On a 1-1 pitch from Sam Dyson, Bautista crushed it into the upper deck over the left-center field wall. After the blast, Bautista, out of excitement, chucked the bat toward the dugout. Texas had two base runners in the eighth, but Roberto Osuna shut down the Rangers and punch Toronto's ticket to the ALCS.

8. Freese Frame (2011)

Poor Rangers are back at it again. In one of the best games you'll ever see, David Freese launched a walk-off homer to send the World Series to a game seven. Freese first hit a two-out, two-run triple to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. After Josh Hamilton gave the Rangers the lead back in the 10th, the Cardinals came back with two in the bottom of the inning to tie it back up. That set the stage for Freese's dramatics once again. Mark Lowe was the new Texas pitcher, and on a 3-2 pitch, Freese crushed it over the center field wall for the walk-off home run to send the series to a seventh game, where St. Louis won 6-2. Freese had two more RBI in that game and was named the World Series MVP.

7. LeBron and Kyrie come up big (2016)

The Golden State Warriors were in the midst of the best season in NBA history. Golden State went 73-9 in the regular season and breezed through the first two rounds, but had to come back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals. Cleveland waltzed through the Eastern Conference and the teams met once again for the title after Golden State won the previous season. Well, the Warriors took a 3-1 lead in this series, but Draymond Green was suspended for game five after an incident with him and LeBron at the end of game four. Cleveland won two straight by a total of 29 to send it back to the bay for game seven. With the game tied with less than two minutes to play, Golden State was in transition and Andre Iguodala passed it to Stephen Curry, who passed it back to Iggy. Iguodala went up for the layup, but LeBron blocked it to keep it tied. With less than a minute to go and the shot clock winding down, Kyrie Irving shot a contested 3-pointer, which he buried with 53 seconds left. That was the final blow and LeBron brought back a championship to the city of Cleveland.

6. Tua the legend (2018)

Alabama began the 2017 season 11-0, but was tripped up in the regular season finale at Auburn. However, the Tide were picked as the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff over Ohio State. In the first game in the playoffs, the Tide rolled Clemson 24-6 and played fellow SEC member Georgia in the title game. With Alabama trailing 13-0 in the championship at halftime, Nick Saban made a change to bring in true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. The freshman led the Tide to 20 second half points to send it into overtime. With his team down three and facing a 2nd-and-26, Tua went deep down the left sideline to a wide open Devonta Smith for the 41-yard touchdown to win the championship. Tua has been a legend ever since in the state of Alabama.

5. Philly Special (2018)

After Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL late in the season, nobody thought the Eagles would come out of the NFC, let alone win the whole thing, even as a No. 1 seed. After squeaking past No. 6 Atlanta, Philadelphia was an underdog against No. 2 Minnesota. But Nick Foles led the Eagles to a dominant 38-7 victory to put them in the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. With the Eagles leading 15-12 late in the second quarter, they faced a fourth down at the 1. With Tom Terrific on the other side, Doug Pedersen knew he had to go for six. On the fourth down play, the direct snap went to Corey Clement, who ran to the left. He pitched it behind him to tight end Trey Burton, who was running from left to right. The former Florida Gator then threw it to a wide open Foles in the end zone for the score. It gave Philly a 22-12 halftime lead, and all the confidence in the world. Philadelphia used this play as a catalyst to bring home its first Lombardi Trophy, 41-33.

4. Can you Diggs it? (2018)

Before the Philly Special, Minnesota faced New Orleans in the Divisional Round. The Vikings had an improbable season, led by journeyman quarterback Case Keenum. Touchdown runs by Jerrick McKinnon and Latavius Murray put the Vikings in front 17-0 at halftime. But in less than three and a half minutes, New Orleans scored twice on Michael Thomas touchdowns to cut it to 17-14. Alvin Kamara actually gave the Saints the lead 21-20. The teams traded field goals in the span of a 1:04, ended with a Wil Lutz field goal with 0:25 left. With 10 seconds left, Minnesota had the ball on its own 39, needing a field goal. Keenum took the snap and launched a pass to Stefon Diggs to the New Orleans 35, and rookie safety Marcus Williams whiffed trying to bring down Diggs and collided with another Saint and Diggs had smooth Se into the end zone for a stunning 29-23 victory. It was their first playoff win since defeating Dallas in the 2009 season.

3. Seahawks pass from the 1 (2015)

In the Super Bowl, Seattle held a 24-14 lead after three quarters, but that set up a wild finish. Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman scored touchdowns to put the Patriots in front 28-24. Brady's balls were perfectly inflated as he threw the 3-yard reception to Edelman to give New England the lead. Seattle drove 79 yards on seven plays down to the New England 1. One of the plays was a improbable catch by Jermaine Kearse for 33 yards down to the 5. After a Marshawn Lynch run to the 1, the Seahawks faced a 2nd-and-Goal at the 1. Instead of running it with Lynch again, Seattle passed it. Russell Wilson threw a slant, but New England's Malcolm Butler jumped the route and picked it off to seal the Super Bowl.

2. Kris Jenkins wins the ship (2016)

It is weird to think of a time when people were wondering if Jay Wright would ever win a big game in the tournament. Well, Villanova waltzed into the championship game after destroying Oklahoma 95-51 and UNC bested Syracuse to set up a great title game. It was a hard-fought game and a free throw gave the Wildcats a six-point lead. However, the Tar Heels came storming back. Down by three with time running out, UNC's Marcus Paige hit a double clutch triple to tie the game at 74 with 4.7 seconds left. If not for what happened next, this would be looked at as the play of the game. But Ryan Arcidiacono dribbled up the court and passed it to a trailing Kris Jenkins, who buried the deep triple from the right wing for the win. It was the first of two championships in a three-year span.

1. Miracle at the Iron Bowl (2013)

The Iron Bowl is one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and one of the most improbable wins in the series came in 2013. First, whichever team won would be virtually be assured of a berth in the National Championship. The Tide took a 21-7 lead after T.J. Yeldon carried it in from a yard out. But Auburn scored late in the second and then tied it with an early in the third with a C.J. Uzomah reception from Nick Marshall. In the fourth, A.J. McCarron connected with Amari Cooper for a 99-yard score, but Sammie Coates caught a 39-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left. Alabama had a chance to win and drove down to the Auburn 39, setting up a 57-yard field goal by Adam Griffith. On the attempt, Auburn put defensive back Chris Davis at the back of the end zone to return any kick that was short. Griffith's kick did just that. The kick was short, and Davis caught it nine yards deep in the end zone. He brought it out and veered toward the left sideline around the 20. From there, he received great blocking and around the 50 he blasted into the clear. He was not touched on his way into the end zone and the "kick six" was born. The crowd rushed the field and Auburn made its way to the SEC Championship game, and eventually, the National Championship game. Of all the memorable moments, this one stood tallest to me.

Biggest upsets of the decade

Honorable Mention:
Mavericks/Heat, 2011 NBA Finals
Vikings/Bills (2018)
Northern Iowa/Kansas (2010)
Holly Holm/Ronda Rousey (2015)
Norfolk State/Missouri (2012)

10. C.J. McCollum becomes a household name (2012)

Lehigh was the No. 15 seed, facing one of the perennial powers in the country, No. 2 Duke. The Blue Devils were led by the Plumlees and Mason scored 19 on 9-of-9 shooting. However, it was Lehigh's C.J. McCollum who stole the show. He scored 30 points to lead the Mountain Hawks to a 75-70 win. Duke shot just 41.4 percent and made just six of 26 3-point attempts. C.J. hit a big 3 with less than 2:30 left to make it 59-54 Lehigh. The Blue Devils would not threaten again in the big upset.

9. No championship for Oklahoma State (2011)

Oklahoma State came into a showdown with Iowa State at 10-0. All it had to do was defeat the Cyclones in Ames and win in Bedlam against Oklahoma and the Cowboys would face LSU in the title game. OSU was a 28-point favorite. over 5-4 ISU and jumped out to a 24-7 lead. But the Cyclones scored 17 straight to tie the game at 24. After forcing an interception, Oklahoma State's Quinn Sharp missed a 37-yard field goal and the game went into overtime. After each team scored a touchdown in the first overtime, Brandon Weeden threw a pick on OSU's second overtime possession, one of the Cowboys five turnovers. On ISU's possession, Jeff Woody ran in from four yards out and the Cowboys had to settle for a Fiesta Bowl win against Stanford. It also sent college football to its greatest nightmare: an All-SEC championship game.

8. Wofford shocks UNC (2017)

UNC had a 23-game home winning streak, but Wofford stunned UNC with a 79-75 victory. Fletcher Magee dropped 27 in the win, and made a name for himself in the process. It was the first win over a top 25 team in school history. The Terriers led by as many as 13 in the second half and held on for the four-point win.

7. A 3-1 series lead is the worst in sports (2016)

No team had come back from a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals ever. The task was daunting for Cleveland, but even more daunting when the team you need to beat three straight finished with an NBA record 73 wins during the regular season. Toward the end of game four, there was an incident involving Draymond Green, and he was suspended for game five. Cleveland went to San Francisco and defeated Golden State without Green, and then dominated game six in Cleveland. In game seven, LeBron made one of the most famous blocks in NBA history, rejecting Andre Iguodala late. Kyrie Irving buried a late triple and Cleveland finished off the improbable, beating the 73-9 Warriors in three straight to win the championship.

6. Cat nap (2019)

Kentucky was the No. 1 team in the country. The Wildcats were 39-0 when hosting an unranked non-conference opponent when No. 1. It was the third largest since 2003-04.

5. James Madison shocks Tech (2010)

Virginia Tech lost a heartbreaker to Boise State to open the season, but played an easy team in week two, right? Well, the heavy underdog Dukes fell behind 10-0, but came back to win it 21-16. Drew Dudzik scored on a run to give JMU its first lead early in the fourth and forced a Darren Evans fumble in the red zone and salted away the big upset.

4. Lightning struck (2019)

Tampa Bay was the Presidents Trophy winners. Many people thought the Lightning would win it all. Their 62 wins tied for the most all-time. Tampa Bay jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead against No. 8 Columbus. Then, the Lightning allowed four straight goals to lose game one. Columbus not only came back to win that one, but dominated the series, sweeping the top-seeded Lightning.

3. Down goes Sparty (2016)

Michigan State was one of the best teams in the country and was a popular Final Four pick as the No. 2 seed. MSU's first round opponent was Middle Tennessee State. It was one of the biggest shockers in tournament history. MSU shot really well at 55.6 percent, but the Blue Raiders shot it even better at 55.9 percent and shot 11-of-19 from deep. MTSU jumped out to a nine-point first half lead and went to the break in front by six. The Spartans fought back to cut it to 77-76, but Perrin Buford's jumper started a 6-0 run to put this one away and the Blue Raiders had the massive upset 90-81.

2. Streak ender (2019)

Just like Kentucky had the No. 1 ranking on my No. 6 on this list, Duke did as well, and the Blue Devils faced Stephen F. Austin. Even though Duke shot 50 percent, the Blue Devils could not overcome 22 turnovers. Duke had a 150-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents, but the game went into overtime. Late, Nathan Bain finished a fast break layup as time expired and SFA had the big upset.

1. Shock and awe (2018)

Never in men's college basketball tournament history has a No. 16 seed beaten a No. 1. But then UMBC happened. Not only was Virginia a No. 1 seed, but it was the top overall seed. The ACC regular season and conference champions headed into the NCAA Tournament at 31-2.  UVA was without De'Andre Hunter, who missed the rest of the season with a wrist fracture. Amazingly, the Cavaliers were blown out. When a 16 would eventually beat a 1, you'd think it would be a close game, but this was anything but. It was 21-21 at halftime, but the Retrievers dominated the second half. UMBC began the second half with a 17-3 run and the top seed had no answer. It would not be lower than 12 the rest of the game. Jarius Lyles poured in 28 points to lead the way for the Retrievers,

Best plays of the decade

Honorable Mention
Kevin Pillar great catch vs. NY Yankees
Kevin Durant 3-pointer while fouled vs. Memphis
Joe Adams punt return TD vs. Tennessee
Aaron Rodgers to Jared Cook at Dallas
Jalen Adams 3/4 court shot vs. Cincinnati
Tyler Ennis goal vs. Montreal

10. Derrick Henry ties a record

9. Hail Rodgers (2015)

8. Miracle in Miami (2018)

7. On the Mark

6. Seth Griffith doesn't need to look at the goal

5. Francis of Assisi

4. No regard for human life (2013)

3. Beast quake (2011)

2. Who's the Edel-man? (2017)

1. Hey ma, one hand (2015)

Top 10 Badger football moments of the decade

Honorable Mention

Badgers defeat Auburn in OT in Outback Bowl (2015)

Badgers win Cotton Bowl over Western Michigan (2017)

Montee Ball scores late TD to win at Iowa (2010)

Russell Wilson’s debut success in blowout of UNLV (2011)

Jonathan Taylor runs for 321 yards in triple OT win at Purdue (2018)

Bucky drops 83 on Indiana (2010)

10. Big Ten West champs (2014)

Wisconsin had started out the 2014 season 2-2, blowing a 24-7 second half lead against LSU, and losing at Northwestern for the fourth consecutive time. Many thought Wisconsin would not make it to Indianapolis for the second consecutive year. With this being the first season in the new realignment, Wisconsin did not have to beat out Ohio State to make it to the conference championship game. However, it did have to beat out rivals Nebraska and Iowa to head into the final weekend at 9-2 and 6-1 in conference. But after Minnesota knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln, the Gophers found themselves at 8-3 at 5-2 in Big Ten play. That would mean a winner-take-all matchup at Camp Randall Stadium to decide who plays Ohio State in Indy. 

Minnesota had lost 10 consecutive games to Wisconsin, and was determined to end the streak, as it jumped out to a 17-3 second quarter lead. But everything would change on a Joel Stave 76-yard pass to Alex Erickson, which would set up Melvin Gordon touchdown and it was 17-10. After a David Cobb fumble, a few passes to Erickson set up a field goal and it had been cut it 17-13 at the half. In the second half, it was all Badgers. A banged up Corey Clement, who missed the previous game at Iowa, provided a spark with two big runs, including a 28-yard touchdown, gave the Badgers a 27-17 lead. Minnesota scored after a long reception by Maxx Williams, but the Badgers put the game away on their next possession. 

The Badgers traveled 75 yards in eight plays and did not have to convert a third down on the drive. Rob Wheelwright, who had not caught a touchdown all year, is the brother of former Minnesota wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright. He picked a good time to catch his first touchdown, as Stave fired a 17-yard touchdown to the younger Wheelwright, and Wisconsin regained its 10-point advantage with 4:41 remaining. Minnesota would gain just five yards on its final seven plays of the game, and Wisconsin escaped with the 34-24 victory. It was the Badgers third trip to Indianapolis in the four-year history of the Big Ten Championship game.

9. Big Ten beatdown in Indy (2012)

Wisconsin came into the 2012 Big Ten Championship game with a record of 7-5 with all five coming by one score, including three in overtime. The Badgers were in the Big Ten Championship due to sanctions against both Ohio State and Penn State. Most did not think Wisconsin belonged, and thought Nebraska would blow out Bucky. The teams had met in the Big Ten opener with Nebraska coming back from a 27-10 second half deficit to win it 30-27 in Lincoln. At that time, the Badgers were struggling to run the ball, and fired offensive line coach Mike Markuson after a 10-7 loss to Oregon State in which Wisconsin ran for just 35 yards. Under grad assistant offensive line coach Bart Miller, the unit improved as the season went along. 

It all came together in Indianapolis. It was the coming out party for a redshirt freshman by the name of Melvin Gordon, who wasted little time making an impact, as he took a jet sweep 56 yards on the fourth play of the game to put Bucky in front first. On Nebraska’s first play, Taylor Martinez was picked off by Marcus Cromartie, who ran it back 29 yards for the score, and Wisconsin was in front 14-0 just 2:07 into the game. Nebraska would come back to make it 14-10, but would get no closer. James White would score twice and Montee Ball once to put Wisconsin in front 34-10. It would get even worse for the Huskers, as Gordon ran 60 yards down the sideline when they were just trying to run out the first half clock. That would set up a touchdown pass from White to tight end Sam Arneson and it was 41-10 at the half. Wow. 

It did not get any better for Nebraska, as Wisconsin would run for 539 yards and eight touchdowns and three running backs had more than 100 yards, including two with at least 200, in the Badgers 70-31 mauling of the Leaders Division champs. Wisconsin had three touchdowns of at least 56 yards, and another run of at least that many that set up a touchdown. It was the third consecutive Big Ten championship for Wisconsin, as it would once again make an appearance in Pasadena.

8. Welcome to the Big Ten (2011)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers had been a member of the Big Eight/Big 12 from 1921-2010, but conference expansion was taking place in college football. Missouri and Texas A&M were headed to the SEC and Colorado to the Pac-12. Nebraska decided to find a new home as well, heading to the Big Ten. Nebraska entered the 2011 season ranked No. 10 and would climb to No. 8 after a 4-0 non-conference slate. Its first conference game was under the lights at Camp Randall Stadium against No. 7 Wisconsin, which had an identical 4-0 record. 

Nebraska was led by dual threat quarterback Taylor Martinez and its workhorse at running back, Rex Burkhead. The Badgers were led by grad transfer quarterback Russell Wilson and junior running back Montee Ball. College Gameday was in the house and Jerry Ferrara from ‘Entourage’ was the celebrity guest picker. Game on. 

Nebraska jumped in front early, as the teams traded touchdowns for much of the first half. With 10 minutes to play, Wisconsin trailed 14-7 when the team locked in. Ball scored from three yards out to cut it to 14-13 with 9:48 to go in the first half. That was the first of three consecutive touchdowns to end the first half by Wisconsin to take a 27-14 lead into the break. Martinez threw two interceptions in three drives to end the half, which Bucky took advantage of, as Wilson threw a touchdown each to Jared Abbrederis and Nick Toon to give the Badgers the two score lead. 

The run would reach 34 straight points to increase the lead to 41-14, and the rout was on. It was the coming out party for Ball, who would finish 151 yards and four touchdowns en route to a Heisman ceremony invite. Wilson threw for 255 and two touchdowns and ran for 32 more and a score. The 48-17 demolition of Nebraska told the rest of the Big Ten that the trip to Pasadena would go through Madison.

7. Turnover chain? My f’n a... (2017)

Even after falling in the Big Ten Championship to Ohio State, Wisconsin had a chance to win its program-record 13th game with a win over Miami (and its turnover chain) in the Orange Bowl. Like Wisconsin, Miami had also lost its conference championship game. The Hurricanes had started out 11-0 and rose to No. 3 in the country, but had lost to Pittsburgh and the ACC Championship to Clemson to limp in at 11-2. But, unfortunately for the 12-1 Badgers, the game was played in Miami’s home stadium. 

Even worse for Wisconsin was that the Canes jumped out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter. The great Badgers defense had let them down in quarter one. That would all change early in the second quarter, as junior linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel picked off a Malik Rosier pass and the Badgers were in business inside the Miami 25. Three plays later, Alex Hornibrook found freshman Danny Davis down the right sideline for a 20-yard score. It would be the first of three receiving touchdowns for Davis, and the first of four passing touchdowns for Hornibrook, who was named the Orange Bowl MVP. It was arguably Hornibrook’s best day as a Badger, throwing for 258 yards and four scores in the win. In the second quarter, Miami had three possessions (not counting the kneel down to end the half) and threw the interception and had two three-and-outs, while Wisconsin scored touchdowns on all three of its second quarter drives to put Bucky on top 24-14 at the half. Miami cut it to three points in the second half on multiple occasions, but the Badgers would hold on. 

With the score being 24-21 midway through the third and Miami driving, Derrick Tindal picked off Rosier in the end zone to keep Bucky in front. After Davis’ third score of the day, Miami drove down the field. but the dagger would be inserted when Miami’s reliable kicker Michael Badgley shanked a 24-yarder that sealed the Wisconsin win. Wisconsin earned its program-record 13th win, and while a College Football Playoff appearance would have been fantastic, this certainly was not too bad. And we got to see Paul Chryst say some unflattering words about the turnover chain on live TV, which was one of the highlights from the game.

6. Legendary game at a legendary stadium (2016)

Wisconsin came into the 2016 season with low expectations from the media. With the crossover games being against Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, not to mention road games against Iowa and Northwestern, people had a right to be a little skeptical. Colin Cowherd famously (at least among Wisconsin fans) picked Wisconsin to go 6-6. But the season started with a game against Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette and No. 5 LSU at Lambeau Field. College Gameday was in the house, and Aaron Rodgers was the guest picker, and he picked the Badgers to win. He was the only one to pick Wisconsin, and it turned out he was the smartest one on set. 

It was one of a number of great games that weekend, in what many called ‘the greatest opening weekend in college football history.’ It was a defensive struggle, which many anticipated. Wisconsin had chances to deliver the first blow early in the game, but it was stopped on fourth down on one occasion and Bart Houston threw an end zone interception on another. But it was an LSU turnover that put Wisconsin in position to score first. And then a fourth down stop set up the Badgers for another field goal and it was 6-0 at halftime. Corey Clement would score on the first drive of the second half and it was 13-0. Bucky was in control. 

But turnovers would haunt Wisconsin again. First, after an LSU punt, Bart Houston threw a dangerous pass to the left sideline that was picked off by Tre’Davious White and returned it 21 yards for the Tigers first score of the season. Next, a George Rushing fumble put LSU in position to take the lead, and the Tigers would do just that on a Travin Dural 10-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Harris. All of a sudden, it was 14-13 LSU. It would stay that way until late in the game. 

Wisconsin drove down and Rafael Gaglianone would boot a 47-yard field goal and the Badgers took a 16-13 lead. LSU would motor down the field, and would reach the Wisconsin 30 after a 15-yard run by Fournette, but the star running back would be hurt on the play and not return. On the next play, Harris narrowly missed a sack attempt from Vince Biegel, but his throw was picked off by D’Cota Dixon, and the Badgers came away with the huge win. It would set the tone for an 11-3 season and its first ever Cotton Bowl victory.

5. Unbeaten (2017)

Wisconsin had gone through nearly the entire regular season undefeated. After knocking off Michigan on Senior Day, the Badgers went to Minnesota for a chance to finish a perfect regular season. The Gophers were 5-6 and looking to get bowl eligible under first-year coach P.J. Fleck. Minnesota had quarterback problems with Demry Croft, as he had only thrown for more than 100 yards three times on the season and never for more than 163. 

He did not come close to 100 yards passing against Wisconsin either. It took a little bit for Bucky to get going, as the Badgers punter on their first two drives. But a 23-yard play action pass from Alex Hornibrook to A.J. Taylor got the team rolling. They would score a few plays later on a Hornibrook pass to Troy Fumagalli, and they would not look back. Wisconsin would score on three of its final four possessions of the first half, and would take a 17-0 lead into halftime. After halftime, it was more of the same. Wisconsin would score on its first two drives of the second half to put it away.

The final touchdown was an emphatic exclamation point on a 53-yard run from fantastic freshman Jonathan Taylor to put the final nail in the Minnesota coffin and give Wisconsin its first undefeated regular season in more than a century. Wisconsin won 31-0 to win Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the 14th consecutive season and the Badgers would play Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.

4. Sunken boat (2019)

It was up-and-down 2019 for Wisconsin. After a disappointing 2018 season, the Badgers began 2019 at 6-0 with four shutouts. Then, the Badgers were upset by Illinois and were drubbed 38-7 at Ohio State. Wisconsin was down by two games to Minnesota in an effort to win the Big Ten West and head back to Indianapolis. Following the bye, Bucky won three straight, including a tough two-point win over Iowa. The Hawkeyes helped out the Badgers by defeating the Gophers, setting up a showdown at TCF Bank Stadium to decide which team would represent the West in the Big Ten Championship.

Minnesota was 10-1, its sixth 10-win season in school history, while Wisconsin was 9-2. In 2018, the Gophers won Paul Bunyan’s axe for the first time since 2003 with resounding 37-15 victory at Camp Randall Stadium. In 2019, Bucky was prepared for payback. College Gameday was in the house for the first time in school history for Minnesota, and the game was announced by the A-team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit. This was the biggest game for the Gophers in more than 50 years. Huge implications.

After the Gophers struck first with an early touchdown, the Badgers responded by scoring 38 of the next 41 points scored to blow the game open. It was the sixth appearance in the Big Ten Championship game for Wisconsin in the nine-year history of the league’s title game.

The game could not have started much worse for the Badgers. Wisconsin received to start the game and the offense went three-and-out to Minnesota scored on its second play. The Gophers had a high-powered passing attack, and showed exactly that, as Tanner Morgan found a wide open Rashod Bateman for a 51-yard score to put Goldy in front 7-0. The Gophers really had a chance to step on Wisconsin’s throat early, but punted from the Badgers 35 on their second possession. After that decision by P.J. Fleck, the game changed.

Caesar Williams picked off an errant Morgan pass that resulted in a field goal from Wisconsin to cut it to 7-3 and Coan found star running back Jonathan Taylor on a wheel route and JT23 caught it and backed his way into the end zone for the score. It remained 10-7 heading into the locker room.

But the third quarter was Bucky time. Minnesota wanted to make Coan beat them. Taylor is a monster, but the question would be if the Badgers passing attack could win the game. Well, after a Minnesota punt on the opening drive of half two, Coan and junior receiver Quintez Cephus went to work. On the opening play, Coan found Cephus along the sideline for 31 yards up to the Wisconsin 40. Three plays later, Coan hooked up with Cephus on a 47-yard score to give the Badgers some breathing room. It was the first of four consecutive Wisconsin drives that ended up in the end zone.

After a Minnesota field goal, a long kickoff return by Isaac Guerendo gave the Badgers great field position at the 39. Two plays and a Kendric Pryor 26-yard touchdown on the jet sweep and it was 24-10. The game was decided when Minnesota missed it on fourth down deep in Wisconsin territory and the Badgers drove it 96 yards to put them up 31-10. On a 3^rd-and-6, Paul Chryst called a screen pass against the blitz and Garrett Groshek ran 70 yards to the Gophers 11. One play later, Taylor found the end zone and Bucky was piling it on.

The Badgers would add on a touchdown after a Morgan fumble to put them in front by 28 before the Gophers scored a touchdown to make the final 38-17. The game catapulted Wisconsin into the top 10 and ultimately put the Badgers into the Rose Bowl, where they’ll play Oregon on New Year’s Day. There is nothing like winning the axe, especially when it spoils Minnesota’s biggest game in a half century.

3. 408 (2014)

In a game that could decide the Big Ten West, the 7-2 Wisconsin Badgers hosted the 8-1 Nebraska Cornhuskers. It was also a battle between two of the best running backs in the country in Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. In the previous meeting, Wisconsin ran all over Nebraska in a 70-31 trouncing in the 2012 Big Ten Championship. 

It looked like this one would be different, as turnovers haunted Wisconsin early as Nebraska built a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter and Gordon had done nothing outside of a 42-yard run on their second possession. But the Heisman candidate would go off in the next two quarters. He helped the Badgers come right back with a 62-yard touchdown run down the right sideline to cut it to 17-10. In the first half, the Badgers only punted once, but fumbled three times. After the Badgers stopped turning the ball over, there was no stopping them. 

Gordon had runs of 39 and 44 in the second quarter as well, helping Bucky come back to take a 24-17 halftime lead. It would be more of the same in the third quarter, as Gordon had runs of 43 and 68 to break the school record of 339 Ron Dayne had against Hawaii in 1996. Next on his path was LaDainian Tomlinson’s FBS record of 406 he set in 1999 against UTEP. He would only need three quarters to break that. Following a Nebraska fumble, Gordon received a second down carry and blasted through the worn down Huskers defense for a 26-yard score to break the record.

He sat the entire fourth quarter, but his 408-yard performance was one for the ages. Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine broke Gordon’s record a week later with a performance against Division III Kansas, but Gordon’s was legendary, and helped Bucky set itself up for the Big Ten West crown, as the Badgers scored 56 unanswered points in a 59-24 dismantling of Nebraska. For the game, Wisconsin out-gained Nebraska a whopping 627-180, and the scoreboard reflected it.

2. What does it take to beat No. 1? (2010)

In any other decade, this would be tops on the list. On the night of October 16, Wisconsin welcomed No. 1 Ohio State to Camp Randall Stadium for a night kickoff. College Gameday was in the house, and the A-team ABC announcers were there for the call of one of the most memorable Badgers games in recent memory. 

It was all Bucky early, and it started with the opening kickoff. David Gilreath was one of the better kick returners in Wisconsin history, but had never returned a kick for a touchdown. He had a punt return for a score in 2009 at Northwestern, but never a kick. That changed against OSU, as the senior took it up the middle, made one cut and ran untouched for a 97-yard kickoff return to give the Badgers the electrifying start. If you talk to people who were at that game, it was the loudest they had ever heard Camp Randall. The great start didn’t end there, as the Badgers scored on their first three possessions to take a 21-0 lead over the top-ranked Buckeyes. 

But OSU came back with 18 straight to cut it to 21-18. With Wisconsin facing a 3rd-and-3 at his own 34 with less than 11 minutes to play, quarterback Scott Tolzien made his biggest throw of the game, a 20-yard pass along the sideline to Nick Toon. Seven plays later, future Super Bowl hero James White slipped a tackle and ran in for the 12-yard score to give the Badgers a 28-18 with less than seven minutes to play. 

Wisconsin added a field goal on its next possession and it was party time in Madison. The crowd rushed the field after the 31-18 win, Wisconsin’s first win over a top-ranked team since defeating Michigan in the 1981 opener. It also set the stage for a season that would end with a Big Ten championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl.

1. One for the ages in Indy (2011)

There could be a hundred Big Ten Championship games and there won’t be one as thrilling as the very first one. Wisconsin from the Leaders Division matched up against Michigan State from the Legends Division in the first Big Ten Championship. The two teams met previously in the regular season in one of the classic games from the college football season, as Keith Nichol caught a Hail Mary from Kirk Cousins and Michigan State won 37-31 in East Lansing.

The game started out like the regular season meeting, as Wisconsin jumped out to an early 14-point lead. The Badgers would score on their first three possessions, including two from Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball, to help the Badgers to a 21-7 first quarter lead. But, like the regular season matchup, the Spartans came right back. Michigan State, behind the right arm of Kirk Cousins and running of Le’Veon Bell, scored 22 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 29-21 lead into the break. 

Enter Wisconsin’s offense, which scored on three of four drives in the second half to take a 42-39 lead. Russell Wilson was masterful. On his first touchdown pass of the second half, he avoided a sack and found an open Jared Abbrederis deep down field for a 42-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-17 to cut it to 29-28. After a Cousins touchdown pass, Wilson went back to work and would cut it to two on a shovel pass to Ball for the score. On the drive, the future Super Bowl winning quarterback went 5-of-5 for 43 yards. For the game, Wilson went 17-of-24 for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Of all the incredible plays he made, though, one pass in particular sticks out from the rest. 

In the regular season meeting, Nichol caught a Hail Mary to win the game in East Lansing. Now, with the game on the line and the Badgers facing a 4th-and-6 from the Michigan State 43 with a little more than four minutes remaining, Wilson took the snap and was flushed to his left. He launched it to little-used Jeff Duckworth deep across the field. Michigan State defensive back Isaiah Lewis mis-timed the pass, and Duckworth caught it at the Spartans 7. 

On the next play, Ball gave the Badgers the lead back. Bucky would force MSU to punt, and Wisconsin would run three plays and gain seven yards. But on the punt, Lewis ran into Wisconsin’s Brad Nortman, and the Badgers were given the first down and the win. It was a bit of poetic justice. MSU was one of the most penalized teams in the nation, and was not penalized once in East Lansing, even though it was obvious they missed some, so it was nice to see a penalty on Michigan State to seal this one. And then, Wisconsin had a little Hail Mary of its own with the Duckworth catch late. It was one of the most exciting games I have seen, and I doubt any Big Ten Championship game will match the excitement of this one for quite some time.