The 20 best Cotton Bowl games of all time

We're highlighting this matchup for one reason: Texas quarterback Bobby Layne literally did everything that afternoon in Dallas. He was responsible for each of the Longhorns' points and should be the poster boy after what he accomplished on New Year's Day, 1946. Layne rushed for three touchdowns (18 points), threw two touchdown passes (12), caught a TD pass (six), and kicked four successful extra-point tries. Layne completed 11-of-12 pass attempts for a .917 completion percentage that remains a Cotton Bowl record.

For just the second time in college football bowl history, the Nos. 1 and 2-ranked teams were meeting with the national championship essentially on the line. It was also played weeks after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. There was plenty of emotion throughout the famed Cotton Bowl stadium, but the top-ranked Longhorns wasted no time showing their dominance with a 28-0 lead  — highlighted by three touchdowns from Duke Carlisle. Navy managed a fourth-quarter touchdown run from Roger Staubach, but by that point, Texas was well on its way to the program's first national title.

In a matchup of two top-10 teams, according to the Bowl Championship Subdivision (BCS) rankings, this proved to be a sneaky entertaining contest. Arkansas led 19-0 in the second quarter and seemed to be in complete control. However, K-State blocked an extra point, and Nigel Malone picked up the ball and raced down the field for a two-point defensive conversion to begin a run of 16 straight points for the Wildcats. However, Arkansas' defense stiffened and kept KSU off the scoreboard, adding 10 more points.

In the era of the New Year's Six bowl games, Western Michigan carried a 13-0 record while representing the Group of Five for this contest. WMU was the first school from the Mid-American Conference to play in the Cotton Bowl. Favored Wisconsin led 17-7 at halftime, but the Broncos were not about to roll over. Zach Terrell's 11-yard touchdown pass to Corey Davis with 3:27 to the play in the game got Western Michigan within eight. However, the Badgers were able to run out the rest of the clock and exhale after avoiding the upset.

On New Year's Day, 1960, Syracuse was the No. 1 team in the country and boasted the great Ernie Davis. In fact, Gerhard Schwedes connected with Davis on an 87-yard touchdown play that opened the scoring just seconds into the contest and remains the longest-scoring pass in Cotton Bowl history. Davis' one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put Syracuse ahead 15-0. Texas, which totaled just 244 yards, hung around, but Syracuse made sure the outcome was never in doubt to claim its only national championship to date.

This was Eli Manning's collegiate swan song , and he delivered while going 22-of-32 for 259 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score. Manning's Rebels led 31-14 early in the third quarter, but Oklahoma State was not done. Touchdowns from Vernand Morency and Rashaun Woods got the Cowboys to within those three points with roughly four-and-a-half minutes to play. However, Ole Miss held on to win its first January bowl game since 1970 — sending Manning out in style.

Another matchup among top-10 teams. The third-ranked Crimson Tide were favored over No. 6 Texas, and Bear Bryant's group held a 10-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. However, the Longhorns woke up and scored on touchdown runs by Robert Brewer and Terry Orr to go up 14-10. Even though Texas took a safety to ensure better field position to defend the Crimson Tide, it held on to pull off the minor upset.

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this contest, even more so than the lack of offense, was what happened off the field. Upon Boston College receiving its Cotton Bowl invitation, it was decided by the game's committee and the school that star running back Lou Montgomery, who was Black, would not play due to the segregated times. The move was controversial among Black activists and journalists because BC didn't put up more of a fight against the racist decision. On the field, Clemson kicked two of the game's three field goals to prevail in its first-ever bowl appearance of any kind.

Another historically significant college football game. Penn State's Wallace Triplett and Dennis Hoggard became the first Black players to play in a bowl game. However, the Nittany Lions team and staff were forced to stay at an air base outside Dallas due to the city's hotel rules during segregated times. On the field, Triplett had an impact. His third-quarter touchdown leveled a game that was 13-7 in favor of the Mustangs. However, the Nittany Lions missed the extra point, and no points followed. Meanwhile, SMU star Doak Walker scored both of his team's touchdowns but was held to 75 total yards.

Syracuse was 7-1 and led by a talented running back named Jim Brown, who helped his team erase a 14-0 Syracuse deficit by scoring on two runs spanning 6:52 to tie the game at halftime. However, Brown fumbled twice during the second half, and each turnover led to a touchdown for TCU, which led 28-14 early in the fourth quarter. Brown scored his third touchdown of the day later in the period, but the Horned Frogs' Chico Mendoza blocked Brown's extra point. That ultimately proved to be the difference in the contest.

Alabama was again ranked in the top 10 and had just one loss (plus a tie). Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide was also favored over 6-4 Texas A&M, coached by 32-year-old Gene Stallings, who played for Bryant as an Aggie and was among "The Junction Boys" during his time in College Station. Alabama led 10-7, but Tommy Maxwell's seven-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter gave Texas A&M a lead it would never give up en route to pulling off the upset. Bryant himself even gave Stallings a victory ride in celebration.

BYU was amid one of the best seasons in school history, setting 13-1 entering this contest. However, the Cougars trailed 15-5 in the fourth quarter to a talented Kansas State squad with just two losses. But James Dye's 32-yard touchdown catch got BYU closer as time ticked down in regulation. Current Texas coach and then-Cougars signal-caller Steve Sarkisian  hooked up with K.O. Kealaluhi in the corner of the end zone for a 28-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass with 3:39 to play. K-State, though, had one more shot and drove the ball deep into BYU territory. That's when its hopes were dashed after the Cougars' Omar Morgan intercepted a Brian Kavanaugh pass inside the 5-yard line.

Texas was 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country. However, Vince Dooley and his Georgia Bulldogs entered the game 9-1-1, ready to prove their worth. In a defense-dominated contest, neither team recorded more than 278 total yards of offense. Three Jeff Ward field goals left Texas leading 9-3 in the fourth quarter. However, the game's only touchdown proved to also be the most important play of the Cotton Bowl. With 3:22 remaining in the contest, Georgia quarterback John Lastinger found his way into the end zone from 17 yards out, and the Bulldogs' defense held pat to pull out the upset victory.

Tulane capped a stellar 12-2 campaign with one of the biggest bowl upsets in recent memory. The favored Trojans opened a 14-0 advantage before Tulane tied things, but — following Caleb Williams' third touchdown pass of the first half — USC led 28-14 at the break. USC led 45-30 with 4:30 remaining in regulation, but Tulane's Tyjae Spears (205 rushing yards) ran for his fourth touchdown. The Green Wave recorded a safety to get within 35-29 with 3:20 to play. Alex Bauman's six-yard TD pass from Michael Pratt with nine seconds on the clock, plus the extra point, eventually secured the upset for Tulane. Meanwhile, Williams was 37-of-52 for 462 yards with five touchdowns and an interception.

Ushering in a new decade, this installment of the Cotton Bowl featured one of the most entertaining fourth quarters in the game's history. Tied 7-7 after three, Houston went ahead on Kenny Hatfield's 41-yard field goal, but coach Tom Osborne's Cornhuskers eventually took the lead on Jeff Finn's six-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Quinn — a play that was set up by a Houston fumble. With less than four minutes to play, coach Bill Yeoman's Cougars showed their poise, and Terry Elston threaded the needle with a six-yard TD pass to Eric Herring for the game-winner as 12 seconds remained on the clock

This was one of those games fans expect from a college bowl game — high scoring with plenty of excitement. Not to mention, Michigan State and Baylor set Cotton Bowl records for combined points (83) and total yards (1,146 yards). Thanks to the play of quarterback Bryce Petty, who also set a Cotton Bowl record with 550 passing yards, threw three touchdowns and ran for one, the Bears led 41-21 early in the fourth quarter. That's apparently where the Spartans wanted them. Michigan State scored three touchdowns in a span of 11:52. The final tally came with 17 seconds remaining on Connor Cook's 10-yard TD pass to Keith Mumphery. 

Texas was eying an undefeated season and second unanimous national championship in seven seasons, but ninth-ranked Notre Dame led 10-0 early in the second half, and the Longhorns faithful were starting to get restless. However, Texas managed a touchdown to make it a three-point game at halftime. The score remained 10-7 into the fourth quarter until Joe Theismann found Jim Yoder on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give the Irish a 17-14 lead with just under seven minutes to play. Texas showed why it was the best team in the country. After converting a fourth-down play to keep the drive alive, Billy Dale's two-yard touchdown dive with 1:08 left put the Longhorns ahead and ultimately claimed the national title by winning this instant classic.

Arkansas was the defending national champion, averaged over 34 points, and was riding a 22-game winning streak. However, none of that phased the Tigers, who were 7-3 but played their best game of the season when it mattered most. The Razorbacks scored on their first drive, but that was it. The Tigers' defense proved impressively stout, and made a pair of short, second-quarter touchdown runs from Joe LaBruzzo stand to pull off one of the great upsets in college bowl history.

We touched on the 1970 Cotton Bowl, which became an instant classic. One year later, the Fighting Irish would get their revenge in the rematch. The Longhorns, winners of 30 consecutive games entering this contest, took an early 3-0 lead, but Notre Dame scored the following 21 points to stun the favorites. Irish quarterback Joe Theismann was an efficient 9-of-16 for 176 passing yards, and the Irish defense managed to keep the Longhorns' vaunted wishbone offensive attack out of the end zone.

Played in during the after-effect of an ice storm, the game-time temperature was a brisk 22 degrees, with a wind chill in the neighborhood of minus-10. But the action on the field was sizzling. Houston led 34-12 late in the third quarter, then the blood started flowing in the veins of Irish quarterback Joe Montana, who sat early in the game with hypothermia and flu-like symptoms (aided by some chicken soup). After Notre Dame's Steve Cichy returned a blocked punt 33 yards for a touchdown, Montana ran for a 2-yard score. He then found Kris Haines on an 8-yard touchdown pass as time expired. Finally, Irish kicker Joe Unis was forced to re-try his extra-point attempt following a penalty and converted again for the winning margin.