ESPN's 50 Most Painful Outcomes in the History Of NCAAF

[cameroncrazie07]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/features/houseofpain

Anyone else see this Im wondering what should be #1...Bush Push shouldve been higher

[NEW.ERA]

Bluegrass Miracle will be on there, Quite possibly in the Top 10.

[cameroncrazie07]

This is why I love ESPN, I go on there to check a score and I find myself wasting 20 minutes reading this.

[Sport]

haven't looked at the list, but my own personal most painful moment would be either the "Tim Biakabutuka Game" or when Michigan State beat #1 unbeaten and unquestioned Ohio State. That one hurt because I was a kid and I was so emotionally invested in that team.

[crashcarson15]

Wow, the Bush Push that low? Kinda surprised there (especially because ND's done jack since then).

[cameroncrazie07]

Wow, the Bush Push that low? Kinda surprised there (especially because ND's done jack since then).

I know thats what I was thinking, that moment basically changed ND football for the last few years.

[dfwabel]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/features/houseofpain

Anyone else see this Im wondering what should be #1...Bush Push shouldve been higher

The fact that they used the adjective "painful" is a sensationalizing in it own why which ESPN likes to do as much as they can.

Disappointing? Possibly.

Painful? No.

If you have to use "painful", shouldn't something like the Southern Airlines Flight 932 on November 14, 1970 (aka Marshall Plane Crash) or the Wichita State crash be the top 2? Then rounding out the top five could have the SMU death penalty as it (and the following TCU probation) helped end the SWC.

I feel sorry for Ivan Maisel for have to write that introduction.

[HedleyLamarr]

I wonder if these two games will be in there:

1. Arkansas-Tennessee 1998: Clint Stoerner fumbling the ball as he stumbles to the ground. I forget if Tennessee scored late...or the fumble sealed the game...but it was Tennessee's closest call in what became their national championship season.

2. Georgia-Georgia Tech 1999: The game is tied at 48 with a minute or so left in the game, and UGA has the ball within Tech's 5-yard line. For some dumbassed reason, Donnan decides to run another play, and Jasper Sanks runs to the 2-yard line, and fumbles the ball in the process (even though replays confirmed that his knee was down before the ball came loose), and Tech recovers the ball. The game goes to OT, and UGA turns the ball over on their possession. Tech tries a FG on 3rd down, and the kick gets blocked...but Tech recovers the ball, and since it didn't go past the line-of-scrimmage, they get another attempt. On 4th down, Tech tries another FG, and this time makes it and wins.

[Kevin W.]

I'll be shocked if last year's Holiday Bowl isn't in there. If it is, I'll then cry myself to sleep.

[DelayedPenalty]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

[Punch]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

[DelayedPenalty]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

[Punch]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

[DelayedPenalty]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

He doesn't care about football, lol. He's a dentist, U of M alum, hasn't been to a game in 20 years, but if you give up your season tickets you'll never get them back. He divides them up between his family and my fiance's.

I watched people breakdown sobbing when they lost. I was laughing my ass off, so was my Dad. I'm a U of M fan, but an adopted one, and not a die hard. Kinda hard to move to Ann Arbor and not get into Wolverine football.

[Punch]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

He doesn't care about football, lol. He's a dentist, U of M alum, hasn't been to a game in 20 years, but if you give up your season tickets you'll never get them back. He divides them up between his family and my fiance's.

I watched people breakdown sobbing when they lost. I was laughing my ass off, so was my Dad. I'm a U of M fan, but an adopted one, and not a die hard. Kinda hard to move to Ann Arbor and not get into Wolverine football.

And how did your reaction sit with the surrounding fans?

[DelayedPenalty]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

He doesn't care about football, lol. He's a dentist, U of M alum, hasn't been to a game in 20 years, but if you give up your season tickets you'll never get them back. He divides them up between his family and my fiance's.

I watched people breakdown sobbing when they lost. I was laughing my ass off, so was my Dad. I'm a U of M fan, but an adopted one, and not a die hard. Kinda hard to move to Ann Arbor and not get into Wolverine football.

And how did your reaction sit with the surrounding fans?

I think they were too busy crying into their beers to care. Funny thing is, the tickets are in the alumni section, so I was surrounded by former graduates, and even a few football alums!

All I remember is my Dad screaming "Run! Run! Run you bugger!" after they blocked the field goal and he scooped up the ball.

[Punch]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

He doesn't care about football, lol. He's a dentist, U of M alum, hasn't been to a game in 20 years, but if you give up your season tickets you'll never get them back. He divides them up between his family and my fiance's.

I watched people breakdown sobbing when they lost. I was laughing my ass off, so was my Dad. I'm a U of M fan, but an adopted one, and not a die hard. Kinda hard to move to Ann Arbor and not get into Wolverine football.

And how did your reaction sit with the surrounding fans?

I think they were too busy crying into their beers to care. Funny thing is, the tickets are in the alumni section, so I was surrounded by former graduates, and even a few football alums!

All I remember is my Dad screaming "Run! Run! Run you bugger!" after they blocked the field goal and he scooped up the ball.

Wow. I remember a similar moment when my dad was yelling the exact same thing! Except it was at the Tigers/Twins one-game playoff last year. I can't imagine how painful it was for the Tigers fans when Carlos Gomez slid across the plate as the winning run. Must've been tough for your family, no?

[Gary]

Gotta figure Michigan vs. Appalachian State will be top 5, if not #1.

I'm sure this list is open to interpretation, since every school will have their own "most painful" moment.

I just watched that game on Youtube, and as a Gophers fan, it was one of the best moments I've had in my lifetime (since the Gophers do diddly squat).

I can't think of a painful moment in Gophers history (or at least in my time) that is worthy of being considered for "most painful".

I got tickets to the game for free, because everyone figured it was going to be a walk in the park "cupcake" game. Instead I was a part of history!

Must have been painful for the people who gave you those tickets for free.

He doesn't care about football, lol. He's a dentist, U of M alum, hasn't been to a game in 20 years, but if you give up your season tickets you'll never get them back. He divides them up between his family and my fiance's.

I watched people breakdown sobbing when they lost. I was laughing my ass off, so was my Dad. I'm a U of M fan, but an adopted one, and not a die hard. Kinda hard to move to Ann Arbor and not get into Wolverine football.

And how did your reaction sit with the surrounding fans?

I think they were too busy crying into their beers to care. Funny thing is, the tickets are in the alumni section, so I was surrounded by former graduates, and even a few football alums!

All I remember is my Dad screaming "Run! Run! Run you bugger!" after they blocked the field goal and he scooped up the ball.

Wow. I remember a similar moment when my dad was yelling the exact same thing! Except it was at the Tigers/Twins one-game playoff last year. I can't imagine how painful it was for the Tigers fans when Carlos Gomez slid across the plate as the winning run. Must've been tough for your family, no?

Can we graveyard this thread, very painful to read

[DustDevil61]

The fact that they used the adjective "painful" is a sensationalizing in it own why which ESPN likes to do as much as they can.

Disappointing? Possibly.

Painful? No.

If you have to use "painful", shouldn't something like the Southern Airlines Flight 932 on November 14, 1970 (aka Marshall Plane Crash) or the Wichita State crash be the top 2? Then rounding out the top five could have the SMU death penalty as it (and the following TCU probation) helped end the SWC.

I feel sorry for Ivan Maisel for have to write that introduction.

Not to get off topic here, but WSU was bound for my college, Utah State...in football, they never played again, and in basketball, the first time they met was in Logan since the crash was a Bracketbuster game last school year (Jan.-Feb. 2010). I believe that some of the WSU and USU football players at the time held a memorial before the game (I came in during the game, thinking it was at halftime).

[gingerbreadmann]

The one I think of would be Kentucky/LSU in '02(?). Around '02. The one where Kentucky poured Gatorade on the coach and then LSU had that deflected pass to Devery Henderson who ran it in while the fans rushed out on the field. That must have been miserable for Kentucky fans since, you know, Kentucky usually isn't too competitive in the SEC. I would hope that's in the top 10.

From my own perspective, as a BC fan, this probably won't make it since the BC win over Clemson in 2007 did, but this game from 2004 was definitely one of the 3 most painful moments of my sports-watching life. All BC had to do was defeat lowly Syracuse at home to win the Big East in their final year and go to the Fiesta Bowl, their first-ever BCS bowl and a sign that they finally made it over the insurmountable hump. This would be huge for the program which never seemed able to win the big game. To make things better, I got free front-row endzone tickets (my second BC game ever!) from my sister's elementary school so we went with my dad -- a proud Syracuse alum who was ripe for some ribbing since he kept insisting that Syracuse would beat the odds and win. Baldwin the Eagle mascot was throwing Tostitos chips into the crowd happily from the sidelines. And we had this hotshot new QB, some kid named Matt Ryan, making his first-ever start. It was great.

From the very first play, the dream was dashed. Damien Rhodes ran 69 yards for a TD and BC was never able to recover as Diamond Ferri, a defensive back-reject, ran all over the BC defense for 140 yards and two touchdowns. (I will never forget that name). The result was an embarrassing 43-17 defeat, a gloating father, and the prize so seemingly in their grasp simply vanished. Exactly one month after my highest sports moment, to be there in person experiencing the pain and misery for really the first time, that was a real blow for me. I still think they should have won that game by 25, but alas, the Eagles still have yet to reach a BCS bowl.

That's my personal most painful loss. It probably won't make the list, but I think these special lists and stuff can foster some good discussions.