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College football's top 100 games of the 2021 season: Numbers 50-1

The 2021 season was a unique ride, full of early upsets, an incredible Championship Weekend, a College Football Playoff with some new blood and a team winning its first national title in 41 years.

On Monday, we looked at the No. 51-100 games of the season. Today, we move into the top 50.


Big 12 classics

As you'll see when we get into the top 20, the Big 12 more than carried its weight from an "exciting games" standpoint. Let's walk through a few that fell just short of the top 20.

50. Baylor 31, Texas 24 (Oct. 30)

Baylor spotted Texas a 21-10 advantage but exploded for three touchdowns in 12 second-half minutes. A Cameron Dicker field goal brought the Longhorns within seven, but a last-minute tying drive stalled out before it could get started.

49. Baylor 27, Texas Tech 24 (Nov. 27)

The Bears led by 10 early in the fourth quarter before Tech started throwing haymakers: Donovan Smith to McLane Mannix for a 38-yard score, then Smith to Travis Koontz for 75 to make it 27-24. The Red Raiders scrambled into field goal range late, but Jonathan Garibay couldn't make a 53-yard attempt at the buzzer.