Where Georgia vs. Georgia Tech ranks among most college football overtimes ever
12/01/2024 10:02 PM
The Georgia and Georgia Tech football teams completed one of the most iconic games in recent memory on Nov. 29, 2024. Georgia was down big throughout the majority of the game against their in-state rival, but they mounted an epic comeback that didn’t end until after eight overtimes.
The lengthy game was not only one of the best college football games that went to overtime, but it was one of the longest college football games ever, too. It doesn’t quite rank number one, though, so in this article, we are going to look at which games throughout college football’s history went the deepest into multiple overtime periods.
*Note: College football adopted overtime rules in 1996*
Longest college football games
- Oct. 23, 2021: Illinois 20 – Penn State 18 (nine overtimes)
- Nov. 29, 2024: Georgia 44 – Georgia Tech 42 (eight overtimes)
- Sept. 10, 2022: Eastern Kentucky 59 – Bowling Green 57 (seven overtimes)
- Nov. 24, 2018: Texas A&M 74 – LSU 72 (seven overtimes)
- Oct. 7, 2017: Western Michigan 71 – Buffalo 68 (seven overtimes)
- Oct. 7, 2006: North Texas 25 – FUI 22 (seven overtimes)
- Nov. 1, 2003: Arkansas 71 – Kentucky 63 (seven overtimes)
- Nov. 3, 2001: Arkansas 58 – Ole Miss 56 (seven overtimes)
College football overtime rules
Prior to the 1995 bowl games, regulation matches that ended with the scores nodded up resulted in a tie. That was changed when the NCAA added overtime rules for the 1995 bowl games, where we first saw them come into effect in a Toledo victory over Nevada in the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl. Overtime became a full-time rule for the 1996 season, and the rules didn’t change until 2019 after LSU and Texas A&M’s high-scoring, seven-overtime game. Overtime rules were then again changed in 2021 after COVID-19.
College overtime ensures that each team gets a possession, unlike the regular season NFL rules. In the first overtime period, teams start with the ball on the opponent’s 25-yard line, and if either team outscores the other, then they win the game. Teams again start with the ball on the 25 in the second overtime period, but they are required to attempt two-point conversions after scored touchdowns. Then, in the third overtime and so on, teams don’t start with the ball on the 25 and instead alternate two-point conversion attempts.
Additionally, there is no game clock in college overtime, although a play clock is still utilized. College football games cannot end in a tie.
Notable college football extended overtime games
We’ve also written a more in-depth article on some of the best college football overtime games ever, but it is worth summarizing some of them here, too. The main game of note is Illinois’ battle against Penn State in 2021. There has still never been a game that went to more overtimes, as the two programs duked it out for nine overtime periods. Despite the longevity of the game, it was actually a low-scoring affair, as both teams were very defensive-minded. Illinois ended the game with a two-point victory.
Only one game has gone to eight overtimes. That was, of course, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech’s recent matchup. College Football Playoff implications were on the line for the Bulldogs, and things didn’t start out great for them. They trailed 17-0 at halftime and were down 27-13 with just five minutes left in regulation. Georgia was able to force a late-fourth-quarter fumble and tie the game, but the comeback wasn’t completed until eight overtime periods later.
One of the most noteworthy overtime games in college football history was LSU vs. Texas A&M’s shootout in 2018. The teams combined for 146 points. This was both Joe Burrow’s first career loss as a starter as well as the highest-scoring game in FBS history. Both teams scored in every overtime period until the last one, and it is a big reason the overtime rules were changed for the first time in 2019.
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