10 greatest college football national championship games

10. Alabama defeats Penn State 18-16 in 1979 Sugar Bowl

The 1979 Sugar Bowl was a defensive struggle between Penn State Alabama. Marked by defense, the game ended in a 14-7 Alabama victory after the Crimson Tide made a famous goal-line stand in the waning minutes of the contest that prevented the Nittany Lions from scoring the potential game-tying or game-winning touchdown.

When Penn State arrived in New Orleans, they were an undefeated Lambert Trophy winner as the top team in the east. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, were a one-loss powerhouse whose only defeat came in Birmingham at the hands of a No. 7 USC team. After that defeat, Alabama won eight straight — including a trip west to take on Washington in Seattle — to earn a Sugar Bowl trip as a 10-1 SEC champion.

Neither team scored in the first half, but things finally started to move forward in the second quarter. Bruce Bolton caught a pass from Jeff Rutledge that went for 30 yards for the opening touchdown, as Alabama went up 7-0 against the Nittany Lions. Penn State tied things up after halftime, scoring on a 17-yard pass from Heisman runner-up Chuck Fusina.

Major Ogilvie took an option pitch and ran eight yards into the endzone later in the third quarter to give Bear Bryant’s Tide the lead once again. Alabama’s defense stepped up after that, preventing Penn State from getting in for a tying or a go-ahead score.

Still, Alabama managed to hang on by the barest of threads. With a series of stops in the shadow of the goal line, the Crimson Tide defense held firm and prevented Penn State from getting back into the contest. It was a day when Big Al, the Alabama elephant mascot that debuted at the 1979 Sugar Bowl, celebrated with a national championship.