Ranking the 3 best college football games ever played outside the U.S.

1. Coca-Cola Classic (Dec. 3, 1988) — Tokyo, Japan: OK State 45, Texas Tech 41

The brilliance of Barry Sanders in 1988 cannot be understated. He ran for an astonishing 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns, set 34 NCAA records, and did it all in 11 games.

For such a performance, he won the Heisman Trophy. Unlike the coronation most winners get, his Heisman wasn’t given in a glittering New York hall. Rather, he was 6,700 miles away, about to play Texas Tech in the brand new Tokyo Dome.

In an outrageous game full of touchdowns, Barry Sanders put on another supernova performance. His 332 yards and four touchdowns made Tech’s defenders look like they were standing still.

While Sanders was slashing through the Red Raider defense, Texas Tech was still able to keep up. A passing attack that amassed 446 yards kept them in it the whole way, and Tech had a 21-17 lead at half.

Oklahoma State evaporated that lead in the second half though. The Cowboys won 45-42, and somehow outgunned the Red Raiders, putting up 610 yards of offense on their own.