Cotton Bowl history: 5 craziest games of all time ft. 2021 and Alabama vs Cincinnati 

The Cotton Bowl has provided many historic and crazy moments since the first edition of the game in 1937. The 2025 edition is set to be an entertaining one as the Texas Longhorns will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff semifinal.

Here's a look back at five notable games from the history of the Cotton Bowl

Five notable Cotton Bowls

#1, The 1947 Cotton Bowl

This game was between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers, and future New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle was the game's MVP. However, the game is known for its lack of scoring. Due to incredibly cold conditions, the game is known as "The Ice Bowl" and ended in a 0-0 tie.

#2, The 1954 Cotton Bowl

The Rice Owls beat the Alabama Crimson Tide comfortably, but the victory was overshadowed by a unique play. Dickey Maegle came off the bench during a play to tackle Tommy Lewis. However, despite being downed at the 42-yard line, Lewis was credited with a touchdown.

#3, The 2021 Cotton Bowl

From 2016, the Cotton Bowl was part of the College Football Playoff rotation. The 2021 edition, between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Cincinnati Bearcats, was one of those games. The Bearcats were the only Group of Five school to make the CFP four-team format.

#4, The 2015 Cotton Bowl

The Michigan State Spartans and the Baylor Bears met in an absolute classic. After a first quarter where both teams scored two touchdowns, the Bears had a 20-point lead going into the final quarter. However, the Spartans scored three unanswered touchdowns to record a memorable 42-41 win.

#5, The 1960 Cotton Bowl

This featured a strong performance from Ernie Davis, the first Black person to win the Heisman Trophy, as his Syracuse Orange defeated the Texas Longhorns to record an undefeated season and win their only national championship. A few years later, Davis was the No. 1 NFL draft pick, but a leukemia diagnosis stopped his career as he died before playing a professional game.