Top 5 most intense Orange Bowl games of all time ft. Nebraska vs Miami 

The Orange Bowl is an iconic bowl game that has had many intense matchups since its first edition in 1935. The 2025 edition featuring the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish could be another one of these games, especially considering the winner will get a spot in the national championship game.

Here are five intense games from the history of the Orange Bowl.

Five intense Orange Bowl games

#1, The 1984 Orange Bowl

The 1984 edition of the Orange Bowl is seen as one of the greatest bowl games of all time. It was between the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who were on the verge of a national championship, and the Miami Hurricanes, who no one thought would win.

What would happen would be one of the biggest upsets in college football history. The Hurricanes stayed with the Cornhuskers throughout the game, but a late touchdown from Nebraska put the favorites one point behind. Instead of making the extra point, Huskers coach Tom Osborne decided to go for two, with the championship on the line. The attempt was unsuccessful, giving the Hurricanes the win and, due to the results of other bowl games, the national championship, beginning what would be a period of dominance for Miami.

#2, The 2006 Orange Bowl

The 2006 edition of the game, featuring the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Florida State Seminoles, was notable for two reasons. First, the game went to three overtime periods, with the Nittany Lions winning 26-23. However, apart from the triple overtime, the game will be remembered for being the final meeting between Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, two of the most successful coaches in college football history.

#3, 1994 Orange Bowl.

The 1994 Orange Bowl was between the Florida State Seminoles and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. These were the country's top two teams, and the game served as the national championship game. This game was also controversial, as the Cornhuskers were allowed to attempt a game-winning field goal when the clock was at 0:00. But a referee decision put one second back on the clock, allowing the kick to happen. Luckily for the Seminoles, the kick missed.

#4, The 2005 Orange Bowl

This game between the USC Trojans and the Oklahoma Sooners doubled up as the national championship game. This was a historic game, as it was the first to feature multiple Heisman Trophy winners, and it would be during the Trojans' dominant period. USC won 55-19, with Matt Leinart throwing for five touchdowns. Years later, the Trojans' win in this game would be vacated.

#5, 2024 Orange Bowl

The most recent edition is also an important game. It was between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State was one of the country's best teams but was denied a spot in the College Football Playoff despite its undefeated season. This could have been the Seminoles' attempt to show the selection committee that they would be able to compete. In the end, they would be trashed by the Bulldogs 63-3.