CFB top five: games of the 2025 season

5. Week 1: No. 10 Miami 27, No. 6 Notre Dame 24

The Hurricanes were led by newly acquired quarterback Carson Beck out of Georgia. Beck was brought in to take the place of Cam Ward, who was selected first overall in the NFL draft. During his inaugural start for Miami, Beck excelled.

Beck was 20/30 with 205 passing yards and two touchdowns while only being sacked once. Quite a performance against a solid Notre Dame team.

Love was the heart and soul of Notre Dame’s championship run last season, but failed to get anything going against Miami’s defense. He was held to just 33 yards rushing on ten carries, with his longest rush going for just eight yards.

Despite Love’s underwhelming performance, his Irish team held strong, taking the game down to the wire.

With 3:21 left to go in the fourth quarter, the Irish would tie up the game at 24 on a touchdown run from quarterback CJ Carr. It took the Irish just three plays to go 75 yards for the score. They left too much time on the clock for Beck and Miami.

The Hurricanes would capitalize on a ten-play, 46-yard drive to set up the game-winning field goal to win 27-24.

4. Week 11: No. 2 Indiana 27, Penn State 24

Penn State came into this game 3-5 with five straight losses. Needing three wins in the next four games to clinch a bowl game, Penn State had to play with nothing to lose, because they really didn’t.

Penn State was keeping it tight with Indiana up until Kaytron Allen's fumble in their own territory led to a Hoosiers touchdown. Indiana was up 17-7 at halftime.

A Grunkemeyer interception led to more points for Indiana, going up 20-7 early in the second half. After that, the Nittany Lions went on a run.

Penn State scored 17 unanswered points, forcing Indiana to punt twice and throw an interception in the process.

Indiana would get the ball back down four points with 1:51 left on the clock. With 80 yards of field to march down, Indiana needed a miracle drive.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza took the Hoosiers all the way down to the seven-yard line. He found wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with his left foot in bounds by just mere inches.

What was nearly a season-saving rally for the Nittany Lions instead became a highlight-reel heartbreak that will forever be cemented in college football history.

3. Week 5: Virginia 46, No. 8 Florida State 38

Florida State came in riding high off three explosive victories, scoring a staggering 58 points per game. Virginia, in their first four games, went 3-1 while scoring 45.5 points per game, with their only loss coming against NC State.

Both teams were reliant on their high-scoring offenses in their previous games, and nothing changed in week five, combining for 954 yards of offense.

Virginia took an early lead, going up 14-0, then Florida State responded with three straight touchdowns caused by forcing two interceptions. Virginia would tie up the game at the end of the second quarter, knotting up the game at 21 heading into half.

The second half was back and forth with turnovers, punts, missed field goals, and touchdowns, eventually leading to a tie at 35 that would head into OT.

In their second possession of overtime, Virginia would score and complete the two-point conversion, going up by eight. With the game on the line and needing a huge defensive stop, Virginia defensive back Ja'Son Prevard sealed the game with an interception in the end zone.

A game where there was so much offensive firepower ended up being decided by a defensive play.

2. Week 3: No. 16 Texas A&M 41, No. 8 Notre Dame 40

The Fighting Irish set the tone to start the game after a blocked punt returned for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Later in the first quarter, Texas A&M would complete an 86-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7. From that point on, it was anyone's game.

Notre Dame would gain a ten-point lead in the second quarter but would fail to hold onto it. The Aggies scored 14 unanswered points to head into halftime with the lead, 28-24.

After exchanging more points, Notre Dame would regain the lead with under three minutes to go. They tried to go for two to go up eight, but failed to convert.

With 2:53 remaining, Texas A&M only needed a touchdown and an extra point to win. The Aggies would drive 62 yards down the field, where they would eventually be met with a fourth and goal from the 11-yard line.

With the game on the line, Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed would find tight end Nate Boerkircher for the game-winner. It was Boerkircher’s only reception of the game.

Texas A&M stunned the Irish on their own turf after the extra point to win 41-40.

1. Week 5: No. 6 Oregon 30, No. 3 Penn State 24

Arguably, one of the most anticipated games of the 2025 season came in Happy Valley on College GameDay for a white-out game.

After a slow start in the first half with a score of 3-3 going into the break, the game’s momentum shifted quickly. Oregon would take over to start the second half, going up 17-3.

In the fourth quarter, Penn State would claw its way back and tie the game up at 17 apiece.

Penn State would strike first with a touchdown in its first possession of overtime. Oregon responded with a touchdown of its own and would score again in its second possession.

Down by a touchdown with the ball in his hands, quarterback Drew Allar needed to find the end zone to keep his team alive. On the first play of their second possession, he throws an interception.

The sell-out crowd at Beaver Stadium was dumbfounded after another disappointing loss to a top-ten-ranked opponent. This loss started the long and painful downward spiral for the Nittany Lions, who would eventually end the season 6-6 after being ranked the preseason No. 2.

Despite the disappointment, this game was an all-timer and one of the most entertaining white-out games ever.

Owen Buchholz is a first-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, please email obb5166@psu.edu.