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Friday, April 1, 2005
10 years, 100 games, many thrills

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ESPN.com

It's all about the games, isn't it? The stories we read, the scores we check, the highlights we watch ... they're all about the games. Somebody wins. Somebody loses. And sometimes you get a great one, a game for the ages, a game that will be shown for years on ESPN Classic, a game that makes you leap for joy or causes your head to throb in pain.

ESPN.com – then called ESPNet SportsZone – launched on April 1, 1995, in conjunction with the Final Four in Seattle (the original offices of the Web site were in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue). That day, Arkansas beat North Carolina 75-68 and UCLA beat Oklahoma State 74-61. Neither game was good enough to make our list of the 100 greatest games of the past 10 years, but they did kick off 10 fantastic years. We're just as excited about the next 10.

Check out our list, be sure to read Darren Rovell's story on what advancements in technology over the 10 next years will bring for the sports fan, click through to see a different front page from each year of our existence, and then go vote on the greatest games of the ESPN.com era.
--David Schoenfield

100. 2001: Indians 15, Mariners 14 (11 innings)
Just a meaningless August game? Maybe. The Indians rallied from 12 runs down in the final three innings for the biggest comeback in major league history. The significance? The Mariners finished their amazing year with 116 victories – tied with the 1906 Cubs for most ever. They could have had the record to themselves.

99. 1995: Northwestern 17, Notre Dame 15
The Wildcats hadn't had a winning season since 1971 when they opened the 1995 season with a stunning upset of the Irish. They went on to an undefeated Big Ten season and Rose Bowl berth.

	Princeton guard Mitch Henderson celebrates the Tigers' shocking upset of UCLA.

98. 1996 NCAA Tournament, 1st round: Princeton 43, UCLA 41
UCLA was the defending national champion when it ran into Princeton's slow-down offense. The Bruins didn't score in the final 6:13 and the Tigers won it on a patented back-door pass with 3.9 seconds left.

97. 2001: Duke 98, Maryland 96 (OT)
Duke trailed by 10 with 54 seconds left when Jason Williams scored eight straight points in a 13-second span. In OT, Shane Battier scored Duke's final six points and then blocked Juan Dixon's shot at the buzzer.

96. 2001 NCAA Tournament, semifinals: Duke 95, Maryland 84
And to add more insult to injury, the ACC rivals met again in the Final Four. This time, the Terps jumped to a 38-17 first-half lead. Duke closed to within 11 by halftime, gained the lead with seven minutes left and pulled away down the stretch.

95. 2002: Colts 23, Broncos 20
In a Sunday Night game on national TV, with a heavy snowfall soaking the field, Indy's Mike Vanderjagt nailed a 54-yard field at the end of regulation to tie it and then booted a 51-yarder in OT to win it.

94. 2003 Australian Open quarterfinals: Andy Roddick def. Younes El Aynaoui, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 21-19
The epic fifth set alone lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes.

93. 2000 World Series, Game 1: Yankees 4, Mets 3 (12 innings)
Mets fans undoubtedly remember Timo Perez's pause on the bases. And Armando Benitez's blowing the save in the bottom of the ninth.

92. 1997: Florida 32, Florida State 29
Air Spurrier turned to Ground Spurrier as Fred Taylor rushed for 162 yards and four TDs to lead the Gators past the No. 1-ranked Seminoles.

91. 1999 NFC championship: Rams 11, Bucs 6
The high-powered Rams offense had dominated all season, but the Bucs' D nearly pulled off the upset, until Kurt Warner finally connected with Ricky Proehl for a 30-yard TD pass with under five minutes left.

90. 2003 NBA Finals, Game 6: Spurs 88, Nets 77
Sometimes it's the individual who makes a game great: Tim Duncan led the Spurs to the NBA title, nearly getting a quadruple-double as he finished with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocked shots. The Spurs trailed by six entering the fourth quarter.

89. 1997 Western Conference finals, Game 6: Jazz 103, Rockets 100
John Stockton's 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the Jazz to the NBA Finals.

88. 1996 NCAA Tournament semis: Tennessee Lady Vols 88, Connecticut 83 (OT)
And a rivalry took off ... the game featured 18 ties and 12 lead changes as Tennessee avenged a loss in the previous year's title game.

87. 2004 Liberty Bowl: Louisville 44, Boise State 40
It wasn't a major bowl, but it did feature undefeated Boise State, one-loss Louisville and more thrills than a Jose Canseco book signing. The Cardinals scored the final 10 points to pull out the thriller.

86. 2005 NCAA Tournament, regional final: Louisville 93, West Virginia 85 (OT)
Hey, it was a pretty good weekend of hoops, wasn't it?

85. 2003 World Series, Game 6: Marlins 2, Yankees 0
Josh Beckett slayed the mighty Yankees with a complete-game, nine-strikeout, World Series-winning performance.

	Warren Morris fulfilled the ultimate home run dream.

84. 1996 College World Series championship: LSU 9, Miami 8
We had to put this one on here somewhere, since it was the ultimate backyard dream come true: bottom of ninth, two outs, one run down, one runner on base ... Warren Morris swung at the first pitch and hit his first home run of the season to win the College World Series for LSU.

83. 2002 AFC wild card: Steelers 36, Browns 33
The Steelers scored 22 fourth-quarter points in rallying from a 17-point deficit.

82. 2000 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods wins by 15 shots
The margin of victory said it all.

81. 1995: Virginia 33, Florida State 28
The Seminoles were 7-0, ranked second and had never lost an ACC game (29-0). Virginia led when FSU reached the 6-yard line with 4 seconds left. On the final play, the Seminoles snapped the ball directly to running back Warrick Dunn, who was stopped by Melvin Jones inches short of the goal line – or inches past the goal line, if you listen to FSU supporters.

80. 1996 World Series, Game 4: Yankees 8, Braves 6 (10 innings)
Mark Wohlers, meet Jim Leyritz: Dynasty, back on track.

79. 2002 Olympic gold medal hockey final: Canada 5, U.S. 2
Canadians were riveted as Canada beat the U.S. in Salt Lake City to win its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years.

78. 1998 NCAA Tournament semifinals: Kentucky 86, Stanford 85 (OT)
The Wildcats won their second straight nail-biter to advance to their third straight national championship game – which they would win, beating Utah.

77. 2003 Carolina 400: Ricky Craven outduels Kurt Busch by .002 seconds
In one of NASCAR's greatest endings ever, Craven and Busch pounded on each other for the 1.4-mile final lap. They spun as the crossed the finish with Craven winning the closest race in NASCAR history.

	Ray Bourque hoists the Stanley Cup after Colorado's Game 7 win.

76. 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7: Avalanche 3, Devils 1
Ray Bourque finally won a Cup, Patrick Roy was the master in goal, and Colorado won the final two games to deny New Jersey a second straight Cup. Alex Tanguay was the Game 7 hero with two goals.

75. 2003: Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 (7 OT)
There have been two seven-overtime games in Division I football and Arkansas has played in both: a 58-56 win over Mississippi and this one, which was a ho-hum 24-24 tie through regulation. The Razorbacks outscored the Wildcats 47-39 in OT.

74. 1995 World Series, Game 6: Braves 1, Indians 0
Tom Glavine allowed one hit in eight innings, David Justice provided the only run with a home run off Jim Poole, and Atlanta won its only World Series during a decade of playoff appearances.

73. 2003 Monday Night Football: Colts 38, Bucs 35 (OT)
A Monday Night Football audience witnessed one of the most amazing comebacks ever, as the Colts became the first team in NFL history to trail by 21 points in the final four minutes and win the game.

72. 1995 AFC championship: Steelers 20, Colts 16
The Steelers scored with 1:30 left to take the lead, but the Colts drove down to the Pittsburgh 29 with one play left. Jim Harbaugh's Hail Mary flew – momentarily – into the hands of Aaron Bailey. He couldn't hold on and the Steelers headed to the Super Bowl.

71. 2005 Super Bowl: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
The game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter – the perfect setup for Tom Brady to pull out another dramatic Super Bowl victory.

70. 2002 Eastern Conference finals, Game 3: Celtics 94, Nets 90
Boston trailed by 21 points entering the final period, but pulled off the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history as Paul Pierce scored 19 in the period. The Nets won the series anyway.

69. 2001 NBA Finals, Game 1: Sixers 107, Lakers 101 (OT)
The Lakers had won 19 in a row, including 11 straight in the postseason, when Allen Iverson scored 48 points to outduel Shaquille O'Neal's 44 points. Unfortunately for the Sixers, it was their only win of the series.

68. 2003 ALDS, Game 5: Red Sox 4, A's 3
Oakland had led the series two games to none when Boston won Game 3 in 11 innings and then Game 4, 5-4, with an eighth-inning rally. In the series finale, the A's had two men on with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth when Derek Lowe entered. After a sac bunt, he fanned one batter, walked another, and then fanned Terrence Long with the bases loaded.

67. 2003 Western Conference semis, Game 1: Ducks 4, Stars 3 (5 OT)
A hockey game is supposed to last three periods. This one was 48 seconds into the eighth period when Petr Sykora finally ended it.

66. 2001 GMAC Bowl: Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (2 OT)
OK, the teams weren't big names, but the game was a true classic. East Carolina led 38-8 at halftime, but Byron Leftwich, who finished with 576 passing yards, rallied Marshall to tie the game at 51 with seven seconds left. Marshall missed the extra point to win it; no problem, the Thundering Herd completed their comeback in overtime.

65. 1999 AFC wild card: Titans 22, Bills 16
Otherwise listed in your history books as the Music City Miracle.

64. 2000 Orange Bowl: Michigan 35, Alabama 34 (OT)
Michigan's David Terrell caught three TD passes from Tom Brady, and Bama's Shaun Alexander rushed for three TDs. The game headed into OT after Michigan missed a 36-yard FG to win. The Wolverines scored on another Brady TD pass and the Tide countered with one of their own – but the Alabama kicker missed the extra point.

63. 2001 World Series, Game 4: Yankees 4, Diamondbacks 3 (10 innings)
The first of two straight miracle wins for the Yankees: Tino Martinez hit a two-run, two-out homer in the bottom of the ninth and then Derek Jeter won it with a homer in the 10th.

62. 1998 Rose Bowl: Michigan 21, Washington State 16
Michigan was going for the national title. Washington State was going for the upset. The Cougars completed a 46-yard pass to the 16-yard line with two seconds left and rushed down to spike the ball. Cougar fans say they spiked the ball in time and deserved one more play. Wolverine fans say the officials made the right call.

61. 1995 British Open: 66-1 underdog John Daly wins in a playoff
Nobody was betting on John Daly to win another major, yet he appeared to have the tournament won until Constantino Rocca sank a 65-foot putt on the final hole to force a tie. But Daly won the four-hole playoff by four strokes.

	Sampras overcome cramps and exhaustion to gut out a remarkable victory.

60. 1996 U.S. Open quarterfinals: Sampras def. Corretja 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
You may not remember the match, but you probably know the moment: Pete Sampras, tied 1-1 with Alex Corretja in the fifth-set tiebreaker of a four-plus hour match, vomiting at the back of the court. Trailing 6-7 in the tie-break, Sampras delivered a running forehand winner and then pulled out a second-serve ace. The match was his when Corretja double-faulted.

59. 2003 NCAA Tournament, 2nd round: Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 (2 OT)
Arizona was a No. 1 seed; Gonzaga was trying to pull off another Cinderella moment. The Zags tied it at the buzzer to send it into overtime and had two shots to win it in the second OT.

58. 1995 NBA Finals, Game 1: Rockets 120, Magic 118 (OT)
Magic guard Nick Anderson missed four straight free throws in the final seconds, Kenny Smith nailed one of his seven 3-pointers to send the game into OT, and Hakeem Olajuwon tipped home the winner with 0.3 seconds left. The Rockets went on to sweep the Magic.

57. 2004 Belmont Stakes: Smarty Jones loses Triple Crown bid
The obscure colt from Philadelphia was 400 yards from eternal glory when Birdstone caught him on the homestretch.

56. 2001 AFC semis: Patriots 16, Raiders 13 (OT)
Tuck. Rule.

55. 2005 Rose Bowl: Texas 38, Michigan 37
Texas QB Vince Young was a one-man wrecking crew of football excitement, throwing for 180 yards, running for 192 and four touchdowns and leading the Longhorns to the game-winning field goal as time expired.

54. 2005 NCAA Tournament, 2nd round: West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 (2 OT)
West Virginia rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to get to overtime, when Mike Gansey did his best Jerry West impersonation, scoring 19 points in the two extra sessions to help pull off the upset of the No. 2-seed Demon Deacons.

53. 2004 NCAA Tournament, semifinals: Connecticut 79, Duke 78
Duke was sitting pretty, leading 75-67 with four minutes left, when the game turned ugly for the Blue Devils – UConn scored 12 straight points to get the win (and won the title game two nights later).

52. 2003 AFC semis: Colts 38, Chiefs 31
Over 840 yards of offense. Fifty-one first downs. No punts.

51. 1995 U.S. Open final: Sampras def. Agassi, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

The two stars were at the height of their powers when they met in the much-anticipated final. Sampras closed out the first set on a memorable 21-stroke rally and then finished off Agassi in four sets.

	Reggie Miller taunts Spike Lee after beating the Knicks with eight points in 18 seconds.

50. 1995 Eastern Conference semis, Game 1: Pacers 107, Knicks 105
Miller time.

49. 1999 NLCS, Game 5: Mets 4, Braves 3 (15 innings)
The only playoff game ever won by a bases-clearing single. Robin Ventura's grand slam-turned-single in the rain kept the Mets alive (they would lose Game 6 in 11 innings).

48. 1995 NFC championship: Cowboys 38, Packers 27
The Cowboys had defeated the Packers five times in the previous three seasons, including twice in the playoffs. But entering the fourth quarter with a lead, it appeared this would be the Packers' year. Then Troy Aikman led the Cowboys' on a 90-year drive and a Brett Favre interception led to a game-clinching Dallas TD.

47. 1998 Big 12 championship: Texas A&M 36, Kansas State 33 (2 OT)
K-State was 11-0, ranked No. 1 and needed a win to advance to the Fiesta Bowl and a shot at the national title. The Wildcats led 27-12, but the Aggies tied it. The teams traded field goals in the first OT, K-State kicked another in the second OT, but A&M connected on a 32-yard TD pass to ruin K-State's title hopes.

46. 2004 Eastern Conference semis, Game 5: Nets 127, Pistons 120 (3 OT)
In only the fourth NBA playoff game to go three overtimes, Detroit's Chauncey Billups had tied it in regulation with a halfcourt heave at the buzzer. The Nets took a 3-2 series lead – but the Pistons proved momentum means nothing and won Games 6 and 7.

45. 2004 ALCS, Game 6: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2
Also known as the Bloody Sock Game.

44. 1997: Nebraska 45, Missouri 38 (OT)
Call it the collegiate version of the Immaculate Reception: the No. 1-ranked Huskers trailed 38-31 with seven seconds left. Scott Frost threw into the end zone. The ball bounced through the grasp and then off the foot of Shevin Wiggins as he fell down – right into the hands of a diving Matt Davison. Missouri fans stormed the field but the game was tied, Nebraska won in overtime and eventually shared the national title with Michigan.

43. 2000 PGA championship: Tiger Woods wins third major of year
Woods birdied the final two holes to tie Bob May and then won the three-hole playoff. His 18-under par also marked his third record low score in a major that year (he also set British and U.S. Open marks).

42. 1998 NFC wild card: 49ers 30, Packers 27
Young to Owens with 3 seconds left.

41. 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship: U.S. 5, Canada 2
In the third game of the best-of-3 final, the U.S. stunned Canada behind Mike Richter's 35 saves and four goals in the finals five minutes. After Brett Hull tied it with a deflection at 16:43, Tony Amonte scored 43 seconds later. Two empty-netters clinched it.

40. 1999 NLCS, Game 6: Braves 10, Mets 9 (11 innings)
The Braves scored five runs in the first. The Mets tied it 7-7 in the seventh when Mike Piazza homered off John Smoltz. The Mets took an 8-7 lead the next inning. The Braves tied it. The Mets scored in the 10th. So did the Braves. Kenny Rogers walked in the winning run. Series over.

39. 2003 NCAA championship: Syracuse 81, Kansas 78
Syracuse nearly blew a 76-64 lead in the final five minutes, but the Jayhawks missed two 3-pointers in the final eight seconds.

38. 2002 Western Conference finals, Game 4: Lakers 100, Kings 99
The Lakers, trailing two games to one, rallied from 24 points down as Robert Horry picked up a loose ball and drained a miraculous 3-pointer at the buzzer.

37. 1998: Tennessee 28, Arkansas 24
Tennessee was 8-0 and ranked No. 1. Arkansas was also 8-0. The Razorbacks shocked the Neyland Stadium crowd by taking a 21-3 lead. The Vols clawed back to 24-22, but Arkansas had the ball and the chance to run out the clock. QB Clint Stoerner tripped and fumbled with 1:43 left, Travis Henry ran five straight times and scored with 28 seconds left, and Tennessee went on to win the national championship.

	Ken Griffey Jr. was all smiles after scoring the winning run that beat the Yankees.

36. 1995 ALDS, Game 5: Mariners 6, Yankees 5 (11 innings)
The Yankees were in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, the Mariners for the first time ever. Seattle tied it with two runs in the eighth, the Yankees scored in the 11th off Randy Johnson, but the Mariners won the series when Edgar Martinez doubled in two runs off Jack McDowell.

35. 2000 Eastern Conference semis, Game 4: Flyers 2, Penguins 1 (5 OT)
The game ended at 2:35 a.m. – more than seven hours after it began. Keith Primeau powered a wrist shot past Ron Tugnutt to even the series, which the Flyers would win in six games.

34. 2003 NFC semis: Panthers 29, Rams 23 (2 OT)
Why isn't this game higher? Consider: In the final minutes of regulation, the Rams scored a TD, made the two-point conversion, recovered an onsides kick, drove down to the 15-yard line with 30 seconds left but sat for a tying field goal instead of going for the win – a decision that haunted coach Mike Martz when Jake Delhomme hooked up with Steve Smith for a 69-yard TD pass in the second OT.

33. 1997 NCAA championship: Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (OT)
The game wasn't always pretty – Arizona attempted 41 free throws – but it was exciting, as Miles Simon scored 30 points to lead Arizona to the upset win over the defending champs.

32. 1997 Rose Bowl: Ohio State 20, Arizona State 17
Arizona State was undefeated and on the brink of winning the national title when the Buckeyes drove 65 yards in 90 seconds and scored on a TD pass from Joe Germaine to David Boston with 19 seconds left, giving the national title to one-loss Florida.

31. 2000 Western Conference finals, Game 7: Lakers 89, Blazers 84
On such things are dynasties born: Portland led L.A. 75-60 in the fourth quarter – when the Lakers went on a 15-0 run, as the Blazers missed 13 consecutive shots. The Lakers won the game and then the first of three straight NBA titles.

30. 2005 NCAA Tournament, regional final: Michigan State 94, Kentucky 88 (2 OT)
The third overtime game of a memorable weekend of regional finals, Michigan State survived a miracle 3-pointer by Kentucky's Patrick Sparks that tied the game at the end of regulation.

29. 2002 World Series, Game 6: Angels 6, Giants 5
The Giants led 5-0 in the seventh inning, on the brink of their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco in 1958. But Scott Spiezio hit a three-run homer, the Angels scored three more times in the eighth and won it all in Game 7.

28. 1998 NFC championship: Falcons 30, Vikings 27 (OT)
The Vikings had rolled through a 15-1 season and led by 10 points in the fourth quarter, but Gary Anderson missed a field goal – his first miss of the season – that would have sealed the win and the Falcons then won in OT.

27. 1999 Ryder Cup: U.S. beats Europe
The U.S. trailed 10-6 entering the final day of singles play, but Justin Leonard's memorable 45-foot birdie putt completed an amazing comeback.

	Another shanked Florida State field goal meant victory for Ken Dorsey and the Canes.

26. 2002: Miami 28, Florida State 27
No. 1-ranked Miami, winner of 27 in a row, trailed 27-13 before scoring two fourth-quarter TDs to set up the final play of the game: FSU's 43-yard field goal attempt. Wide left.

25. 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6: Bulls 87, Jazz 86
The Shot.

24. 2002 NFC wild card: 49ers 39, Giants 38
In one of the biggest chokes in playoff history, the Giants blew a 24-point lead in the final 19 minutes and then botched the snap on a potential game-winning field goal.

23. 2004 ALCS, Game 5: Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 (14 innings)
One night after keeping the Red Sox alive in the series with a 12th-inning homer, David Ortiz did it again: He homered in the eighth to spark a two-run rally that tied the game and singled in Johnny Damon with two outs in the 14th.

22. 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6: Stars 2, Sabres 1 (3 OT)
In a controversial ending, Dallas' Brett Hull scored the Cup-winning goal in the third overtime. The Sabres protested that Hull's left skate was in the crease, to no avail.

21. 1998 NCAA Tournament regional final: Kentucky 86, Duke 84
People remember the 1992 regional final between these two schools, but this game was nearly as great. Kentucky trailed by 18 points in the first half and still trailed by 11 with eight minutes left, but 3-pointers down the stretch by Cameron Mills and Scott Padgett sealed the stirring comeback.

20. 1998 Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt wins on 20th attempt
NASCAR's most popular driver finally won the big one, even slapping high-fives with crewmen from other teams after the victory.

19. 2002 Western Conference finals, Game 7: Lakers 112, Kings 106 (OT)
The final game of an epic series saw the Lakers win Game 7 on the road as the Kings shot just 16 of 30 from the free-throw line and 2 of 20 on 3-pointers.

18. 1999 NCAA championship: Connecticut 77, Duke 74
Duke had won 32 straight games and was the big favorite, but in a game with constant lead changes, Richard Hamilton scored 27 points for the Huskies and Trajan Langdon committed turnovers on Duke's final two possessions.

17. 2004 Masters: Phil Mickelson finally wins a major
Mickelson won his first major in dramatic fashion, sinking five birdies on the final seven holes, including an 18-footer on the 18th to beat Ernie Els by one shot.

16. 2005 NCAA Tournament regional final: Illinois 90, Arizona 89 (OT)
Illinois trailed by 14 points with four minutes before rallying to tie the game and win in OT – the second-largest second half comeback ever in a regional final.

15. 2003 NLCS, Game 6: Marlins 8, Cubs 3
The Cubs led 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning, five outs from reaching their first World Series since 1945 ... and then disaster struck when the Earth tilted on its axis and Steve Bartman simultaneously interfered with a foul ball.

14. 2001 World Series, Game 5: Yankees 3, Diamondbacks 2 (12 innings)
Improbably, for the second straight night the Yankees hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. Scott Brosius' home run tied it and Alfonso Soriano's single delivered the winning run.

13. 2003 Tour de France: Lance Armstrong wins fifth in a row
Armstrong's fifth win was his most dramatic as he edged Jan Ullrich by a scant 61 seconds, overcoming a crash, a road blocked by protesters on one stage, veering downhill through a field to avoid a fallen rider, and the stomach flu.

12. 1997 World Series, Game 7: Marlins 3, Indians 2 (11 innings)
Cleveland led 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, ready to celebrate its first World Series title since 1948, when the Marlins tied it up off Jose Mesa and then won it in the 11th inning on Edgar Renteria's two-out single.

11. 2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2 OT)
The Buckeyes, 11½-point underdogs, snapped the Canes' 34-game winning streak and captured the national championship in one of college football's greatest games ever. Miami sent the game into OT with a FG at the end of regulation, OSU sent the game into a second OT with a fourth-down TD – following a controversial pass interference penalty that allowed for another play – and the Buckeyes stopped the Hurricanes on fourth down from the 1-yard to line to win it.

	On his fourth trip to the Super Bowl, John Elway finally won.

10. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16
It came down to the final play, and Mike Jones tackled Kevin Dyson just inches short of the game-tying touchdown, making the rags-to-riches Rams NFL champs.

9. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24
The NFC had won 13 straight Super Bowls, John Elway had never won the big one and the Packers were defending champs. Elway's famous "flip" helped Denver take a 24-17 lead, the Packers tied it and then Terrell Davis scored the winning TD in the final two minutes.

8. 1999 Women's World Cup final: U.S. beats China
In front of 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl and with 40 million television viewers watching, the game was tied 0-0 through overtime and headed to penalty kicks. With the shootout tied 4-4, Brandi Chastain booted home the winner.

7. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
The teams combined for 37 points in a wild fourth quarter that featured a 33-yard TD run, an 85-yard TD pass, a TD pass to a linebacker, and Adam Vinatieri's second Super Bowl-winning field goal in three years.

6. 1997 Masters: Tiger Woods wins by 12 strokes
There wasn't a dramatic conclusion but it was a dramatic inauguration. Tiger Woods, 21, shot a Masters record 18-under par, won by 12 strokes, at the time the largest margin ever in any major tournament, and became the first minority golfer to win a major.

5. 2001 World Series, Game 7: Diamondbacks 3, Yankees 2
The Yankees were three outs away from their fourth straight World Series title when the unthinkable happened: The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning off the invincible Mariano Rivera, who had recorded 23 consecutive postseason saves.

	Ortiz's home run beat the Yanks in Game 4 and got the Red Sox rolling.

4. 2003 ALCS, Game 7: Yankees 7, Red Sox 6 (11 innings)
Pedro. Grady. Boone.

3. 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5: Bulls 90, Jazz 88
Michael Jordan, ravaged by the flu and a 103-degree temperature, scored 38 points – including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left – as the Bulls take a 3-2 series advantage, setting up their fifth title of the decade in Game 6.

2. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17
Everybody remembers Adam Vinatieri's winning field goal as time expired, but the Rams – 14-point favorites – needed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including one in the final two minutes, to set up the dramatic kick.

1. 2004 ALCS, Game 4: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4 (12 innings)
Trailing three games to none and on the brink of another humiliating loss to their rivals, the Sox tied Game 4 in the bottom of the ninth off Mariano Rivera and won on David Ortiz's home run three innings later. And then they won their next seven games in a row, dethroning the Yankees as AL champs, capturing the World Series, and ending the Curse.

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