Most overtimes in college football: Georgia-Georgia Tech game flirts with history

Posted by author November 30, 2024 Football

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No. 6 Georgia and Georgia Tech’s Friday night football game kicked off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

After 60 minutes of regulation — roughly four-and-a-half hours of real time — and an astounding eight overtimes, the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets finally determined the winner of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate at around midnight for viewers on the East Coast.

The Bulldogs stormed back from a 17-0 halftime deficit and a 27-13 deficit with five minutes in regulation to send the game to overtime (albeit with some controversy). There, the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets traded scores in the first, second and fifth overtimes — and defensive stands in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh OT periods — before Georgia emerged triumphant, 44-42, in the eighth overtime.

Speaking after the game, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he had never partcipated in a game like this, adding that both his and Brent Key’s teams had run out of two-point plays by the time the score was finally settled.

Indeed, Smart was part of near-historic game that flirted with becoming the longest game in college football history, at least in terms of overtime periods.

With the dust still settling from Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, here’s what you need to know of the longest games in college football history:

Most overtimes in college football history

The Georgia-Georgia Tech game was indeed long, going to eight overtimes. But it’s not the longest game in college football history.

That instead goes to Illinois and Penn State’s nine-overtime thriller on Oct. 23, 2021, which saw the Fighting Illini come away with a 20-18 victory. Somehow, Illinois and Penn State only amassed 395 and 227 yards, respectively, in a game in which the only second-half score was a James McCourt 39-yard field goal with 11:49 left to play.

Longest games in college football history

Here is a list of the longest games, in terms of overtime periods, in college football history, courtesy of the NCAA:

1. Oct. 23, 2021: Illinois 20, Penn State 18 (9 OTs)
2. Nov. 29, 2024: Georgia 44, Georgia Tech 42 (8 OTs)
T-3. Sept. 10, 2022: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (7 OTs)
T-3. Nov. 24, 2018: Texas A&M 74, LSU 72 (7 OTs)
T-3. Oct. 7, 2017: Western Michigan 71, Buffalo 68 (7 OTs)
T-3. Oct. 7, 2006: North Texas 25, FIU, 22 (7 OTs)
T-3. Nov. 1, 2003: Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 (7 OTs)
T-3. Nov. 3, 2001: Arkansas 58, Ole Miss 56 (7 OTs)

College football OT rules

Curiously, college football rules have made it easier to get through overtime periods quicker, while also making it easier to rack up overtime periods.

Beginning in 2019, the NCAA began implementing overtime periods that simply traded 2-point conversion attempts beginning with the fifth overtime. It was widely viewed as a response to the 2018 game between LSU and Texas A&M that went to seven overtimes and saw the Aggies win 74-72 over the Tigers.

The rule was further amended in 2021, with teams trading 2-point attempts beginning with the third overtime. That said, there are some nuances to the rules:

In the first overtime period, both teams get a chance to score a touchdown, beginning from the 25-yard line. Teams can kick a point-after attempt or 2-point conversion following their touchdown
If the game goes to a second overtime, teams must go for 2 following a touchdown.
Beginning in the third overtime period, both teams will trade 2-point attempts until one team scores and the other is held out of the end zone.