We're continuing our countdown of the top-10 games from the Big Ten in 2013. Remember that we're taking into account the stakes in the game, the excitement level, the quality of the performances and the atmosphere.
No. 3: Clemson 40, Ohio State 35, Jan. 3
How it went down: How would Ohio State respond after losing in the Big Ten title game and seeing its national title hopes go down the drain?
Early on in the Discover Orange Bowl, the answer seemed to be: not well. Clemson opened up a 20-9 lead in the second quarter, taking advantage of a battered Buckeyes defense that was missing star cornerback Bradley Roby (knee injury) and top pass rusher Noah Spence (suspension).
Yet, even though the Tigers statistically dominated most of the first half, Braxton Miller put Ohio State up 22-20 at halftime with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Heuerman and then a 3-yard scoring run with 12 seconds left. The Buckeyes led 29-20 and had forced a punt from Clemson in the third quarter, but Corey "Philly" Brown fumbled away the return.
Then things really got wild. Clemson scored two touchdowns in less than two-and-a-half minutes to regain the lead, followed by another lead change on Miller's throwback pass to Carlos Hyde for a score. Tajh Boyd capped a tremendous night by throwing for the game-winning touchdown with 6:16 left, and the two teams traded interceptions on three straight possessions late.
It was a wild game full of huge plays and momentum swings, and Miller got beat up and battled through injuries. Ohio State showed that it wasn't quite national championship worthy, especially on defense. But the Buckeyes helped provide a thoroughly entertaining end to the BCS era.
Player(s) of the game: Boyd and Sammy Watkins share the honors, as they both fed off one another while feasting on the Buckeyes' defense. Watkins broke Orange Bowl and school receiving records with 16 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Boyd went 31-of-40 for 378 yards through the air, ran for 127 yards and had six total touchdowns.
Stat of the game: The two teams combined for 1,003 yards of offense and 204 penalty yards.
They said it: "It's going to sting for a while, probably a long while because we didn't finish," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "It was right there."