ESPN's Bill Connelly names LSU vs Florida the game of the season, 3 LSU games in top 50

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1. LSU 37, Florida 34 (Dec. 12)
The most statistically unlikely win of the season was also the season's best game. A lot of things had to go wrong for Florida just for this game to be tied late in regulation -- a fourth-and-goal stuff, a 68-yard pick-six, a red zone interception, a fumble that set up a late-Q2 field goal, etc. And that was all before the final minute.

The 60th minute of the game featured a season's worth of glorious nonsense. Florida made a key third-down stop to potentially get the ball back and score, only Marco Wilson tossed Kole Taylor's shoe after the play, drawing the silliest unsportsmanlike conduct penalty you'll ever see. Five plays later, Cade York knocked in a 57-yard cannon shot to give the Tigers a 37-34 lead. Florida quickly drove the other way in time to set up a 51-yard attempt for the equally awesome Evan McPherson, but it sailed wide left. Somehow, someway, LSU won this game.

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7. LSU 53, Ole Miss 48 (Dec. 19)
From a favorites piece I wrote earlier in January:

Favorite game: LSU 53, Ole Miss 48

The temperature was in the mid-50s, and it rained about an inch during the game. And in these conditions and circumstances, the Rebels and Tigers put on a show.

LSU raced to a 17-7 lead, but Jerrion Ealy's 100-yard kickoff return brought Ole Miss back to within three. Two Kayshon Boutte touchdowns helped to increase LSU's advantage to 37-21, then Ole Miss went on a 27-3 run over the course of 15 minutes. Down eight, LSU drove 75 yards for a score but missed the 2-point conversion. The Tigers then forced only the Rebels' third punt of the night, and first since the first quarter, then took the lead with 1:34 left on Boutte's third touchdown (the freshman had 14 catches for 308 yards). Ole Miss quickly moved into Tigers territory, but Ali Gaye stripped the ball from Matt Corral, and JaCoby Stevens pounced on it for the win.

You know how opponents of playoff expansion always talk about how such expansion would diminish the importance of the regular season? There might not have been a less important power conference game this season, but these two rivals pulled off a banger all the same. When my Top 50 Games of 2020 list comes out in the days following the national championship, this won't be No. 1. But it was my favorite all the same.

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34. Missouri 45, LSU 41 (Oct. 10)

Missouri lost five games by an average of 24 points each this year, but the Tigers won every winnable game on the slate. That includes these two bangers near the start and end of the season.

First, they fell behind in each of the first three quarters against LSU but took the lead on a Connor Bazelak-to-Niko Hea touchdown with 5:18 left. LSU quickly stormed down the field, but instead of letting the defending national champs score facing first-and-goal from the 1 with under a minute left, Mizzou did the old-fashioned thing: It stoned the champs four times and won.

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