The entire nation stayed up late to watch the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and the game between Colorado and Colorado State did not disappoint. Normally, a rivalry that matters most in just the state of Colorado, the presence of head coach Deion Sanders and the emergence of his team, the Colorado Buffaloes, has made the Colorado football team much-watch television.

After impressive victories over TCU and Nebraska, the Rocky Mountain Showdown was expected to be a blowout in Colorado's favor. However, Colorado State showed up to play. The game ended up going to overtime and gave us a crazy finish that saw Colorado come out victorious. It was such an incredible game that you couldn't have scripted it any better, but it got us wondering: what other games went to overtime and were nail-biters in recent memory? Here are the five best college football overtime games of the last 10 years, including Colorado's insane victory over Colorado State.

5. September 10, 2022: Eastern Kentucky 59 – Bowling Green 57

Rarely do FCS schools upset FBS schools, but that is exactly what happened in this seven-overtime thriller. The two schools went into overtime with a tie at 38 points in 2022.

Eastern Kentucky and Bowling Green traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes and 2-point conversions in the next two overtimes. Both teams failed to score in overtime No. 5, but the scoring continued in overtime No. 6.

In the seventh overtime, Bowling Green quarterback Matt McDonald failed to convert on a completion, giving Eastern Kentucky an opportunity to win it all. The FCS school took advantage, and Parker McKinney found Braedon Sloan for a game-winning score.

4. October 7, 2017: Western Michigan 71 – Buffalo 68

When there are a lot of overtime periods played, there is room for a lot of points to be put on the board. That was the case when Western Michigan topped Buffalo, 71-68, in six overtimes.

In regulation, Buffalo kicker Adam Mitcheson tied the game up with a field goal with only 34 seconds left. Western Michigan trotted down the field late and was able to set up a would-be game-winning field goal, but it was blocked. Field goals played a big part in overtime as well. After both teams scored touchdowns in the first two overtimes, Western Michigan had a chance to win the game with a field goal yet again. This time it wasn't blocked, but the potential game-winner sailed right, affording Buffalo another chance.

K.J. Osborn (Buffalo) and Jarvion Franklin (Western Michigan) scored on numerous occasions in the overtime periods to come until, finally, in the sixth overtime, Buffalo had to settle for a field goal. Jarvion Franklin took his 37th carry of the game into the end zone to win it all for Western Michigan.

3. October 23, 2021: Illinois 20 – Penn State 18

Illinois and Penn State went to nine overtime periods in 2021, an all-time college football record. It was a low-scoring affair in which the defenses were just too dominant to let the opposing offenses score. The score was tied at only 10-10 after regulation. In overtime, the two teams connected on field goals in the first two overtimes. They then went on to go scoreless from overtime No. 3 until overtime No. 8 as part of the new format.

In the eighth overtime, both teams connected on 2-point conversions. Finally, in the ninth overtime, Illinois was able to prevent Penn State from scoring on a 2-point conversion. On the other end, Illinois' Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion to claim the victory.

Nine overtimes marked the most in college football history as Illinois upset the seventh-ranked team in the nation. It was a defensive masterclass by both teams, as the squads only combined for 203 yards through the air.

2. September 17, 2023: Colorado 43 – Colorado State 35

Colorado and Colorado State had faced each other 91 times heading into their highly anticipated matchup in 2023, but before the game, the Rocky Mountain Showdown was on a three-year hiatus. After an offseason like the college football world had never seen before and back-to-back wins that captured the nation's attention, Colorado became the clear-cut team to watch in college football. Numerous celebrities showed up to Boulder to watch them in their rivalry game against the Rams, and the ones that didn't were surely watching from home. Instead of the stomping that was expected, Colorado and CSU gave us an all-time classic game that culminated in a double-overtime victory by Colorado.

The game was entertaining before kickoff even happened. Tension started to flare when Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell said, “When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and my glasses off.” The comment seemed like a dig at Deion Sanders. Norvell's words, along with a pregame skirmish between the teams, fueled the fire for the Buffaloes. However, it was actually the Rams that came out most ready to play early. Colorado State's offense came out clicking, and their defense was able to slow down Colorado's offense, which was one of the best in the nation through college football's first two weeks.

Throughout regulation, we saw Deion Sanders' son, Shilo, take an interception the distance for a pick-6. We also saw his other son, Shedeur, throw multiple touchdowns. Yet, Colorado State was the team that shocked the nation for most of the first four quarters. The Rams' Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Tory Horton were an unstoppable pairing. Fowler-Nicolosi threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns, while Horton caught 16 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. The receiver also threw an additional touchdown.

Even with the Rams' offense lighting it up, Colorado was able to stay within striking distance. They were down 21-14 heading into the final quarter of play. Another Rams touchdown gave CSU their first two-score lead of the game, and Colorado only had a 12 percent chance at victory. Colorado's Alejandro Mata made a field goal to cut the deficit to eight points, and the team got a stop on the following defensive possession. Still, things didn't look bright for Colorado because Colorado State punter Paddy Turner was able to pin the Buffaloes inside of the 2-yard line. Colorado had less than a one percent win probability as they had to drive 98 yards with only 2:06 remaining.

What came next was the stuff of legend. Shedeur Sanders led the Colorado offense all the way down the field before throwing a touchdown pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. — who had struggled all night — to cut the deficit to two points with 36 seconds left. Colorado still needed to convert on a 2-point conversion, and that they did. The game went to overtime, and both teams scored seven points in the first overtime period. In the second overtime, Michael Harrison caught his second overtime touchdown for Colorado. Xavier Weaver caught a 2-point conversion in the back of the end zone, and the Buffaloes' defense got a stop on the other end, sealing the electric victory for Colorado.

While the Rocky Mountain Showdown didn't go to quite as many overtimes periods as some of the other games on this list, it was still an all-time classic that the entire college football world was watching late into the night. The game didn't disappoint, as it put Colorado State on the map but also delivered us a storybook finish that only furthers the legend of this young Buffaloes team.

1. November 24, 2018: Texas A&M 74 – LSU 72

Being ranked seventh in the nation might be a curse come time to play deep into overtime. LSU is one of two teams on this list to be upset as the seventh-ranked team in an overtime classic.

Texas A&M and LSU had things all knotted up 31-31 through four quarters. In overtime, both teams would score in every overtime period except for the last. Kellen Mond's sixth touchdown went to Quartney Davis as Texas A&M walked away with a seven-overtime victory.

The game finished as the highest-scoring game in FBS history. The two teams combined for 146 points. Such an offensive outburst makes sense, as both quarterbacks were future NFL players. Texas A&M was led by Mond, while LSU had Joe Burrow. The game marked Burrow's last loss in college. The eventual first overall pick would win in the final week of the 2018 season before going undefeated in the following season.