Our favourite school soccer video games of 2025, from Miami-Notre Dame to Playoff classics

The 934th and remaining FBS recreation of the 2025 school soccer season is sort of right here, with an unlikely nationwide championship matchup on Monday evening between No. 1 seed Indiana and No. 10 seed Miami.

It’s been an unforgettable, bizarre and wild season, stuffed with surprising outcomes, stunning teaching strikes and the potential for one of the vital shocking champions in sports activities historical past. Before the grand finale, we requested The Athletic’s employees to recount their favourite video games of the season so far (no repeats allowed). Let us know your favourite video games within the feedback part on the backside. Here are our picks:

Aug. 23: Iowa State 24, Kansas State 21

I’m right here for vibes solely, and the Week 0 vibes in Dublin had been off the charts. I used to be lucky sufficient to spend 48 hours in Ireland chronicling why one in all school soccer’s oldest rivalries was transported from the heartland to Dublin. And it was a deal with. I noticed followers in cardinal purple and Wildcat purple get plastered on Guinness, loved the sun-soaked days previous to kickoff and kicked myself for not bringing a rain jacket when the skies parted on recreation day. It was a snoozer for 3 quarters, however the fourth quarter was spectacular to absorb from the press field sandwiched between rows of followers. — Christopher Kamrani

Aug. 31: Miami 27, Notre Dame 24

This one launched us to Malachi Toney, who had six catches for 82 yards and a landing in his collegiate debut. It launched us to CJ Carr, who wasn’t excellent however whose winding scramble led to a spectacular first scoring move of his profession and whose dashing landing capped a late comeback from 14 down. Miami’s first win over a top-10 opponent in eight years additionally featured a Rueben Bain Jr. interception, a stunning CJ Daniels one-handed seize of a Carson Beck move for a rating and a 47-yard Carter Davis subject aim for the win. It lived as much as expectations. It loomed massive. It lastly mattered on the final day of choice committee deliberations, opening the door for a nationwide finalist and leaving a succesful staff out of the sector. — Joe Rexrode

Sept. 6: Missouri 42, Kansas 31

My first Border War expertise was a memorable one. It was the primary Border War for a couple of people, truly, with Missouri and Kansas reviving a literal Civil War-era feud for the primary time in 14 years on the gridiron. One of the game’s most bitter rivalries was misplaced to convention realignment, giving this recreation a crackling, pent-up vibe. Tigers followers spent all morning berating Jayhawks followers earlier than the sport even began. The matchup delivered on the sector as effectively, with Mizzou overcoming an early 21-6 deficit and mounting a fourth-quarter comeback for the win. There was even a fan who handed up an opportunity to win $25,000 so he might troll Kansas (which the house crowd beloved), and Tigers gamers paraded round a delirious stadium after the victory with the drum trophy. It was the kind of unhinged power solely school soccer can present. This was Week 2, by the best way. — Justin Williams

Sept. 13: Georgia 44, Tennessee 41 (OT)

This was an immediate traditional in actual time, with 5 lead modifications within the second half, and now it looks like the final word sliding doorways second within the 2025 SEC. What occurs to each of these groups if Max Gilbert’s 43-yard profitable field-goal try for Tennessee goes by means of the uprights as a substitute of crusing extensive proper on the finish of regulation? Or if Gunner Stockton’s fourth-down finish zone throw to London Humphreys late within the fourth quarter isn’t excellent? Does Georgia’s loss to Alabama then begin the Dawgs’ unraveling as a two-loss staff earlier than the tip of September? On the flip aspect, does Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar trip the momentum of a victorious 371-yard, four-touchdown efficiency right into a Heisman Trophy marketing campaign? And does that one child nonetheless refuse to sing “Rocky Top” at his college play? — Austin Green

Sept. 13: Texas A&M 41, Notre Dame 40

Nobody knew simply how massive this outcome would loom, however a couple of issues had been clear by Week 3: 1) Both groups had been very proficient. 2) Both groups seemed like they might lose a recreation or two down the highway, and thus completely needed to win this one. That led to a frantic duel that expertly toed the road between “thrilling shootout” and “insult to defensive coordinators everywhere.” My lasting reminiscence is NBC’s unflinching give attention to Notre Dame’s Tyler Buchner, whose botched PAT maintain proved to be the distinction, as Marcel Reed marched the Aggies down for the profitable landing. — Eric Single

Sept. 26: Virginia 46, Florida State 38 (2OT)

This was the primary second we realized the ACC is likely to be very bizarre. The 3-0 Seminoles had overwhelmed Alabama in Week 1, whereas Virginia was simply hoping to make a bowl recreation for the primary time since 2019. The recreation turned out to be a curler coaster, going from 14-0 Virginia to 21-14 FSU simply within the first half. Both groups had three turnovers. Trailing 35-28, dealing with fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line with 43 seconds left, FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos scrambled left and threw a landing move to ship it to extra time. Both groups made subject objectives within the first extra time, and Virginia scored a landing within the second. A Florida State heave on fourth down was intercepted in the long run zone, and Virginia’s pupil part immediately ran down the hill and over the gamers on the sector in a wild scene. The gamers had been OK, fortunately, however 19 college students had been handled for accidents. FSU would go on to overlook a bowl recreation, whereas Virginia would attain the ACC Championship Game. — Chris Vannini

Sept. 27: Indiana 20, Iowa 15

The Hoosiers crushed then-No. 9 Illinois 63-10 the earlier week, however coach Curt Cignetti cautioned their journey to Iowa City featured a larger problem. With the rating tied 13-13, Fernando Mendoza’s interception gave the Hawkeyes the ball at Indiana’s 29-yard line with 2:50 left. On third-and-5, Iowa’s completely known as display screen move inexplicably was thrown in need of the wide-open working again, which led to a missed subject aim. Given new life, Mendoza moved the Hoosiers to midfield however confronted a third-and-10 at Iowa’s 49. In the face of an all-out blitz, Mendoza accomplished a slant to Elijah Sarratt that went for a 49-yard landing and catapulted the Hoosiers to a historic season. — Scott Dochterman

Oct. 4: UCLA 42, Penn State 37

The Bruins had been winless at 0-4, and a 25-point underdog. They had fired head coach DeShaun Foster a couple of weeks earlier — and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri within the week earlier than this recreation — and hadn’t led for a single second within the season. Enter Jerry Neuheisel, a former Bruins quarterback and longtime assistant (and son of former head coach Rick Neuheisel), who was handed over for the OC job twice by UCLA brass. He was tabbed by interim head coach Tim Skipper to change into the brand new play caller. The Bruins had simply two days to rep their new recreation plan. The Nittany Lions had what was imagined to be a top-10 protection, however Neuheisel introduced a jolt of constructive power to an offense that desperately wanted it. He additionally turned Nico Iamaleava free and the 6-foot-6 QB ran for 3 touchdowns and handed for 2 extra, seeming to catch Penn State off-guard. UCLA jumped out to a 27-7 halftime lead, and the Bruins ran for nearly 300 yards and transformed on 10 of 16 third downs. It was their first win over a top-10 opponent at dwelling in 18 years. Per week later, Penn State misplaced to Northwestern and stunningly fired James Franklin, setting off a training carousel in contrast to some other. — Bruce Feldman

Oct. 17: Louisville 24, Miami 21

Sitting in a Madison resort bar the evening earlier than overlaying Ohio State-Wisconsin, I assumed I’d watch the primary half, have a drink and go to mattress. Four hours later, I used to be locked into probably the greatest video games of the season. I used to be shocked from the beginning how effectively Louisville got here out of the gate, and then-No. 2 Miami, as you’d anticipate, rallied. But it was the tip of the sport that solidified this for me. There had been three turnovers within the fourth quarter, together with two interceptions by Miami quarterback Carson Beck, and every time one thing occurred I assumed, “Oh, no way this team loses now.” Yet they each saved making an attempt. When Louisville punted with 4 minutes left, I simply knew Miami would win — after which Beck threw his fourth and remaining interception with 32 seconds left. It wasn’t one of the best soccer performed this season, but it surely was a comically dramatic ending to what I assumed could be a brief Friday evening. — Cameron Teague Robinson 

Oct. 18: Georgia 43, Ole Miss 35

This recreation didn’t go right down to the wire, but it surely was nonetheless a very enjoyable watch at one of many sport’s nice venues. There had been already indicators that this wasn’t a classic Georgia protection — the Dawgs gave up 41 factors to Tennessee in Week 3 — but it surely was nonetheless staggering to see Ole Miss rating touchdowns on its first 5 possessions in Athens. And there was nothing low cost about it; all 5 of the drives went for not less than 65 yards, and all however one had been not less than 10 performs lengthy. This was additionally a take a look at (which he handed) for Trinidad Chambliss, whose earlier highway begin was in November 2024 in entrance of 1,873 followers in Ferris State’s 55-9 win at Northern Michigan. Enough about Ole Miss. Georgia gained this recreation, 43-35, as a result of it scored on each possession, 5 TDs and three subject objectives, and Gunner Stockton confirmed as soon as once more that he might make massive performs within the clutch. — Mitch Light

Nov. 8: Indiana 27, Penn State 24

Respect to my colleagues for a few of these deep cuts, however this was the actual recreation of the 12 months in school soccer. It had all the pieces: a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, a Heisman Trophy second for the longer term Heisman Trophy winner, Gus Johnson briefly coming into one other dimension and attaining nirvana. Not solely was this the sport of the 12 months, but it surely additionally featured the play of the 12 months, Omar Cooper Jr.’s toe-dragging landing catch behind the Beaver Stadium finish zone to present Indiana the lead with 36 seconds remaining. The Hoosiers had already confirmed themselves to be an incredible staff, however this was the second they began to really feel like a staff of future. It was additionally the second Mendoza stamped himself because the Heisman frontrunner. Penn State’s doomed season and Indiana’s magical one collided in simply the appropriate option to produce an immediate traditional. — Austin Meek

Nov. 15: Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30

For a sport that’s recognized for wild back-and-forth finishes, it feels bizarre selecting a recreation that didn’t have any factors for the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. However, A&M’s massive comeback, from 30-3 down at halftime, will stick in my mind. In the primary half, A&M couldn’t do something proper. It was like watching the NBA stars in “Space Jam” enjoying with out their expertise. The Aggies had two missed subject objectives, a fumble that resulted in a South Carolina landing and two interceptions by Marcel Reed within the first half. That they gained this recreation is a contemporary marvel. — Dan Santaromita

Nov. 15: Oklahoma 23, Alabama 21

John Mateer threw for 138 yards with no touchdowns, Oklahoma managed to choose up simply 12 first downs and Alabama had virtually double the yardage of the Sooners. And but, OU gained 23-21 in one of many greatest wins of Brent Venables’ profession because of a masterclass from the Sooners on protection. OU had 4 sacks and an 87-yard pick-6 from Eli Bowen to make the sort of assertion that ultimately obtained the Sooners into the Playoff. It was a classic Venables efficiency on protection. — Grace Raynor

Nov. 29: Cal 38, SMU 35

It checked this sport’s entertaining, generally loopy packing containers. Freshman quarterback starring? Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bonkers fourth quarter? SMU trailed 31-14, scored on three consecutive drives to take the lead, surrendered a landing to lose that lead, then missed the would-be tying 52-yard subject aim with 3 seconds left. Odd stakes? No. 21 SMU would have been within the ACC championship if it had overwhelmed a Cal staff that fired its coach a couple of days earlier. Instead, it sparked an advanced tiebreaker scenario that permit five-loss Duke win the convention and jeopardized the ACC’s CFP hopes. — Matt Baker

Dec. 6: Indiana 13, Ohio State 10

For all the great vibes round Indiana’s unbeaten season coming into the Big Ten Championship Game, knocking off the league’s greatest bully — and the defending nationwide champs — felt like we had been watching a “Beat the Final Boss” second for Curt Cignetti and his squad. Offense was largely a slog for the Hoosiers — hardly an indictment given the Buckeyes’ superlative protection — but it surely was the best way Indiana flipped the script and bullied Ryan Day’s offense into submission that put the exclamation mark on IU’s entry into school soccer’s highest tier. — Dan Shanoff

Dec. 24: Hawaii 35, Cal 31

You can say that bowl video games not matter. You can ask who cares about 8-4 Hawaii enjoying 7-5 Cal in entrance of a crowd of 15,000. But the beauty of bowl video games — and, nonetheless, school soccer as a complete — is that you simply by no means know once you’re going to get sucked right into a thrillingly dramatic end in a recreation between two groups you don’t have any connection to with no championship stakes. In this case: A down-to-the-wire sunny Hawaii Bowl whereas sitting on the sofa in entrance of a Christmas tree on a cold Christmas Eve evening within the Northeast. Hawaii outscored Cal 22-10 within the fourth quarter, together with a 22-yard Nick Cenacle landing move from Luke Weaver with 10 seconds left to reply a late Cal landing and provides the Rainbow Warriors their first bowl win since 2020. — Matt Brown

Jan. 1: Indiana 38, Alabama 3

Not solely did the Rose Bowl change into a nationwide declaration of Indiana’s scary soccer prowess, but it surely laid naked the relative shambles Alabama has change into beneath Kalen DeBoer and maybe confirmed an uncomfortable reality to anybody who’s watched SEC soccer the previous 20 years. The league’s maintain on the game is completed, and it could have misplaced the good thing about the doubt, too. That a lot narrative made this Rose Bowl so compelling regardless of the five-touchdown margin. We’re by no means going to have a look at Indiana or Alabama the identical. Ever. Rarely does a recreation change worldviews fairly like this one. — Pete Sampson

Jan. 1: Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34

Ole Miss was the underdog, but it surely by no means actually felt like that within the Sugar Bowl in opposition to Georgia, even when the Bulldogs led at halftime or on the finish of the third quarter. Both quarterbacks — Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss — made outrageous performs by means of the primary three quarters, however Chambliss had a fourth quarter that school soccer followers will bear in mind for a very long time. The Rebels, of their second recreation after Lane Kiffin bolted for LSU, scored 20 factors within the remaining quarter, together with a ridiculous three-play sequence from Chambliss to arrange a landing and a deep throw to get the Rebels in place for the profitable subject aim. — Daniel Shirley

Jan. 5: Montana State 35, Illinois State 34 (OT)

The FCS championship recreation, significantly the fourth quarter and extra time, was a heart-stopper. Illinois State — the staff that pulled off the gorgeous upset of prime seed North Dakota State within the second spherical — climbed out of a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit thanks partly to receiver Dylan Lord, whom the Bobcats couldn’t appear to deal with. Facing fourth-and-1 with 1:04 left, as a substitute of going for it, the Redbirds tried a go-ahead subject aim that obtained blocked (one thing that apparently occurred 5 instances earlier than to them in 2025). Lord caught an extra time landing from Tommy Rittenhouse to present Illinois State a six-point lead, however — AGAIN! — Montana State blocked the kick, this time an additional level, leaving the Redbirds with a 34-28 lead. They had been on the verge of glory, forcing the Bobcats right into a fourth-and-10 on the 14, one play away from a title. That’s when Justin Lamson, a switch quarterback from Stanford, backed away from a blitz, and, with the nationwide title on the road, made the throw of his life from his again foot from the appropriate hash to the left pylon, hitting Taco Dowler in stride for a landing. It’s the sort of throw you solely see in a script, a Matt Saracen last-minute heave to finish a recreation in “Friday Night Lights.” The ensuing further level sealed a 35-34 win and Montana State’s first nationwide championship since 1984. — Sam Khan Jr.

Jan. 8: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27

So many nice storylines, so many well-known alumni on the sideline to witness it and a traditional, heart-stopping end right down to the ultimate play. Miami fully dominated the clock, well holding Trinidad Chambliss’ high-scoring offense off the sector. Yet, the Hurricanes saved taking pictures themselves within the foot with dropped interceptions and unhealthy penalties and needed to survive a last-second heave into the tip zone by Chambliss to clinch their first journey to the nationwide championship recreation because the 2002 season. Carson Beck was the hero, extinguishing Miami’s 0-4 distress on the Fiesta Bowl. Just enjoyable. — Manny Navarro

Jan. 9: Indiana 56, Oregon 22

Every minute of Indiana soccer because the kickoff of Dec. 6’s Big Ten title recreation has been the most important minute in program historical past. A minute I’ll always remember: The begin of the Peach Bowl’s fourth quarter, when about 65,000 Hoosiers in Atlanta belted “Mr. Brightside” simply earlier than their staff blocked a punt whereas already up 42-15. The greatest (and up to now happiest, not less than on the soccer aspect) assortment of Indiana followers in historical past — till Curt Cignetti one way or the other will get the Bloomington stadium doubled in measurement, in fact.  — Jason Kirk