Best in College Football Movies

There are plenty of great sports movies to choose from. Hoosiers, Caddyshack, Bull Durham and Slap Shot are just a few of the classics.

With the opening of The Express--a movie about the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy--on Friday I thought I would take a look at the "classic" college football movies. I was certain there would be plenty to choose from.

Let's see .... Any Given Sunday? Nah. That's professional football. How about Varsity Blues? Loved it. Who doesn't love Tweeder and Billy Bob? Nope. High school football in Texas (probably better football than the ACC this year, but can't put it on the list).

The Express looks like it has potential (sans bogus scene in Morgantown, W.Va., that Eye has already discussed on this blog). The film is about Ernie Davis, who won college football's biggest prize in 1961 and died of leukemia two years later. Has sort of a Brian's Song feel (crap, can't count that one either). The movie does star Dennis Quaid as Syracue coachh Ben Schwartzwalder, making it Quaid's second college football movie (more to come).

So here's my Top 5 College Football movies of all time:

No. 5 -- Necessary Roughness (1991)
This poorly acted comedy starred Scott Bakula as Paul Blake, a 30-something quarterback who was a prep star who missed his window because of a death in the family. It also features Sinbad as lineman Andre Krimm, who went to Texas State University as an all-state player, but decided he wanted more from his academics than was expected of the Armadillos. The action in the movie is lame, but there are two key factors that allow this flick to make the list. First, any movie that finds a way to get Kathy Ireland in short-shorts as the team kicker earns serious points. There is also an extremely cheesy scene when the Armadillos scrimmage a team of convicts, which features cameos by NFL players Jerry Rice, Roger Craig, Earl Campbell, Dick Butkus, Tony Dorsett, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly and Randy White. Kelly even has a line in which he says, "Let's get on Armadillos."

No. 4 -- We Are Marshall (2006)
If you listened to our podcast this week you heard Phil say how much he loved this movie until Matthew McConaughey appeared as Coach Jack Lengyl. His assessment is not too far off base. I saw this movie at the theater. I wanted to support the West Virginia-based movie and I was intrigued by the story of the Thundering Herd's return from the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 people, including most of the Marshall football team. However, McConaughey's portrayal of Lengyl was awkward at best. It was almost a caricature of Lengyl. The scenes of Marshall defeating Xavier University in the second game of the 1971 season had a level of suspense and were close to what really happened.

No. 3 -- The Waterboy (1998)
It's not easy to transition from the serious story of We Art Marshall to something as absurd as Adam Sandler's over-the-top, down-on-the-bayou portrayal of Bobby Boucher, but I'm going to. I admit it. When this movie first came out, my wife and I went to the local Regal Cinema and just howled at this movie (it was our a Sandler phase). Boucher is a socially inept waterboy for the ficitious University of Louisiana Cougars. He is picked on by the players and the team's coach, Red Beaulieu (who is played by the late Jerry Reed) doesn't want him around any more. Bobby takes his water skills to South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs under Coach Klein (who is played by Henry Winkler). After some of the Mud Dog players piss off Boucher, he shows a real knack for the game. Needless to say, he is convince to play and the Mud Dogs face the Cougars in a bowl game and win. I think I have this one on DVD. May have to watch it again this weekend.

No. 2 -- Everybody's All American (1988)
Dennis Quaid's first college football movie. However, in this one he's the star football player and not the aging coach. Quaid plays LSU's Gavin Grey, whose life and career fall part after an outstanding college career. It is believed to be a fictionalized biography of Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. However, author Frank Deford denies any connection.

No. 1 -- Rudy (1993)
I hate Notre Dame, but I have to admit I got sucked into this one and loved it. When the players carry Rudy Ruettiger off the field at the end I get all emotional and think this is what sports are all about. Then I realize half the movie is pure fiction and I'm pissed. You still have to be impressed that this half pint (Ruettiger was about 5-foot-6, 165 pounds) was tough enough to stick it out with the Irish when they were one of the nation's best programs. It's also the first time I saw Vince Vaughan in a movie, as prep star Jamie O'Hara who flames out in South Bend.

Honorable Mention

The Program (1993)
It’s like Blue Chips, the really bad basketball move with Shaq, but this one is about football. James Caan is the over-the-top, win-at-all-costs coach, who decides to confront his team’s demons. This one has about every college football stereotype you can think of and more.

Knute Rockne All American (1940)
I'm sure this one should or could rank higher. The fact that I have never seen it keeps it off my list. However, it is one of the first college football movies and stars Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, as The Gipper. Another Notre Dame movie. When do they do the Lou Holtz movie? Maybe Dan Devine?

The Junction Boys (2002)
This one probably doesn't really count because it wasn't in the theaters. This was an ESPN movie that looks at Bear Bryant’s first season at Texas A&M. It is interesting, but lacks the production value of a “real” Hollywood movie. Tom Berenger is the only real star, but his portrayal of Bryant is solid.