By Darin The stage was perfectly set on December 5, 1998, for the No. 2 Kansas State Wildcats. With the stunning Miami upset over No. 3 UCLA earlier in the day (as detailed in the accompanying post about the 1998 season chaos), K-State had a clear, unobstructed path to the inaugural BCS National Championship Game. All they had to do was defeat the No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies in the Big 12 Championship. What unfolded instead was a colossal, heart-stopping collapse that immediately became part of college football lore.
The Wildcats appeared to have the title—and the national championship bid—well in hand, cruising to a comfortable 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Aggies, fueled by desperation, mounted a furious, late-game rally to erase the deficit and tie the score, shocking the heavily favored K-State team.
The drama peaked in the final seconds of regulation when Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop unleashed a spectacular 55-yard Hail Mary pass that found Everett Burnett at the A&M 2-yard line, just inches shy of winning the championship. The play fell short, forcing the game into overtime.
The teams exchanged blows in the first extra period, but the second overtime belonged to Texas A&M. On a pivotal play, Aggies running back Sirr Parker took a handoff and broke through the defense, racing 32 yards for the game-winning touchdown. The final score, 36-33, sent the Aggies into pandemonium and left the stunned Wildcats to contemplate the single most devastating loss in program history.
This dramatic double-overtime victory sealed the Big 12 title for Texas A&M and, more significantly, ensured that the 1998 BCS National Championship race would remain a chaotic mess, proving just how much conference championship games matter.
Article from Dec 6, 1998 The Houston Chronicle (Houston, Texas)
