The 2014 American football season was a watershed year that brought massive structural changes to the college game and delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in Super Bowl history. From the dawn of the College Football Playoff era to unforgettable individual plays, it remains a heavily discussed year for fans and historians alike.
The NFL: A Season of Drama and Dynasties
The 2014 NFL season was marked by incredible on-field performances, alongside a league-wide reckoning with off-field conduct.
- Super Bowl XLIX: The season culminated in a clash of titans as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots. In a heart-stopping finish, Patriots rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line with 20 seconds remaining, securing a 28–24 victory and cementing the Patriots’ modern dynasty.
- The Catch: New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. shattered the internet with a gravity-defying, three-fingered one-handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, widely considered one of the greatest catches in NFL history.
- Off-Field Controversy: The league faced intense scrutiny regarding player conduct and its discipline policies. High-profile domestic violence and child abuse cases involving stars like Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson dominated headlines and prompted the NFL to institute a strict new personal conduct policy.
College Football: The Birth of the Playoff
In the collegiate ranks, 2014 represented the biggest format shift in decades. The controversial Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was officially replaced by the four-team College Football Playoff (CFP).
- The First CFP National Champions: The Ohio State Buckeyes, led by head coach Urban Meyer, secured the inaugural CFP National Championship. Despite losing their top two quarterbacks to injury earlier in the year, third-stringer Cardale Jones stepped in to lead the Buckeyes to consecutive upset victories over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Marcus Mariota‘s Oregon Ducks in the title game.
- Heisman Excellence: Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide after an incredibly efficient campaign, leading his team to a 13–2 record and an appearance in the National Championship game.
- A Shift in Power: The season signaled a temporary break in the SEC’s absolute stranglehold on college football titles, proving the new playoff model could reward late-season surges and highlight deeper conference parity.
The 2014 season was not just about the champions; it was filled with memorable milestones and shifting tides. Peyton Manning surpassed Brett Favre’s record for career passing touchdowns, reaching 509 on a pass to Demaryius Thomas. Meanwhile, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt put together one of the greatest defensive seasons in history, not only terrorizing quarterbacks with an 80-yard pick-six but also catching three offensive touchdowns as a tight end. In college, TCU and Baylor were famously left out of the inaugural four-team playoff despite dominant seasons, a controversial decision that fueled playoff expansion debates for years to come.
A Deep Dive into 2014 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 2014 – The 100th Rose Bowl game was very competitive and went right down to the end with Michigan State playing Stanford. The Cardinal trailed late but moved the ball to just outside the 20-yard line. Facing a 4th and 1 and trailing by four, Stanford Coach David Shaw called a timeout at the 1:28 mark. Coach Dantonio followed with another after seeing the Cardinal formation. The chess match paid off for the Spartans as the Stanford runner was stuffed short of the sticks, carrying Michigan State to a 24-20 victory. MSU’s Connor Cook (QB) and LB Kyler Elsworth were the game’s co-MVPs.
- January 4, 2014 – Quarterback Andrew Luck led the Indianapolis Colts on a 28-point comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC Wildcard game.
- January 6, 2014 – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California – The BCS National Championship was memorable. Top-ranked Florida State faced a tough test against #2 Auburn, according to ESPN.com. The game featured Heisman winner Jameis Winston, Kelvin Benjamin, and Devonta Freeman on the Seminoles’ offense. Auburn countered with Sammie Coates, Dee Ford, Carl Lawson, and CJ Uzomah. As often happens in great games, the outcome was decided in the final moments. With 13 seconds left, Winston threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin. This lifted FSU to a 34-31 win and the National Title!
- January 19, 2014 – Mile High Stadium, Denver- In the AFC Championship, the Denver Broncos knocked off the New England Patriots, 26-16, to advance to the Super Bowl.
- January 19, 2014: The Seattle Seahawks narrowly beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 to win the 2013 NFC Championship.
- January 26, 2014 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – The first year of the NFL’s attempt to bring a different angle to the stale NFL Pro Bowl had them not separate the stars by conference but take the vote winners and have two former stars, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders, choose the teams in a style much like you would do in gym class. Team Rice edged out Team Sanders, 22-21. The game’s MVPs were Nick Foles of Philadelphia and linebacker Derrick Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs.
- February 1, 2014 – Peyton Manning made history by winning his record fifth NFL MVP award. On the same night, Raiders legend Ray Guy became the first pure punter ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- February 2, 2014 – MetLife Stadium, New Jersey – Super Bowl XLVIII was a defensive masterpiece for the Seattle Seahawks, who crushed the Denver Broncos 43-8. The “Legion of Boom” harassed Peyton Manning all night, forcing two interceptions and a safety on the opening play. Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith was named MVP after returning an interception for a touchdown.
- March 17, 2014 – The “No-Fly Zone” solidified: The Denver Broncos officially signed Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib and safety T. J. Ward, foundational pieces of the “No-Fly Zone” defense that would eventually lead them to a Super Bowl 50 victory.
- May 8, 2014, South Carolina’s outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was the first pick by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. This is really a pretty amazing draft, so much so that we shared the top 16 picks, compliments of the Pro Football Reference website. Check out these names of NFL stars.
- June 5, 2014 – The Big Ten Conference officially announced that the Big Ten Football Championship Game would continue to be hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- June 13, 2014 – Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll passes away. As the architect of the 1970s Steelers dynasty, Noll led the franchise to four Super Bowl victories and remains one of the greatest minds in NFL history.
- November 9, 2014 — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws six touchdown passes to tie the team game record and match the NFL record for a half in a 55-14 rout of the Chicago Bears. Green Bay’s #12 tied the NFL mark for scoring passes in a half set by Oakland’s Daryle Lamonica in 1969. (source)
- November 15, 2014- Tuscaloosa, Alabama – A narrow escape for the Alabama Crimson Tide as they overcame a Mississippi State upset bid in a 25-20 victory in a game littered with future NFL stars.. A 2014 story from sbnation.com tells the tale of the game quite well. The Bulldogs looked overwhelmed entirely early. Scoring opened with a safety to put Alabama up 2-0, and Alabama would eventually open it up to 19-0 in the second quarter, with Blake Sims connecting with Amari Cooper for one score and Derrick Henry running the ball on the ground for a TD on the other.
- November 30, 2014 – BC Place, Vancouver – The Calgary Stampeders squeaked past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 for their 7th Championship in the 102nd playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup as cbc.ca covers the action.
- December 6, 2014 – #2 Florida State overcame a scare from #12 Georgia Tech, winning the ACC Championship Game 37-35.
- December 13, 2014 – The 80th Heisman Trophy was awarded to Marcus Mariota, quarterback for the University of Oregon. According to Heisman.com, Mariota became the first player of Polynesian descent, the first from Hawaii, and the first Oregon Duck to receive the award. The junior recorded 3,783 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also had 669 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns and caught one touchdown pass.
