Legendary college football broadcaster Chris Fowler has had a front-row seat to some of the sport’s most iconic moments. So when he names his top college football game of all time, we should listen.
Fowler, currently working with ESPN, stopped by the Ryen Russillo Podcast and named Purdue‘s upset of Ohio State in 2018 as his most memorable broadcast. He cited Tyler Trent, a Boilermakers super-fan suffering from childhood cancer, as an inspiration for his pick.
“There’s one other game, Ryen, which was a regular season game which [the] hardcores will remember. It’s the Tyler Trent game at Purdue when Purdue upsets Ohio State. Buckeyes were a huge favorite. We were very dialed in on Tyler’s story. Both Kirk [Herbstreit] and I knew him, knew his family. Man, I get emotional thinking about it.”
Trent clearly touched Fowler, because the broadcaster didn’t stop there.
“[Trent] shows up there at the game somehow. He was extremely—he was suffering big time. But they got him into the car; they got him to the press box. And he had one wish, as he was fighting cancer. It was to see Purdue upset Ohio State—and for him to be there to see it. And it was just a magical night. Ohio State was much better, but Purdue couldn’t lose. Rondale Moore was making plays, there were a lot of great touchdown calls there. I get very emotional thinking about that game because cancer has touched so many of our lives, mine included.”
No. 19 Purdue did Trent proud that night, upsetting No. 4 Ohio State, 59-31, and dashing the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes.
