How Does College Football Overtime Work?

Within the college football betting section at the BetMGM online sportsbook, there are wagers available for whether a game will go into overtime or not.

But how does that period work in college football?

Below, I’ll discuss how it works, examine the longest overtime games, and more. 

How Does College Football Overtime Work?

If the two teams in a college football game are tied at the end of regulation, the game will go into what is known as overtime. 

After a coin toss to determine who will be on defence and offence to start, each team gets one possession from their opponent’s 25-yard line. 

If at the end of the first overtime, which includes both teams having a chance to score, a team is leading, the game promptly ends, and that team is declared the winner. 

However, if the game remains tied, it goes to a second overtime, and the same rules apply. 

If the teams remain tied after a second overtime, the teams will alternate 2-point conversion attempts. 

There’s no game clock in college football overtime games. The only clock there is the play clock. 

What’s the Longest OT in College Football History?

The longest overtime in college football history occurred in 2021 in a game between Illinois and Penn State. 

There were nine overtimes, and Illinois won 20-18. 

The game was tied 10-10 at the end of regulation. Each team kicked field goals in the first two overtime periods. 

From there, the teams were scoreless from the third to the eighth overtime. 

In the eighth overtime, they each had a 2-point conversion. 

Then, in the ninth overtime, Illinois had a 2-point conversion, but Penn State was unsuccessful. 

Can You Win Overtime With a Field Goal in College Football?

Yes. If a team kicks a field goal in either the first or second overtime and the other team fails to match or outscore them, that team will win the game. 

For example, say a game is tied 20-20 at the end of regulation. 

In the first overtime, the first team to get the ball fails to score.

Then, the second team gets the ball and kicks a field goal. 

If that happens, the second team that had possession would win the game. 

List of Longest College Football Overtimes