In 2003, Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick) is the head football coach at Shiloh Christian Academy, and has yet to post a winning record in his six-year tenure. After his seventh season begins with a three-game losing streak, the players' fathers begin to agitate for his firing. This is not the only problem Grant is facing; his home has a leaking roof, his appliances are breaking down, and his car is an unreliable embarrassment. Then, crushingly, he learns that he is the reason that his wife Brooke cannot become pregnant.
Suffering intense emotional turmoil, Grant stays up all night praying and studying scripture. Finally he is inspired by his old football coach to create a new coaching philosophy and decides to praise God regardless of on-field results. At the same time he influences his players to give far greater effort and tells them that they can win under God's guidance. The improved attitudes of his players influence the rest of the school. From that point on, the Eagles win all their remaining regular season games and qualify for the state playoffs.
A team father, grateful to Grant for his son's improved attitude and their healed relationship, anonymously gifts a pickup truck to Grant. Then in a shocking turnaround the school gives Grant a substantial raise in salary instead of firing him.
The Eagles lose their playoff opener, but are declared the winner because the opponent used ineligible players. The Eagles then advance all the way to the state championship game against the three-time defending champion Richland Giants.
The Giants start off strong, quickly putting 14 points on the board, but afterward, the Eagles tighten down their defenses, placing pressure on the Giants, and manage to score off of an interception as the first half ends. Realizing they cannot overpower and outrun their opponent, Grant decided to add a few trick plays to their arsenal. As the 2nd half starts, their first trick play works and they manage to tie the game, but the Giants deliberately injure their kicker, forcing backup kicker David Childers to take the spot. The Giants tack on another touchdown and a field goal before the Eagles manage to score another touchdown, and David's kick just makes it over the bar, bringing the Eagles to within 2.
As the clock winds down, the Giants come to within one yard of sealing the game with a touchdown. Defensive lineman Brock Kelley is exhausted and begs for someone else to lead, but is encouraged by Grant to give him 4 more downs. Brock agrees, and the Eagles manage to get a sack, a stop, and a pass block, taking it to 4th down. Richland head coach Bobby Lee Duke, insisting on a touchdown to put the game away, calls for the Giants to go for it. However, Brock causes a fumble, and the Eagles are able to take it to the 34-yard line with 2 seconds to go.
Grant, realizing again that they cannot outrun or overpower the Giants, decides to take a huge gamble, and asks for a 51-yard field goal from David, who insists that he can't kick that far. He goes out there anyway, and despite his assistant coach's warning that the kick won't go far, Duke decides to call his timeout to ice the kicker. After a rousing speech from Grant, and seeing his father Larry Childers, who is wheelchair bound, stand beyond the fence and holding his arms up, David begs for God to help him with the kick. Seemingly in response, the wind suddenly turns favorable, and Grant tells them to kick it. David makes the kick, which manages to make it just far enough for the field goal to be good, allowing the Eagles to stun the Giants and win the game.
After the game, Grant tells his players that they are not inferior or lacking in ability, and that nothing is impossible with God. Later that night, Brooke reveals that she's finally pregnant, causing Grant to break down in tears of joy. Two years later, it is revealed that they have a young baby, that another one is on the way, and that the Eagles have won a second state title.
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