Phil C
09-23-2006, 09:13 PM
I am now able to post the list they had. Feel free after you read them to comment or add to the list and as they say afterward Let the Debate Begin!!
I will list them from the top down to No. 1 with a few comments on them.
Some Honorable mentions that didn't make the list was when UTEP who had lost 15 straight beat BYU who was ranked No. 5, and the Texas over USC in the Rose Bowl in 2006 and Penn State over Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl for the NC (National Championship).
20. The 1971 Rose Bowl Stanford 27 Ohio State 17. Ohio State had lost one game in three years and was considered one of the greatest team of all time. Ohio State was favored by 11 points.
To me Bowl Games should not be on this list because when you play a bowl game you have two teams that usually belong there and both teams are good and capable.
19. On 11-19-85 Oregon State after 14 losing seasons beat Washington 21 to 20 on a blocked punt in the last few minutes. Oregon State was to have 14 more losing seasons after this game so it wasn't a turnaround for them. Washington was favored by 37 points! I have no problem with this game on the list because you have a team that apparently doesn't have a chance at all pulling out the win.
18. 11-17-62 Alabama had Joe Namath and a big winning steak and had been NC the year before and probably would have won it this year. But Georga Tech upset them 7 to 6 in a big surprise. Georgia Tech was 5-2 going into the game but no one gave them a chance against Alabama. Alabama went for two points after the td to try to win and just missed it. Remember no OT back then.
17. 11-27-86 California 17 Stanford 11. California was 11 point underdogs but pulled out the win. California was 1 - 9 while Stanford was 7-2 when they met.
16. 1966 Rose Bowl Michigan State was #1 and was upset by UCLA 14 to 12. I don't think this one belongs on the list because of what I have said about Bowl Games. UCLA was No. 5 in the country. Michigan State had won a tough game over UCLA during the season 13 to 3 which shows me that UCLA was capable.
15. 2003 Big 12 Championship
Oklahoma was 12 - 0 and 12 point favorites but Kansas State whipped them 35 to 7. Because of the one sided score I can't argue with this one.
14. In 1913 Notre Dame met Army and was a heavy underdog. This was before ND started it's rise to a football power. But ND pulled out the win 35 to 13 by use of the forward pass. The forward pass was started in 1906 but was not used yet. This game started it in football where it has been significant ever since
13. 11-24-47 Columbia upset Army 21 to 20. Columbia was a 13 point underdog and Army had not lost in 32 straight games (well there was a tie with ND in 1946) and won two NCs.
12. 11-28-64 USC 20 Notre Dame 17. ND was perfect and looked like it was going to win the NC plus ND was favored by 12. They were ahead 17 to 0 at halftime but USC game back to win it in the second half. This was the big upset of 1964 and I have no problem with this one on the list. USC didn't have one of their best teams this year.
11. On 11-20-93 Boston College costs Notre Dame a NC as they kicked a filed goal in last seconds to beat ND 41 to 39. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 and favored to win by 14 points.
10. 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Miami lost to Ohio State for the NC 31 to 24. I don't think this was a great upset even though Miami had a win streak and were ranked No. 1. It was a bowl game but after all Ohio State was ranked No. 5 and capable. An upset maybe but not a top twenty upset.
9. 1996 Big 12 Championship costs Nebraska a shot at the NC as Texas pulls off the upset 37 to 27. Nebraska had won the NC for two straight years before and favored by 19 points and even though they had lost earlier in the year they had a shot for the NC but this game stopped them.
8. 11-27-69 Michigan 24 Ohio State 12. This one cost Ohio State the NC that year. Ohio staright was #1 and was favored by 17 points. ABC called it the upset of the century. It could be right because this set up the great Texas vs Arkansas shootout later in the year. The only thing is people overlooked that Michigan had a good team that year and were 7 - 2.
7. 11-12-42 Holy Cross upset Boston College 55 to 12. Boston College had a perfect record and was ranked No. 1 and would have gone to the Rose Bowl if they had won this game. Holy Cross ended up at 5-4-1 for the year. Boston college was a heavy favorite and had only allowed 19 points all year. This one I have mentioned before and deserves to be on the list.
6. 10-18-98 Temple 28 Virginia Tech 24 A shocker. Temple had lost 72 of its' last 83 games. VT had allowed only 6 points per game before while temple was 0-6 and allowed an average of 40 points per game and were 35 point underdogs. Temple did not have success after this game so this inclusion can't be argued with.
5. 1984 Orange Bowl Nebraska was No. 1 and could have won the NC with a tie but they wanted to choose the honorable way and go for the win on a two point conversion against Miami. Remember no OT in college football back then. Nebraka failed and Miami wins 31 to 30.
4. 11-27-26 Carnagie Tech 19 Notre Dame 0. Notre Dame was 8 - 0 and had allowed only one td all year. ND Coach Knute Rockne was so confident that he went to the Army vs Navy game. ESPN said it was probably good that they didn't have sports talk shows on radios then. They would have had a field day on this one.
3. 11-29-21 Centre College in Kentucky upsets Harvard 6 to 0. This is a good one because Harvard had good teams back in those times. Harvard had been unbeated in 25 games but a college with an enrollment of 254 pulled off the upset. I can't argue with this.
2. 11-16-57 I can't argue with this one either as Notre Dame stops Oklahoma's 47 game winning streak and wins 7 to 0. Oklahoma had won 47 straight games and 2 NCs and looked like they were going to get another. Notre Dame had had great teams but in the 1950s they didn't have the great teams that they had in the past or would in the future. This game is reported to have started the Sports Illustrated cover jinx because the week before the game they had pictures of the Oklahoma players and had an article on why Oklahoma was unbeatable. No argument on this one on the list except maybe the placement.
And NOW THE NO. 1 UPSET IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACCORDING TO ESPNU!!
12-2-50 Navy beats Army 14 to 2. Army had a perfect record that year and had only lost 3 games since 1944. Army was favored by 21 points over Navy which had struggled through a 2-6 record so far. But Navy pulled a big upset and this one certainly belongs on the list.
The only thing about that game is that I saw a TV movie made about the scandle that hit Army right after that game when it was brought out that several cadets including some of the top Army players were caught cheating on exams. It wasn't brought out till after this game but there was some behind the scenes investigating. I wonder if the Army players knew about the investigation and this was a distraction. It would be interesting to have some of the players tell if it was a distraction.
Anyway there is the list. Let the debates begin. I would have hated to put them in order even though I have my ideas of great upsets some of which would not be on this list.
I will list them from the top down to No. 1 with a few comments on them.
Some Honorable mentions that didn't make the list was when UTEP who had lost 15 straight beat BYU who was ranked No. 5, and the Texas over USC in the Rose Bowl in 2006 and Penn State over Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl for the NC (National Championship).
20. The 1971 Rose Bowl Stanford 27 Ohio State 17. Ohio State had lost one game in three years and was considered one of the greatest team of all time. Ohio State was favored by 11 points.
To me Bowl Games should not be on this list because when you play a bowl game you have two teams that usually belong there and both teams are good and capable.
19. On 11-19-85 Oregon State after 14 losing seasons beat Washington 21 to 20 on a blocked punt in the last few minutes. Oregon State was to have 14 more losing seasons after this game so it wasn't a turnaround for them. Washington was favored by 37 points! I have no problem with this game on the list because you have a team that apparently doesn't have a chance at all pulling out the win.
18. 11-17-62 Alabama had Joe Namath and a big winning steak and had been NC the year before and probably would have won it this year. But Georga Tech upset them 7 to 6 in a big surprise. Georgia Tech was 5-2 going into the game but no one gave them a chance against Alabama. Alabama went for two points after the td to try to win and just missed it. Remember no OT back then.
17. 11-27-86 California 17 Stanford 11. California was 11 point underdogs but pulled out the win. California was 1 - 9 while Stanford was 7-2 when they met.
16. 1966 Rose Bowl Michigan State was #1 and was upset by UCLA 14 to 12. I don't think this one belongs on the list because of what I have said about Bowl Games. UCLA was No. 5 in the country. Michigan State had won a tough game over UCLA during the season 13 to 3 which shows me that UCLA was capable.
15. 2003 Big 12 Championship
Oklahoma was 12 - 0 and 12 point favorites but Kansas State whipped them 35 to 7. Because of the one sided score I can't argue with this one.
14. In 1913 Notre Dame met Army and was a heavy underdog. This was before ND started it's rise to a football power. But ND pulled out the win 35 to 13 by use of the forward pass. The forward pass was started in 1906 but was not used yet. This game started it in football where it has been significant ever since
13. 11-24-47 Columbia upset Army 21 to 20. Columbia was a 13 point underdog and Army had not lost in 32 straight games (well there was a tie with ND in 1946) and won two NCs.
12. 11-28-64 USC 20 Notre Dame 17. ND was perfect and looked like it was going to win the NC plus ND was favored by 12. They were ahead 17 to 0 at halftime but USC game back to win it in the second half. This was the big upset of 1964 and I have no problem with this one on the list. USC didn't have one of their best teams this year.
11. On 11-20-93 Boston College costs Notre Dame a NC as they kicked a filed goal in last seconds to beat ND 41 to 39. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 and favored to win by 14 points.
10. 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Miami lost to Ohio State for the NC 31 to 24. I don't think this was a great upset even though Miami had a win streak and were ranked No. 1. It was a bowl game but after all Ohio State was ranked No. 5 and capable. An upset maybe but not a top twenty upset.
9. 1996 Big 12 Championship costs Nebraska a shot at the NC as Texas pulls off the upset 37 to 27. Nebraska had won the NC for two straight years before and favored by 19 points and even though they had lost earlier in the year they had a shot for the NC but this game stopped them.
8. 11-27-69 Michigan 24 Ohio State 12. This one cost Ohio State the NC that year. Ohio staright was #1 and was favored by 17 points. ABC called it the upset of the century. It could be right because this set up the great Texas vs Arkansas shootout later in the year. The only thing is people overlooked that Michigan had a good team that year and were 7 - 2.
7. 11-12-42 Holy Cross upset Boston College 55 to 12. Boston College had a perfect record and was ranked No. 1 and would have gone to the Rose Bowl if they had won this game. Holy Cross ended up at 5-4-1 for the year. Boston college was a heavy favorite and had only allowed 19 points all year. This one I have mentioned before and deserves to be on the list.
6. 10-18-98 Temple 28 Virginia Tech 24 A shocker. Temple had lost 72 of its' last 83 games. VT had allowed only 6 points per game before while temple was 0-6 and allowed an average of 40 points per game and were 35 point underdogs. Temple did not have success after this game so this inclusion can't be argued with.
5. 1984 Orange Bowl Nebraska was No. 1 and could have won the NC with a tie but they wanted to choose the honorable way and go for the win on a two point conversion against Miami. Remember no OT in college football back then. Nebraka failed and Miami wins 31 to 30.
4. 11-27-26 Carnagie Tech 19 Notre Dame 0. Notre Dame was 8 - 0 and had allowed only one td all year. ND Coach Knute Rockne was so confident that he went to the Army vs Navy game. ESPN said it was probably good that they didn't have sports talk shows on radios then. They would have had a field day on this one.
3. 11-29-21 Centre College in Kentucky upsets Harvard 6 to 0. This is a good one because Harvard had good teams back in those times. Harvard had been unbeated in 25 games but a college with an enrollment of 254 pulled off the upset. I can't argue with this.
2. 11-16-57 I can't argue with this one either as Notre Dame stops Oklahoma's 47 game winning streak and wins 7 to 0. Oklahoma had won 47 straight games and 2 NCs and looked like they were going to get another. Notre Dame had had great teams but in the 1950s they didn't have the great teams that they had in the past or would in the future. This game is reported to have started the Sports Illustrated cover jinx because the week before the game they had pictures of the Oklahoma players and had an article on why Oklahoma was unbeatable. No argument on this one on the list except maybe the placement.
And NOW THE NO. 1 UPSET IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACCORDING TO ESPNU!!
12-2-50 Navy beats Army 14 to 2. Army had a perfect record that year and had only lost 3 games since 1944. Army was favored by 21 points over Navy which had struggled through a 2-6 record so far. But Navy pulled a big upset and this one certainly belongs on the list.
The only thing about that game is that I saw a TV movie made about the scandle that hit Army right after that game when it was brought out that several cadets including some of the top Army players were caught cheating on exams. It wasn't brought out till after this game but there was some behind the scenes investigating. I wonder if the Army players knew about the investigation and this was a distraction. It would be interesting to have some of the players tell if it was a distraction.
Anyway there is the list. Let the debates begin. I would have hated to put them in order even though I have my ideas of great upsets some of which would not be on this list.