Top College Football Upsets Of The Season

This college football season has been the closest thing we’ve had to 2007 (for those unfamiliar, it won’t take long, do some quick research). With conference races being turned upside down and top teams falling seemingly every week, what were this season’s biggest upsets?

10. Stanford 38, No. 19 Louisville 35

Louisville entered the week still a contender for the ACC. Their last game was a dominant win at then No. 11 Clemson, and they had a bye week after. Stanford on the other hand was on a six game losing streak, five of which were in conference play.

Louisville couldn’t stop Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels though, and a 52-yard field goal from Emmet Kenney as time expired gave Stanford the upset win.

9. Kansas 17, No. 6 BYU 14

BYU was one of the great stories of the year. They were projected to be toward the bottom of the Big 12 but were at the top at 9-0.

But they relied on turnovers in several games to win, and Kansas was playing their best football of the year after a slow start. In this game, the script was flipped, and Kansas won the turnover battle and the game.

8. Georgia Tech 28, No. 4 Miami 23

Miami had some close calls against Virginia Tech and Cal, but they scraped by and made it to 9-0 behind Heisman candidate quarterback Cam Ward.

Georgia Tech was tough on the line of scrimmage and had almost 10 minutes more possession. Although Miami outgained Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech out rushed them 271-88, and a late fumble sealed the deal, and Miami’s luck ran out.

7. Kennesaw State 27, Liberty 24

Kennesaw State is in their first year in the FCS after moving up this year. It got off to a rough start at 0-6. Liberty was 5-0 and coming off of a 12-0 regular season the year before. Liberty came into the game as a 25.5 point favorite.

Kennesaw State gave themselves a comfortable lead in the second half, and a late comeback effort from Liberty fell short giving Kennesaw State their first win as an FBS program.

6. Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3

Alabama had been bruised, but they weren’t out, and were still in prime position to make the playoff even after losing to both Tennessee schools. They were also two weeks removed from beating No. 15 LSU 42-13 in Death Valley. They were facing an Oklahoma team that was lethargic on offense and changed quarterbacks multiple times throughout the year.

Alabama’s inconsistencies showed again though, as Oklahoma’s defense shut down quarterback Jalen Milroe and forced multiple turnovers including a pick-six, holding Alabama to just three points.

5. Arkansas 19, No. 4 Tennessee 14

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football. So when Tennessee’s defense was as dominant as it was to start the year, they looked as dangerous as ever during Heupel’s tenure.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava wasn’t as explosive as many expected though, and the offense struggled to make big plays. After scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 1:17 left, Arkansas’s defense made one last stop to seal the victory.

4. Michigan 13, No. 2 Ohio State 10

It’s no secret that Ohio State spent $20 million to put this year’s roster together. They had multiple key players stay another year instead of going to the NFL including J.T. Tuimolouau, TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka. They also had some of the best players in the country as newcomers including transfers Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins, and true freshman Jeremiah Smith who was one of the best wide receivers in the country.

Michigan on the other hand struggled after returning only four starters and losing much of its coaching staff to the NFL. However, their control of the line of scrimmage and Ohio State’s reluctance to adapt was the perfect recipe for a Michigan upset, and a late field goal gave them a 13-10 lead which would hold.

3. Kentucky 20, No. 6 Ole Miss 17

This was the year for Ole Miss. They invested and went all in to acquire talent to make a push for a conference and perhaps national championship. Kentucky just a few weeks before got blown out at home 31-6 by South Carolina.

Kentucky had almost 40 minutes of possession, and Ole Miss struggled to finish drives offensively, including a fumble in the red zone. A missed 48-yard field goal with 48 seconds left was the nail in the coffin giving Mark Stoops his first road win against a top 10 team.

2. Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 34

Alabama was riding high after beating No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in the game of the year to that point. The victory bolstered them to the top ranked team in the country.

Enter Diego Pavia. He compiled over 300 total yards, and Vanderbilt had over 42 minutes of possession. Add two crucial turnovers, one of which was a pick-six, and the Commodores pulled off one of the biggest wins in program history.

1. Northern Illinois 16, No. 5 Notre Dame 14

After Notre Dame went to College Station and knocked off No. 20 Texas A&M in front of over 107,000 people, their path to the playoff seemed easy. Just one more tough game at the end of the year at USC, and even with a loss they could still be in at 11-1.

That lasted one week. Northern Illinois outgained the Fighting Irish by over 100 yards, and poor play from quarterback Riley Leonard, including two interceptions, left them vulnerable. After Northern Illinois took the lead with 35 seconds left, a last second prayer 62-yard field goal from Notre Dame was blocked, sealing the upset.

This comes as an even bigger shock given how good Notre Dame has been since. They won their last 10 games, which will certainly put them in the playoff, and won those games by an average margin of 30 points.

Jacob Rudy is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jar7371@psu.edu.