College Football's Biggest Upsets: History, Impact, and Defining Moments

From 41-point underdogs to record-breaking comebacks, to snapping longest-ever winning streaks, the most monumental upsets in college football are some of the most exciting and impactful games in the sport's history. Whether it’s a small program taking down a national giant or a midseason shocker that derails a title contender, these games leave an indelible mark on the sport.

As sports gambling continues to become more popular with legal markets coming to the United States, the average fan is being more prevalently exposed to betting lines in the leadup to big games. Television networks are pushing the topic to viewers. College football is a sport used heavily in marketing sports betting. As gambling gains more traction, fans are becoming more familiar with the terminology. That line tells fans which side is the favorite, and by how much.

With a wealth of upsets to choose from, selection criteria focused on playoff implications, point spreads, and overall significance to compile the top upsets.

Defining Upsets in College Football History

Howard vs. UNLV (2017)

Final score: 43-40, Howard

UNLV was so favored in this 2017 matchup that Las Vegas didn’t even bother having a point spread for it. Some other betting agencies, however, listed UNLV as a 45-point favorite over Howard. Howard received $600,000 to play UNLV, a part of college football’s typical “guarantee games,” when a small school receives money from a big school to travel to its stadium and nearly guarantees a win for the home team. But Howard ended up spoiling the presumed beatdown, thanks to 330 total offensive yards and three touchdowns from Caylin Newton (Cam Newton’s younger brother) that helped the Bison hang on to a stunning 43-40 victory over their FBS opponent. The largest upset in terms of point spread in college football history is Howard’s 43-40 victory over UNLV in 2017.

Stanford vs. USC (2007)

Final score: 24-23, Stanford

Heading into the game, Stanford was a 41-point underdog against USC and redshirt sophomore Tavita Pritchard was set to make his first career start for the Cardinal. The second-ranked Trojans entered the matchup riding a 35-game home winning streak, while Stanford held a 1-3 record and hadn’t had a winning season in seven years. The table was set for USC to absolutely dominate, but 12 years later, we now remember the game as one of the biggest upsets in college football history. In Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach, Stanford’s five forced turnovers and a blocked extra point helped keep the game close, but it was Pritchard 10-yard touchdown on fourth down with 49 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal for the Cardinal win. USC was favored by 38.5 points over Stanford in 2007. The Cardinal scored 10 points in the final five minutes to pull out the win.

Appalachian State vs. Michigan (2007)

Final score: 34-32, Appalachian State

Michigan paid Appalachian State $400,000 to come to Ann Arbor and play in the season opener against the Wolverines. The Appalachian State Mountaineers had won two straight FCS National Championships and were a powerhouse FCS program, but a matchup against a No. 5-ranked FBS program seemed like an easy win for the Wolverines. Appalachian State's stunning win against No. 5 Michigan meant the Wolverines dropped out of the next AP Poll - the first time a program dropped from the top 5 to out of the poll because of one game. This result also led to the "Appalachian State rule," meaning AP poll voters were now allowed to rank FCS teams.

Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma (1957)

Final score: 7-0, Notre Dame

Who owns the longest winning streak in the history college football? That would be the Oklahoma Sooners from 1953-1957, a team that held a 47-game winning streak and seemed unbeatable after back-to-back national titles-so much so that Sports Illustrated featured the Sooners’ halfback on the cover with the headline: "Why Oklahoma Is Unbeatable." When unranked Notre Dame arrived to Norman to face No. 2 Oklahoma, the Sooners were 19-point favorites. The game was a back-and-forth defensive battle-neither team scored unil the Fighting Irish completed a 20-play, 80-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to seal a 7-0 shutout and upset victory over Oklahoma, making the Sooners’ first shutout loss in 123 games.

James Madison vs. Virginia Tech (2010)

Final score: 21-16, James Madison

Virginia Tech entered the 2010 season ranked No. 10 in the country and was the favorite to win the ACC. The Hokies had already loss their opening game of the season against third-ranked Boise State, but the next game against FCS team James Madison seemed like a good way to rebound. JMU was a huge underdog against a powerhouse like Virginia Tech-in their previous two meetings, JMU was outscored by a combined score of 90-0-but the Dukes kept the game close and quarterback Drew Dudzik Dudzik’s 12-yard touchdown run sealed the 21-16 victory. Dudzik called it the “biggest win in school history,” but the loss didn’t destroy Virginia Tech’s season-they strung together 11 straight wins and ended the season ranked 15th in the nation. Virginia Tech, ranked No. 10 entering the 2010 season, was a 33-point favorite against FCS opponent James Madison. The Dukes had been outscored 90-0 in their previous meetings with Virginia Tech, but this time was different. JMU kept the game within reach, and QB Drew Dudzik’s 12-yard TD run locked up a shocking 21-16 victory.

Temple vs. Virginia Tech (1998)

Final score: 28-24, Temple

Heading into the Oct. 1998 game against undefeated and No. 14-ranked Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., Temple was 0-26 in Big East road games and just 1-6 overall. Virginia Tech jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first and the Hokies basically thought the game was over, especially against a Temple team that had 10 players, including freshman quarterback Devin Scott, making their first career starts for the Owls. Against the Hokies fourth-best defense, Temple rallied behind Scott’s 155 yards and two touchdowns to secure a stunning come-from-behind road win over Virginia Tech. It was Temple’s first victory over a ranked team since Sept. 19, 1987, and coach Bobby Wallace said he had “never seen a more injured, beat up football team,” making the victory even more impressive. In Oct. 1998, Temple entered Blacksburg, Va., to face undefeated No. 14 Virginia Tech as massive underdogs. The Hokies, led by the Mike Vick, quickly jumped to a 17-0 lead, leading people to assume the game was already in the bag with the Owls featuring 10 first-time starters, including freshman QB Devin Scott. The Owls erased a 17-0 deficit to pick up their first win over a ranked foe in more than a decade.

Read also: Overview of College Rivalries

Butler vs. Youngstown State (2018)

Final score: 23-21, Butler

The FCS division of college football goes largely under the radar, especially when compared to its FBS counterpart. That’s why most people have never heard of one of the greatest upsets in recent college football memory: Butler University over Youngstown State University in the opener of the 2018 season. Youngstown State came into the season with high expectations, entering the game ranked No. 24, while Butler was coming off a mediocre 6-5 season in 2017. Youngstown State wasn’t only a ranked team, but they had much more talent-on paper at least, with 63 athletes on a football scholarship. Butler had zero. Down 21-7 with just over nine minutes to play, the Bulldogs managed to score twice and Butler coach Jeff Voris elected to go for the two-point conversion to take the lead-but it missed. Butler trailed 21-20 with 1:20 left in the fourth quarter and after the missed conversion, the only option was an onside kick. Lo and behold, the Bulldogs recovered the kick, marched into field goal territory, and Drew Bevelhimer knocked in a 44-yard field goal with only four seconds remaining to complete the shocking upset win over Youngstown State.

Oregon State vs. Washington (1985)

Final score: 21-20, Oregon StateThe University of Washington ended the 1984 season ranked No. 2 in the nation and headed into its opening game of the ’85 season with confidence, as its opponent Oregon State had lost by a 97-0 margin in its last two games. The Beavers were 38-point underdogs against UW and their starting quarterback and leading receiver were both out of the game with injuries. But with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter, Oregon State intercepted the Huskies four times, and blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone to take the lead and eventually win the game.

Navy vs. Notre Dame (2007)

Final score: 46-44, Navy

On a Saturday in November 2007, one of college football’s longest losing streaks in NCAA history was finally broken after 43 years when Navy and Notre Dame met for their annual game in Notre Dame’s home stadium. Typically a historical powerhouse in college football, Notre Dame had lost its first five games and came into the game against the Midshipmen with a 1-7 record. While Navy, on the other hand, was off to a decent start at 4-4. The game itself was a great one. Navy collected a fumble at Notre Dame’s 16-yard line and ran it in for a touchdown to take a late 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter-but Notre Dame responded with a touchdown to tie the game. After three overtime periods, Navy finally came out on top, 46-44, marking the first time in 43 years that the Midshipmen owned the longest-running non-conference rivalry in college football.

Carnegie Tech vs. Notre Dame (1926)

Final score: 19-0, Carnegie Tech

Going into Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field to face Carnegie Tech on a cold and snowy November day in 1926, Notre Dame hadn’t allowed a single point in eight games. And head coach Knute Rockne was so confident that his Fighting Irish would win handily and easily that he didn’t bother showing up to the game-he trusted his assistant coaches to get the job done. After a scoreless first quarter, Carnegie Tech ran for two touchdowns for a 13-0 halftime lead, and ultimately sealed the deal with a fourth-quarter goal-line stand. Carnegie Tech had lost to Notre Dame each of the last four seasons by a combined score of 111-19, making 19-0 shutout victory all the sweeter for the Tartans.

Notable FCS vs. FBS Upsets

There's a rich history of FCS (and I-AA) schools upsetting FBS or I-A teams. Since NCAA Division I football was divided into I-A and I-AA for the 1978 season, there have been some monumental upsets.

Along with all these games, six FCS/I-AA classified teams have upset ranked FBS/I-A teams: Cincinnati surprised No. 20 Penn State in 1983, Appalachian State beat No. 5 Michigan in 2007, James Madison defeated No. 13 Virginia Tech in 2010, Eastern Washington knocked off No. 25 Oregon State in 2013, North Dakota State shocked No. 13 Iowa in 2016 and Montana beat No. 20 Washington in 2021.

After beating AP No. 13 Iowa, North Dakota State received 74 votes in the AP Poll, barely missing out on a top 25 ranking. The Bison ranked 27th that week. The 74 votes are the most earned by an FCS program in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Cincinnati was temporarily classified as a I-AA team, upsetting defending national champion Penn State. This is technically the first time a I-AA/FCS program upset a ranked I-A/FBS team.

Iowa's Own Upset History

While discussions of college football upsets often highlight national games, it's worth considering some of the most surprising victories (or ties) in Iowa football history.

1981: Iowa vs. Nebraska: The 10-7 Iowa win over Nebraska in the 1981 season-opener was huge, announcing to the world the things would never be the same again coming into Iowa City.

Recent Potential Upsets

Several games in recent years could be considered upsets, depending on preseason expectations and team rankings. Some examples include:

2024: Vanderbilt vs. Alabama: The No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide headed into Nashville with a massive head of steam. Fresh off defeating No. 2 Georgia just a week prior, the Crimson Tide had just risen to the throne in the AP Poll. The win snapped a 23-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide for the Commodores, who were led by QB Diego Pavia and head coach Clark Lea. Despite the Tide’s best efforts, Vandy was able to bleed the clock with their commanding rushing attack - led by Pavia - ultimately sealing the deal.
2024: Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame: When Group of Five teams make the trek to face Power Four schools - or, in this case, Notre Dame - there’s usually a significant financial incentive. While that number grabs attention, the significance of the upset is even more remarkable. At kickoff, the Fighting Irish were such heavy favorites that the spread soared to -28 in their favor, marking one of the largest lines for any FBS vs. Yet, Northern Illinois was unfazed, earning its first non-conference victory against a ranked opponent since 2003 (19-16 vs. Maryland).
2012: Baylor vs. Kansas State: Just a week after the Wildcats ascended to the No. 1 spot in the BCS standings, Baylor rocked the national picture. The 52-24 victory was Baylor’s first win over a top-ranked opponent since outlasting No. 2 Tennessee in 1957.
Liberty vs. Baylor: In their FBS debut, Liberty shocked the college football world with a stunning Week 1 road win over Baylor as 34-point dogs. The Bears battled back late, cutting the lead to 48-45 with five minutes left, and even had a chance to steal the game.
Houston vs. Oklahoma:
Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State:
Pitt vs. Clemson:
Syracuse vs. Virginia Tech:

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