Embark on a journey through the annals of college football as we uncover the top 10 upsets in history, providing intriguing insights for bettors exploring the betting lines for College Football.
The buzz regarding the 2024-2025 College Football Season has already begun to build. With that in mind, we thought it was a suitable time to check out the top ten upsets, in our opinion, in college football history.
Keep reading for the most memorable ten college football games that ended badly for the favorites.
Top 10 Upsets in College Football History | MyBookie Football Preview for the Fight for the Championship
2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season | 155th season of college football in the United States
Season: August 24th, 2024 – January 20th, 2025
Top 10 Upsets in College Football History
Ohio State Beats Miami in 2003 | Fiesta Bowl
The 2002 Buckeyes were an awful 7-5. But in 2003, Ohio State went undefeated. Still, the Buckeyes faced Ken Dorsey and mighty Miami in the National Championship game. OSU beat the Hurricanes 31-24 in a two overtime National Championship classic.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Miami Hurricanes
Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on January 3, 2003
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Notre Dame | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Navy Over Notre Dame in 2007
Since 1927, the first Notre Dame versus Navy game, the Midshipmen were a horrendous 12-71-1. On November 3, 2007, the Irish fell to Navy after triple overtime in a 46-44 game.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Miami Hurricanes
Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana on January 3, 2003
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 46 |
| Notre Dame | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 44 |
Temple Beats Virginia Tech in 1998
VA Tech was a 28 points favorite heading into their 1998 showdown versus winless Temple. All Temple did was play a perfect game to shock the fifth ranked team in the nation 28-24.
Temple Owls vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia on October 17, 1998
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Virginia Tech | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Carnegie Tech Takes Down Mighty Notre Dame in 1926
Knute Rockne thought the Irish were such a lock that he watched the Army versus Navy game in Chicago before coaching and playing in this one. Carnegie Tech upset Rockne’s Irish 19-0, ending Notre Dame’s title dreams.
Carnegie Tech vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Carnegie Mellon University on September 11, 2010
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Tech | 19 | ||||
| Notre Dame | 0 |
VA Tech Falls to James Madison in 2010
Anytime a squad like James Madison beats a Power 5 Conference team, we must take notice. In this case, the massive underdog caught Virginia Tech bouncing after a tough loss to Kellen Moore and Boise State. Madison bested VA Tech 21-16.
James Madison Dukes vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia on September 11, 2010
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Madison | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Virginia Tech | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
Oregon State Blows Up Washington’s National Championship Dreams in 1985
Heading into the annual Pac matchup, the Huskies were an amazing -37 chalk. Oregon State had no shot according to oddsmakers and sports bettors. But the Beavers stood tall in an incredible 21-20 victory.
Oregon State Beavers vs Washington Huskies
Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington on October 19, 1985
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Washington | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
Stanford Upsets USC in 2007
The number one ranked Trojans were as good as it gets. But versus Stanford, things didn’t work out well. The Cardinal was down to backup quarterback Tavita Prichard and it didn’t matter. Pritchard led Cardinal to a 34-23 victory.
Stanford Cardinal vs USC Trojans
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on October 6, 2007
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| USC | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
Centre College Beats Harvard in 1921
Back in 2021, Harvard was one of the top teams in the country. Maybe, the best. Who was Centre College? Nobody really knew. But Harvard couldn’t get by Centre College’s defense in a 6-0 upset loss.
Centre Praying Colonels vs Harvard Crimson
Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts on October 29, 1921
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre Praying | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Harvard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cal Beats Stanford in 1982 | “The Play”
Cal was down 20-19. Stanford fans thought the game for sure was over. So as Cal produced lateral after lateral, and the refs didn’t throw a flag, Stanford’s band began to go out onto the field. The Golden Bears weaved through the band and made it all the way to the end zone for an improbable, some say the most improbable, college football touchdown in history to beat the Cardinal.
Stanford Cardinal vs California Golden Bears
California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California on November 20, 1982
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
| California | 0 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 25 |
Appalachian State over Michigan in 2007
Michigan wanted a nice blowout victory on the resume. Yep. That didn’t work out so well. The game happened in Ann Arbor in front of their fans, which made App State’s improbable 34-32 upset victory even more amazing.
Appalachian State Mountaineers Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on September 1, 2007
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | 7 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| Michigan | 14 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 32 |
MyBookie offers the current College Football betting lines for the season to win.
Who Will Reign Supreme? 2024 College Football National Championship Odds Revealed!
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +260 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +360 |
| Oregon Ducks | +410 |
| Texas Longhorns | +450 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +1425 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | +1650 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +2200 |
| Miami (FL) Hurricanes | +2900 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +4000 |
| SMU Mustangs | +4000 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | +4900 |
| Clemson Tigers | +5200 |
| Arizona State Sun Devils | +8000 |
| Ole Miss Rebels | +11000 |
| Boise State Broncos | +14000 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | +15000 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +15000 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +19000 |
| Colorado Buffaloes | +19000 |
| Tulane Green Waves | +20000 |
| BYU Cougars | +22000 |
| Army Black Knights | +75000 |
| Kansas State Wildcats | +75000 |
| UNLV Rebels | +95000 |
| Washington State Cougars | +100000 |
| Rest of the Field | +100000 or higher |
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