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Upsets hold a special place in the hearts of college football fans all over the country - aside from the team that got beat. If there is one criticism of the NCAA, it's that there are too many blowout victories by ranked teams scheduling games they know they will win. Some such unheralded outfits come from far corners of the Land of the Free that you didn't even know existed. Sometime, they're right in your own backyard, or even your own conference, However, on rare occasions, those teams can pull off the miracle.
One particularly notable one happened on October 5th when Nashville's lowly Vanderbilt managed to spring one of the greatest shockers we have ever seen against number-one-ranked Alabama. Websites offering college football and NFL spreads made the Commodores a massive 23-point underdog for the contest at FirstBank Stadium, pricing them as long as +1000 on the money line. However, against all odds, they managed to reel off a shocking 40-35 victory, providing one of those moments that has left experts and fans debating whether it is the biggest upset of all time.
Vanderbilt's triumph over Alabama was monumental for several reasons. Firstly, it was their first-ever win against a top-ranked team and broke a 23-game losing streak against Alabama. The Crimson Tide had just recently knocked off the highly-rated Georgia Bulldogs with a 41-34 victory on home turf at Bryant-Denny Stadium, catapulting them to number one in the rankings.
However, they couldn't capitalize on their new lofty rating. Quarterback Diego Pavia put on a masterclass under center, throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns to help his side to victory. The result ended an ignominious 60-game losing streak for Vanderbilt against top-5 opponents, a record that had been haunting the school since 1936. It was just the second time in the last 16 seasons in which the top-seed lost to an unranked team and it marked the first time in 40 years in which the Commodores beat the Tide, and they did so by racking up more than 40 points.
The home faithful responded to the victory exactly as you would expect them to. They ripped down the goalposts and took them right through central Nashville, down Broadway, and ultimately tossed them into the Cumberland River. The result has seen Alabama tumble from the top-ranked team down to seventh, but where does this absolute shocker rank on the all-time list?
To understand the magnitude of this upset, one has to look back through the history books at monumental shockers from yesteryear. One game right at the top of the list is Howard's 43-40 victory over UNLV back in 2017. The Bison headed into the contest in Las Vegas as a huge 45-point underdog, with hardly any bookies even offering the money line on the game. Those that did were pricing the dogs as long as 600-1.
However, Hoard had other ideas. Quarterback Caylin Newton - younger brother of Super Cam - put on a remarkable performance to rack up a whopping 330 yards and three touchdowns to help his side amass 43 points.
Howard was a 45-point underdog, making the largest point-spread upset in college football history. The game saw Howard's quarterback, Caylin Newton, put on a remarkable performance, totaling 330 throwing yards and three scores. His four-yard rush deep into the fourth quarter was enough to secure a stunning victory and the biggest upset in terms of point spreads in history.
Another notable upset was Georgia Tech's 22-16 win over Florida State in 2015. The Seminoles were amid a 25-game ACC winning streak and were a national powerhouse at the time, while the unheralded Yellow Jackets were perhaps better known for their alumni Roman Reigns - real name Joe Anoa'i - making waves in WWE. However, it was the Atlanta-based outfit that managed to get the victory against all odds.
The game ended with Laurence Austin's dramatic 78-yard walk-off touchdown off a blocked field goal attempt. The game was tied at 16-16 at the time and the field goal would have won the contest for the Sunshine State outfit, but Austin had other ideas and created one of the greatest moments in college football history.
While this upset ended a significant streak and shifted the balance of power within the ACC, it didn't carry the same underdog narrative that Vanderbilt's win did.
For good measure, the Yellow Jackets managed to knock off the Seminoles once again in this season's Aer Lingus Classic kick-off game in Dublin, Ireland, enforcing their authority over Florida State once again. That upset seemd remarkable at the time, but not so much now as the ACC preseason favorite 'Noles sit at 1-5.
Old Dominion's 49-35 triumph over Virginia Tech in 2018 is another example. Th teams' met early ion the year. ODU was 0-3, Virginia Tech was 2-0, including an upset of Florida State in the opener. But on this day, the Monarchs managed to defeat a ranked opponent as a massive 29-point underdog, thanks to an outstanding performance from quarterback Blake LaRussa. He threw for 495 yards and accounted for five touchdowns, with a 29-yard pass to Jonathan Duhart in the fourth quarter handing his side the victory. Four years later, they would repeat the feat, defeating the Hokies once again thanks to Blake Watson's last-gasp touchdown.