Upsets That Aren't Talked About in College Football 

1992 Iowa State over Nebraska was also a huge upset people forget. Tommie Frazier lost 3 games in his career. That was one of them.

Always weird to see my Huskers on these lists of upsets. Now the only upsets they're involved in is upsetting the entire state

Best overall upset of recent decades: 2003 Kansas State vs. Oklahoma. Oklahoma was REALLY good. And Kansas State DESTROYED them.

Miami (fl) beating Penn state in happy valley with a freshman Jim Kelly was big, too.

You mention that Barnett’s win over Notre Dame was the first time Northwestern beat ND since 1962. Northwestern also beat ND every year from 1959 through 1962 - 4 straight. It was a bad period for the Irish. After another bad year in 1963 (that did not include a game vs Northwestern), Notre Dame hired a new coach, Ara Parseighian, the Northwestern coach who beat them 4 in a row. Ara returned the Irish to glory, including multiple national titles.

I think the 1977 match between Michigan at Minnesota. Michigan came in as #1 and undefeated. And Minnesota shut them out 16-0. It was the first time in about 10 years the Gophers and won back the Little Brown Jug.

Memphis State beats USC on Labor Day in 1991 isn’t heard about outside of Memphis Tennessee

Favre kept FSU from playing for the National Title in 89.

One upset I rarely hear discussed is Penn State vs Pitt in 1981. Sure, both teams were in the top ten, so Penn State winning wasn't necessarily a shock, but the margin was shocking. Down 14-0, on the road, Penn State came back to win 48-14. Good luck finding any other #1 team that got destroyed like that. Both teams also had an absurd amount of NFL talent between them.

I know at least 2 to 3 upsets that Maryland pulled off in this time frame. In 1983, North Carolina was ranked in the top 5 heading into the matchup with Maryland as it was the defacto ACC Football championship cause Clemson was on NCAA probation. Maryland stopped Carolina late in the 4th quarter and held on to win the ACC championship. Yes the Maryland-Miami game from 1984 is renowned as one of the greatest comebacks in college football history but what people didn't know that Miami were the defending national champion from 1983 and ranked in the top 10 at number 6.

Crazy Kansas beat Oklahoma this year too lol

The very first college football game I ever attended was the home opener for Iowa in the 1968 season with the Hawkeyes hosting that highly-regarded Oregon St team with Dee Andros as the HC. Iowa would pull off the 21-20 shocker.

Fun fact: the 1996 Arizona State game is the last time that Nebraska has been shut out. Their last shutout loss at home was vs Kansas State in 1968.

Northwestern's defeat of Notre Dame was not really forgotten. When Lou Holtz was a commentator on national TV he would bring it up often, pointing out that early season upsets may not not be looked back upon as an upset as the year goes on.

NC State over #2 Florida State, 24-7, in September 1998 is without a doubt, given the circumstances, the biggest win in NCSU school history, and an upset that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves outside its area. FSU had gone 47-1 since joining the ACC in 1992, and some would still argue that the lone ACC loss to Virginia in 1995 wouldn’t have been a loss had replay review been available at that time on the last play of the game. The 24-7 win in 1998 left no doubt, as FSU scored their lone touchdown within the first 30 seconds of the game, as NCSU’s defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way, in part to the future 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke throwing 6 interceptions. A 1998 Heisman Trophy candidate, Torry Holt for NCSU, would score on a 68 yard punt return for a touchdown, the first punt return TD given up by FSU since 1988, and he would torch the Noles for another TD on a 63 yard TD reception.

Arizona State is a program that pulls off great wins that place the program in the big time - but they can’t handle success. They finished undefeated in ‘75, had everyone back for ‘76 and were ranked No. 2 to start the season, so naturally they - lost their first four games. That was the biggest fizzle in college football history.

Nothing can top #5 Michigan losing to Appalachian State.

Another deserving consideration is the 1975 Michigan State/Ohio State game played in East Lansing won by MSU 18 - 14. OSU was then #1 in the nation and had Heisman winner Archie Griffin & massive fullback Pete Johnson. MSU led most of the game but Ohio State began coming into its own by the 4th quarter, finally going ahead with a touchdown. But after OSU's kick off, a Michigan State back broke off a 75 yard (untouched) TD run, putting MSU up by what turned out to be the final tally. OSU scored what appeared to be the winning TD as the game clock was expiring - but after about 45 minutes of official discussion, it was determined the game clock had expired just before OSU's final play got underway. The loss dropped OSU from #1.

I think of President Kennedy's 1962 speech when he famously asked, "Why does Rice play Texas?". Ironically , in 1965, Rice upset Texas

Where do you put the 1950 Michigan/Ohio State game? It took an unexpected Michigan victory. Plus various teams winning in the final Big Ten games of the season, for Michigan to win the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. The game was unique, to say the least. To play or not to play. I wonder where that game fits in college football history.

Colorado State beating LSU at their stadium at night in I think 1993

I remember watching the fsu vs usm game on espn, great game.

The ending of Miami's home win streak of 56 games caused by the Washington Huskies has to rank up there. Dwayne "I need money for Hawaii" Johnson was on the D line for Miami. HA!!

I remember the game FSU vs ND then ND loss to BC. Bobby Bowden said about Notre Dame. "Those kids played like they were possessed" I thought, season over for FSU.

Syracuse over Nebraska in '84. Never felt like that game gets mentioned as one of the greatest upsets of all time.

How about great FCS over FBS upsets?

1992 UofA beats No. 1 Washington. UofA was ranked but it was not in the top 10. Wash won Nat’l Championship in 1991.

Good video idea

Where do you find betting odds for historical games? I have googled it. Oh wait, old newspapers?

Missed the 76 Missouri team. Three upsets against #8,2, and 3 ranked teams

2001 #15 Colorado over #1 Nebraska by 62 to 36. I mourn this as the day the party ended.

BYU vs. Miami

One that should've been included: Arkansas-LSU 2007 That one hardly gets talked about.

The "Bear" was coaching Texas A&M in 1952 so no Nova did not beat him when they won over KY.

JFK referenced this “rivalry” in his famous to the moon speech.

Alabama was already 1-2 with a loss to Vanderbilt when that played Villanova

How was Alabama a "fantastic" team in 1951? They went 5-6!

VILLANOVA MENTIONED RAAAHHH