Unpredictable. Unbelievable. Exhilarating. Whatever adjective you want to use, the fact remains that the 2007 college football season has been one wild ride for fans. In a year filled with upsets, here are the best of the best:
5. Utah 44,
No. 11 UCLA 6
(Week Three)
Most upsets this season have been dramatic, but this one qualifies as pure domination from the start. Utah came in 0-2, with ugly losses against Air Force and Oregon State. No. 11 UCLA came in 2-0, with impressive wins against Stanford and BYU. Everything was set up for a Bruins blowout, right? Not quite. The Utes started the game by marching 82 yards in seven plays for an easy touchdown just three minutes into the game. Holding a 14-6 lead after two quarters, Utah would dominate UCLA in the second half, outscoring the Bruins 30-0 behind two touchdowns from quarterback Tommy Grady.
4. Kansas State 41,
No. 7 Texas 21
(Week Five)
Texas was out for revenge. One year after the Wildcats upset the Longhorns 45-42 in Manhattan, Kansas, the No. 7 team in the country received a shot at redemption in front of the home crowd. After the Wildcats pounced out in front 7-0, the defense took over, intercepting Texas quarterback Colt McCoy four times in the first half to enter halftime with a 24-14 lead. Kansas State put the final nail into the Longhorns' coffin with a third quarter punt return touchdown. Texas' offense never found a rhythm in the second half as the Wildcats locked up a 41-21 victory. The 41 points was the most scored by a visitor in Austin since 1997.
3. Rutgers 30,
No. 2 Southern Florida 27 (Week Eight)
By week eight, Southern Florida, a program in just its eleventh year of existence, had moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll and were set to play in the national title game by winning out.
Only Rutgers stood in the way. South Florida led 17-13 at halftime due to a strong first half performance from quarterback Matt Grothe. The Scarlet Knights, however, came out in the third quarter and scored 14 unanswered points to take a 27-17 lead. The Bulls got within three points in the fourth quarter, but with seconds remaining, Grothe threw an interception that sealed the win for Rutgers. South Florida's perfect season, as well as its national title hopes, were history.
2. Appalachian State 34,
No. 5 Michigan 32
(Week One)
Week one of the season started with a bang, as a Division-1 AA walked into one of the most overwhelming environments in college football, stared down adversity and walked away victorious. After scoring 21 unanswered second quarter points, the Mountaineers entered halftime with a 28-17 lead in front of 110,000 stunned Wolverine fans. As Michigan came storming back in the second half to take a 32-31 lead, Appalachian State had a chance to retake the lead following a missed Michigan field goal. The Mountaineers drove the field and kicked a 27-yard field goal to take a 34-32 lead with just over one minute remaining.
With seconds left, Michigan's Chad Henne lofted an improbable desperation pass to receiver Mario Manningham down the right sideline that set up a 37-yard field goal attempt with time expiring. On the sidelines, several of the Appalachian State players had their heads down in disappointment without knowing one minor detail: The kick was blocked. The visiting players charged the field as time ran out, escaping Ann Arbor with a narrow victory.
1. Stanford 24,
No. 2 USC 23
(Week Six)
The crowd was roaring. 41-point underdog Stanford, relying on backup Sophomore quarterback Tavita Pritchard making his first career start, took the field with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter, trailing No. 2 USC 23-17.
The Cardinal faced a 4th and 20 on the Trojans' 29-yard line. Due to a headset malfunction, Pritchard could not hear the offensive play call from head coach Jim Harbaugh. It was up to him to improvise with the game on the line. Pritchard scrambled and hit receiver Richard Sherman for a 20-yard gain just beyond the first down marker. A couple plays later, the quarterback hooked up with senior wide receiver Mark Bradford on a 10 yard touchdown reception with 54 seconds remaining to quiet the crowd and hand USC its first home loss in 36 games, crippling its chances toward playing for the national title.
I think some people thought that we were going to get beat 1,000 to nothing,"" Harbaugh said afterward, ""Not these players.
