Appalachian State’s victory over Michigan had college football fans and members of the media straining to think of other comparable upsets.
The Associated Press went to noted author and sports writer Dan Jenkins, who in 2005 was appointed the historian for the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, for his thoughts on some of the most memorable upsets in history.
Here’s what he came up with:
Centre College beats Harvard 6-0 in 1921 – Harvard was 17-0-2 in the previous two seasons and 5-0-1 entering the game. Harvard had also beaten Centre, from Danville, Ky., 31-14 the year before.
Illinois beats Minnesota 14-19 in 1916 – The great coach Walter Camp had called this Minnesota team the greatest team in the last 20 years. Illinois had already lost three games when it beat the Gophers.
TCU beats No. 1 Texas 6-0 in 1961 – “Still remembered as the most impossible result ever in this part of the universe,” wrote Jenkins, a native of Fort Worth, Texas.
Kansas beats No. 1 Oklahoma 23-3 in 1975 – “Still a shocker to me – and certainly to Barry Switzer,” Jenkins e-mailed.
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Jenkins’ final thoughts on Appalachian State’s historic upset:
“That thing that happened to Michigan yesterday at home, losing to a team from a lower classification, was truly startling. But it brings to mind the old adage, employed by coaches toward others: ‘If you schedule a team like that, you deserve to lose to them.”’
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Dan Jenkins has written 18 books, including “You Gotta Play Hurt” and “Semi-Tough,” more than 500 stories for Sports Illustrated, and 20 screenplays.
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