One of the most intriguing aspects in sports are college football upsets. They happen on an annual basis with some of the top teams in the country dealt major blows that in some cases completely ruin their season. Whether it’s a 21-point underdog coming out of nowhere to steal a win or a 10-point underdog that ends a conference title bid, there have been more than enough crazy results to expect some strange outcomes that will have a major impact on the college football landscape every single season. Here is a look at the four college football upsets that would completely turn the 2016 season upside down.
Miami over Florida State
October 8th
After all of the hype surrounding the “U” this offseason it won’t be a surprise when Sun Life Stadium is absolutely rocking when Florida State visits in early October. Hurricanes’ fans can’t wait to see what happens in Mark Richt’s first season as head coach and while Miami is far from the most complete team in the ACC they do have some considerable talent that has the potential to shake things up in their conference. Junior quarterback Brad Kaaya is a rising star looking for a signature moment to add to his resume and this will be the perfect opportunity. The Seminoles have legitimate national championship aspirations as a true contender in the ACC but they will follow up a date with North Carolina on the road at Miami and there is no doubt that this would be one of the larger college football upsets.
Texas A&M over Alabama
October 22nd
The defending national champion Crimson Tide will kick off their title defense with a tough test versus USC. Their schedule doesn’t get much easier the rest of the way including trips to Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU as well as home dates with Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Auburn. The date with the Aggies looks like a potential trap game for Alabama as it is scheduled one week after their trip to Tennessee and is followed by a game at LSU two weeks later. Factor in that the last time the Tide saw senior quarterback Trevor Knight he was ripping up the Alabama defense for 348 total yards and four touchdowns in a 2014 Sugar Bowl victory for Oklahoma and it’s clear there should be reason for concern. The Tide can’t afford to overlook any opponent this season and this date with the Aggies stands out as a trap game with major upset potential.
Nebraska over Ohio State
November 5th
Ohio State’s national championship ambitions will require getting through an improved Big Ten unscathed with the majority of the focus on a tough stretch to close out the season on the road at Michigan State followed by a home date versus Michigan in the season finale. The Buckeyes also have to play at Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Penn State this season so there will be plenty of obstacles in their way if they want to get back to the College Football Playoff. One matchup that might be overlooked at this point is a date with Nebraska on November 5th that precedes that difficult final stretch of the schedule. Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. made significant progress last season and he returns with a talented receiving corps at his disposal. He should be even better this year and the Huskers will be looking to build on a 3-1 record down the final stretch last season when they handed Michigan State its only regular season loss. Ohio State will face a very difficult schedule but don’t overlook this matchup as a potential upset that could turn their season upside down.
West Virginia over Oklahoma
November 19th
Expectations are extremely high for the Sooners this season with star quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way but they will have to navigate a difficult schedule if they are going to return to the college football playoff. Oklahoma is set to play Houston, Ohio State, TCU and Texas among their first five opponents and they finish the year with some potential red flags including a trip to West Virginia before their season finale at home versus Oklahoma State. The clash with the Mountaineers has the potential to be a trap game with West Virginia also running the Air Raid offense with some considerable talent on the offensive side of the football. The Mountaineers will look to bank on home court advantage with the potential to earn one of the major college football upsets and potentially shake things up both in the Big 12 and on the national stage.
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