This year has been an insane set of upsets from the top to the bottom, so, in an effort to increase general content, here are my top five:

Number 5 - Syracuse 38, Louisville 35

We start the countdown with a game that exposed a weakness. Louisville has no defense, but the idea that Syracuse of all teams could run with the Brian Brohm offense would seem absurd to any competent sports broadcaster, and I include Lou Holtz in that list.

Number 4 - Utah 44, UCLA 6

Utah held UCLA, a preseason top fifteen, to two field goals in the first half. Utah went on to defeat Louisville, but not before going into this game losing to Air Force and Oregon State, and then losing the next week to UNLV. Utah is wildly inconsistent, but they might just slip into a bowl game. But the idea that this Utah team could do what they did to UCLA was unexpected to say the least.

Number 3 - Colorado 27, Oklahoma 24

The Red River Shootout lost some of its luster with this game, as a Colorado team still recovering from Gary Barnett’s remarkable belief that rape is a viable discipline for being a bad kicker beats a team that looked to be a titan with a last second field goal.

Oklahoma will recover, and I would consider them fair game to play in the national championship game. But I don’t think anybody thought this could happen, and that’s what defines an upset.

Number 2 - Stanford 24, USC 23

Where do I start with this one? You’ve got Jim Harbaugh fellating the Pac-10, claiming that USC is the greatest team ever, only to beat them. You’ve got Stanford breaking the 40 point spread in dramatic fashion. You’ve got USC exposed as being overrated all year, and you’ve ended a ridiculously long home winning streak.

Stanford had no business winning this, but some combination of USC overconfidence, Stanford belief in themselves, and bizarre circumstances allowed the nerds of Palo Alto to run with “the greatest team ever”. With the tough schedule USC has for the rest of the year, with Cal, Arizona State and Oregon, USC is looking at its second straight two loss season.

Some pundits have come to regard this as bigger than the Michigan game, but I guess that just goes to show that the alleged “East Coast Bias” is a smokescreen for the USC faithful to proclaim themselves the greatest.

Number 1 - Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32

What else is there to say?

Edit: It’s hard not to at least mention Cal losing to Oregon State here. I hope Cal enjoyed their two hours as the #1 team in the country.