Where Does Notre Dame's Shocking Defeat Rank Among College Football's Biggest Upsets?
Northern Illinois entered South Bend as 28.5-point underdogs for their Week 2 clash against Notre Dame. A blowout in favor of the No. 5 Fighting Irish seemed almost inevitable, especially after their season-opening win over Texas A&M.
However, the Huskies defied expectations, pulling off a stunning 16-14 upset with Kanon Woodill’s game-winning field goal in the final 31 seconds.
While Northern Illinois' victory was impressive, particularly considering the rankings, it doesn’t crack the list of the top 10 biggest point spread upsets in college football history. Still, it ranks among the top 15 in the past 45 years. According to the Action Network, three other teams have pulled off wins as 28.5-point underdogs:
- Illinois over Wisconsin (2019)
- Pitt over West Virginia (2007)
- Nicholls State over Western Michigan (2013)
Of these, Nicholls State’s win is especially noteworthy, as the FCS school defeated a MAC team. The largest point-spread upset in history remains Howard’s 2017 victory over UNLV, when the Bison, as 45.5-point underdogs, won 43-40. Another notable upset was Stanford’s 24-23 win over USC in 2007 as 40.5-point underdogs.
Other major upsets include Syracuse over Louisville (2007) and Texas State over Houston (2012) as 36.5-point underdogs. UTEP beat BYU in 1985, and Temple defeated Virginia Tech in 1998, both as 36-point underdogs. Central Michigan also stunned Western Michigan in 2000 as 35.5-point underdogs.
Though Notre Dame’s loss doesn’t rank among the all-time biggest upsets, Fighting Irish fans can take some solace in knowing there have been even more shocking defeats in college football history.
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