Biggest upsets

Dodgers over A's in the '88 Series.

 

Agree on both counts. And I'll add George Mason-UConn, simply for discussion's sake.

 

Here's one that people from my neck of the woods remember...
Bedlam football (Oklahoma State at Oklahoma) in 2001.
OU is the defending national champion and has only one loss and a shot at defending its national title, ranked third in the BCS.
OSU brings a 3-7 record into Norman and is a 27-point underdog, having allowed at least 424 yards to each of its previous six opponents. That includes giving up 517 to Big 12 cellar-dweller Baylor the week before.
A backup freshman quarterback, Stillwater product Josh Fields, comes into the game for just his third action of the year. He dislocates a finger and pops it back in before leading the game-winning drive.
OU runs for exactly zero yards in the game.
The 16-13 upset was so huge, people in Oklahoma instantly think of it when someone says that score.

 

The Packers, who won those two Super Bowls and stilted thinking - and the betting line - in III, THOSE were great teams.

 

Euro Cup Soccer Upset when Greece defeated Portugal 1-0 in the 2004 Final. No one expected Greece to emerge as the champion and boy, was it a big upset and a cinderella story for the Greeks.

 

Centre College over Harvard 6-0 in 1921. Harvard was no. 1 and was riding a long win streak.
The New York Times later called it "Football's Upset of the Century."

 

Here's a few ...

1) Upset over Man o' War in 1919 ... Where do you think the term "upset" comes from?

2) Broncos over Packers (Super Bowl XXXII) and Patriots over Rams (SB XXXVI). Because of what the Broncos and Patriots went on to do in the next couple years, everybody forgets that they were both two touchdown underdogs heading into these games -- and, on paper, there was good reason for that.

3a) Kansas State 35, Oklahoma 7 (2003 Big 12 championship game) ... Before this, people were treating Oklahoma like the '85 Bears. They were invincible, one of the greatest ever, etc. Then K-State absolutely pummeled them, LSU did the same a few weeks later and we ended up with the split championship mess. At the time, though, it was shocking. Especially given the one-sidedness of it.
Not in the same class as the Miracle on Ice or Tyson-Douglas, but still noteworthy.
3b) Ohio State vs. Miami in the Fiesta Bowl ... Miami WAS one of the best teams ever, had the winning streak to prove it and was a legitimate favorite. One bad game and one bad pass interference call later, and it was all gone.

 

What about Boise State shocking Florida in 2007?

Who would have thought those gadget plays would have worked two weeks in a row?

Half the nation was tuning in after the word spread that BSU was winning 21-17 at the half...

Oh wait.

We have a much better system now. Why would we have wanted to see that game played?

 

What about Jack in 86?

From where he sat in the clubhouse on Saturday night, I would say him winning the thing was not even thought about.

 

Broncos over Packers paid for my current car.

Another dumb line.

Patriots result was pretty fucking stunning, but I didn't touch that game. I had seen what Belichick had done to Marino way too many times to bite on that.

 

Boise State beat Oklahoma. But you're right, what a great game, upset.

 

I was talking about the next game BSU should have played after beating OU. I guess I should have used blue type.