The year college football rankings collapsed into total chaos
In short: In 2007, the hierarchy of college football didn't just shake; it fractured. From FCS underdogs toppling giants to a bizarre phenomenon where the top two seeds repeatedly fell in the same week, the season became a masterclass in unpredictability that rewrote the record books.
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS season is immortalized as the "Year of the Upset." The sheer frequency of lower-ranked or unranked teams defeating higher-ranked opponents reached unprecedented levels, with 59 such upsets occurring during the regular season. A record for any year featuring at least 20 ranked teams was set when unranked sides beat top-five AP Poll entries on 13 occasions. This level of volatility was only surpassed in 1967, a year when the AP Poll was significantly smaller.
The chaos began early with Appalachian State, an FCS program, defeating No. 5 Michigan on the road. Only once before had an FCS squad beaten a ranked FBS rival, and never previously against a team in the top five. This pattern persisted through "The Curse of the No. 2," where during the final nine weeks of the regular season, the AP Poll's second-ranked side suffered seven losses. These losses included high-profile shocks, such as Stanford defeating USC—who were favored by 41 points and ended two major winning streaks—and Oregon State toppling California.
The instability even reached the very top of the rankings. For the first time since 1996, the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams fell during the same week three different times in a single season. This culminated in a frantic final weekend where LSU (No. 1) lost to Arkansas in a triple-overtime thriller while Kansas (No. 2) fell to Missouri. Ultimately, Louisiana State Tigers secured their second BCS and third overall national title by defeating Ohio State in the championship game on January 7, 2008.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-2007-ncaa-division-i-fbs-football-season.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
