Vanderbilt’s stunning upset of No. 1 Alabama, which had rabid fans marching through the streets of Nashville toward the goalposts, was just the appetizer.
Saturday was one of the roughest days in the Associated Press college football poll in recent years.
According to Sportradar, this is the first time in the latest poll that four teams ranked in the top 11 were upset by unranked teams in a single day since November 12, 2016, when five teams had the same results. It became an event.
On paper, it looked like it was going to be an uneventful day, with only one game played between ranked teams, but the results were unexpected: No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Tennessee, and No. 10 Michigan. , and 11th place University of Southern California lost both. Unranked team. Another top-10 team lost on Saturday, with No. 9 Missouri State losing 41-10 to No. 25 Texas A&M.
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No. 8 Miami also rallied to avoid a fall and escaped with a 39-38 victory in California. In a game that ended near midnight on West Coast, the Hurricanes overturned a 25-point second-half deficit to take the lead with 35 seconds left.
This is the first time two teams ranked in the SEC’s top five have lost to unranked conference opponents on the same day, and the last time at least five teams ranked in the top 11 have lost on the same day. This is the fifth time in 20 years.
Just one week after Alabama moved to the top of the AP Top 25 with a 41-34 win over Georgia, Vanderbilt got off to a surprising start with a 40-35 win over the Crimson Tide. According to Sportradar, the Commodores were 0-60 against teams ranked in the top five, the most ever by a team that lost every game against a team ranked in the top five. Temple took over that title with an 0-25 record.
Fans then pulled down the goalposts and carried them several miles before throwing them into the Cumberland River.
“This is the dream here,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lee said. “And for the next 12 hours, we’re going to enjoy the dream. We have a lot more to come, but what Vanderbilt football needs is a big win on a big stage. We’re going to go get some more.”
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The upset and thrilling game was not over yet.
The Volantes were the next team down, but Malachi Singleton scored on an 11-yard run with 1:17 left, giving Arkansas a 19-14 home victory.
Tennessee still had a chance by driving to the Arkansas 20, but Niko Iamareaba was pushed out of bounds on fourth-and-5 at the 16 and time expired. Arkansas fans quickly flooded the field.
“What makes me passionate about coaching is moments like what just happened, and it’s seeing the kids and their smiles and their hard work, because a lot of teams don’t get to experience that feeling. Because it is,” the Razorbacks coach said. Sam Pittman said. “We did that tonight too.”
There were two other field storms in the Big Ten following the win, but they weren’t as shocking.
Washington defeated Michigan 27-17 in a national championship rematch without both coaches and most of the key players from the title game.
“It feels good. If you can lose to them in the championship and then come back and win and beat them, it feels great,” said one of the few players remaining on the Huskies’ roster for the championship game. Washington safety Kamren Fabiklanan said.
The loss ended Michigan’s Big Ten regular season winning streak at 24 games. The Wolverines have not suffered a loss in the Big Ten since losing to Michigan State on Oct. 30, 2021.
Max Brosmer then scored his fourth goal in the end zone with 56 seconds remaining, giving the University of Minnesota a 24-17 victory over USC.
On-field officials ruled him short, but after a replay review, the entire stadium knew the reversal was coming.
The game ended when Miller Moss’ heave into the end zone was intercepted. The crowd flooded the field, engaging the Gophers in a raucous celebration for their first victory over the Trojans since 1955.
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