Thursday, October 1, 2009

Upset City… What does it mean?

Week 1- First week out of the gate, BYU upends #3 Oklahoma in Dallas

Week 2- Houston upsets #5 Oklahoma State on their own turf in Stillwater

Week 3- Sarkisian continues to work his magic as the Washington Huskies trump the #3 powerhouse USC Trojans

Week 4- #4 Ole Miss is upset by football legend, Steve Spurrier, and the Gamecocks, #5 Penn State loses for a second straight year to the Iowa Hawkeyes, #6 California is pummeled by the rebounding Oregon Ducks, #9 Miami is tripped up by ACC rival Virginia Tech

So… why in the world does it seem that the 2009 football season has produced so many notable upsets, and it’s only been four weeks? There must be something wacky going on! In fact… I believe there is… If you’ve been examining the top AP ranked teams in their games against legitimate opponents, their wins haven’t been huge landslides. Their have been monumental upsets, close games between teams you wouldn’t expect, and last minute miracle plays that have saved the necks and records of many.

What I think this means is that NCAA football this year is on more of a level playing field than maybe any other time in history. Of course, there are the top tier teams who will continue to recruit and build successful teams, but are they now light-years ahead of the pack as in previous years… now that’s up for debate. All around the country talented football players and coaches are developing and building successful, winning teams—despite the size, publicity, or history of their football program or conference. It seems that on any given weekend, almost any team can beat another, no questions asked.

Is a team ranked in the AP top ten a better or more worthy opponent than an unranked team? If you asked the Trojans, Cowboys, or Rebels- I’m sure they would warn others to never take an opponent for granted, regardless of past record, rank, or reputation.

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