Top 5 biggest upsets in college football history

There are always two sides when talking about the biggest upsets in college football history. The side that won against almost impossible odds and earned glory. Then, the side that lost, who were held in infamy for years.

Either way, it's the perfect illustration of the duality of competition. Here are the five biggest upsets in college football history.

#5. Oregon State squeaks by Washington (Oct. 19, 1985)

The Beavers were outscored 97-0 in its last two before coming into this game, and their starting QB and best receiver were injured. As a result, Oregon State was an insane 38-point underdog. Washington, on the other hand, was ranked second in the nation overall the previous year.

But during a span in the fourth quarter, the Huskies couldn't seem to pass the ball correctly. The Beavers intercepted them four times with 1:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. Oregon State also blocked a punt and then recovered it in the end zone, allowing them to win.

#4. Columbia shocks Army (Oct. 25, 1947)

During that season, Army had an insane 32-game winning streak heading into the Oct. 25 matchup vs. Columbia. But the Lions had something different in mind. Army was expected to have a dominant victory, but they faced a team that never took no for an answer.

In the first half, Army were leading 20-7. But by the second half, Columbia's run began with them matching the Army's terrifying running offense with an equally deadly passing attack. Eventually, two rushing TDs from Lou Kusserow helped the Lions eke out the one-point victory in front of the 35,000-strong crowd at Baker Field.

#3. Michigan beats Ohio State (1969)

Coming into this early edition of "The Game," the Buckeyes had a 22-game winning streak on top of being defending national champs. With legendary head coach Woody Hayes at the helm, the 1969 OSU team was called "the greatest team in college football history."

On the other hand, Michigan didn't as good a team back then. The Wolverines only came off a single Rose Bowl appearance in the previous 17 years. But the Buckeyes tripped over the feet right out of the gate when the game began. Seven turnovers, six interceptions, and overall terrible play helped the non-marquee Michigan team outshine the defending champs.

#2. Howard beats "impossible odds" against UNLV (Sept. 2, 2017)

To say that the 2017 Howard University football team battled impossible odds against UNLV is an understatement. No one was picking the Bison to beat the Runnin' Rebels, and they were a 45-point underdog. And as per ESPN, UNLV even actually paid Howard $600,000 to play the game to begin with.

The Bison eked out a 43-40 victory on the back of QB Caylin Newton, the younger brother of NFL legend Cam Newton. Howard's signal-caller logged a total of 330 offensive yards alongside three TDs. To this date, this remains the largest upset in CFB history regarding overall point spread.

#1. Notre Dame brings Oklahoma back down to earth (Nov. 16, 1957)

The Oklahoma Sooners still hold the second longest-ever winning streak in college football history: 47 straight games. They headed into this 1957 game, having never lost for five years. They also won back-to-back titles.

On the other hand, the Fighting Irish were unranked. But the game began, and Notre Dame hung around Oklahoma's grill all night by playing inspired defense. No one scored until a single 20-play, 80-yard drive that gave the Fighting Irish an incredible 7-0 victory late in the game. This was the Sooners' first-ever shutout loss in 123 straight games, which further added salt to the wound.