Ranking the Worst Late-Season Collapses in CFB Since 2000

In a sport with practically zero margin for error, any loss can be devastating for a college football team. Sometimes, though, one letdown is the beginning of a disaster.

Midway through the season, thriving teams have conference and national title aspirations. But it only takes two dreadful performances to eliminate those hopes, and the last two decades alone have dozens of instances in which a slide became a collapse.

To narrow the list of possibilities, the collapse must have started prior to a conference title game—or bowl season, depending on the conferences and years. Plus, the losses must have prevented a team from winning a league title.

Other Collapses to Know

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Early Undefeated Teams Gone Wrong

• 2007 South Florida Bulls
• 2011 Illinois Fighting Illini
• 2012 Mississippi State Bulldogs
• 2012 West Virginia Mountaineers
• 2013 Texas Tech Red Raiders
• 2014-16 Texas A&M Aggies
• 2015 LSU Tigers
• 2016 Baylor Bears
• 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers
• 2018 South Florida Bulls

Notable Circumstances, But Memorably Bad

• 2007 Oregon Ducks (Dennis Dixon injury)
• 2015 Colorado Buffaloes (Laviska Shenault Jr. injury)
• 2015 Florida Gators (Will Grier suspension)
• 2016 Michigan Wolverines ("The Spot")
• 2017 Miami Hurricanes (Three late injuries)

8. 2005 Colorado Buffaloes

DAVID J. PHILLIP/Associated Press

Since the Buffs opened the year 7-2, this is a stretchy definition of a collapse. But the early losses came on the road at No. 12 Miami and No. 2 Texas, and Colorado otherwise won most games comfortably.

What happened next altered the program—not just a single season.

Starting in mid-November, the Buffs lost to Iowa State by 14, Nebraska by 27 and Texas by—avert your eyes, CU fans—a staggering, jaw-dropping, unruly 67 points. Colorado fired controversial coach Gary Barnett three days after the blowout.

Colorado closed the campaign with a 19-10 loss to Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl. The program made one more bowl appearance in 2007 but didn't have a winning season for the next 10 years.

7. 2013 Miami Hurricanes

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

Perhaps you could put 2013 Miami in the circumstances category given Duke Johnson's season-ending ankle injury. And while 2017 could be more deflating, the context of that season is less painful.

In 2013, the Hurricanes started 7-0, rose to No. 7 nationally and finally had a chance for their first appearance in the ACC Championship Game. However, rival Florida State smacked the 'Canes 41-14 in the game Johnson exited.

And that started a spiral.

Miami followed with consecutive 18-points losses to Virginia Tech and Duke. Had the Hurricanes toppled Duke, they still would've made the ACC title game.

Instead, they trudged to a 9-4 finish capped by a 36-9 smackdown loss to Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

6. 2007 Boston College Eagles

Nick Wass/Associated Press

If you want to study the strangest year in college football history, spend an hour reading about 2007. That season featured Boston College, South Florida and Kansas as the second-ranked team.

Kansas endured the most painful loss (36-28 against Missouri), but the Jayhawks still finished 12-1. Boston College, on the other hand, enjoyed an 8-0 run behind quarterback Matt Ryan before a couple of upsets ruined its dreams.

The Eagles fell to Florida State and Maryland, which combined for a 13-13 record. After toppling Clemson and Miami, they lost a rematch with Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game.

Incidentally, 2007 is also the winningest year in program history. It can be remembered fondly, but the poor performances in those letdowns are a harsh memory.

5. 2015 Oklahoma State Cowboys

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Although the 2011 loss at Iowa State was more agonizing, Oklahoma State suffered a bitter collapse to end 2015.

Armed with Mason Rudolph and James Washington to lead a high-powered offense, the Pokes ripped off a 10-0 start. They climbed as high as No. 4 in the rankings but dropped three straight to end the season, starting with a deflating loss to Baylor.

Baylor had already lost Seth Russell to a neck injury, and backup Jarrett Stidham exited this contest. But the Cowboys could not stop third-stringer Chris Johnson, who scored three touchdowns in the second half to hand Oklahoma State its first loss.

The following weekend, Bedlam determined the Big 12 champion. Oklahoma promptly routed the Pokes 58-23.

And to cap a frustrating finish, Ole Miss hammered Oklahoma State 48-20 in the Sugar Bowl.

4. 2000 Clemson Tigers

John Bazemore/Associated Press

From 1987-91, Clemson earned three ACC championships. During the next nine years, the Tigers rarely finished around the top of the conference, let alone won it.

Even if that wouldn't change in 2000—Florida State had a terrific team, after all—the future looked promising. Tommy Bowden, the son of FSU head coach Bobby Bowden, guided Clemson to an 8-0 start that propelled the team to No. 5 in the country.

However, the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech by a field goal for the fourth straight year. And with the ACC title at stake, Florida State steamrolled Clemson 54-7 and dashed any hopes of something more.

After edging rival South Carolina, Clemson lost to Virginia Tech by 21 in the Gator Bowl.

3. 2004 Wisconsin Badgers

WILY LOW/Associated Press

The 2004 season is remembered for its controversy. USC, Oklahoma and Auburn all finished undefeated, but the BCS only picked the two highest-ranked teams. Auburn missed out on a shot at a championship, and USC obliterated Oklahoma in the game.

Just imagine, though, if Wisconsin had joined the unbeaten party. The College Football Playoff may have existed sooner.

The fourth-ranked Badgers owned a 9-0 record heading into a clash with 4-5 Michigan State. Incredibly, a defense that had surrendered 82 points all season gave up 49 to the Spartans.

Worse yet, the Badgers failed to recover with a Big Ten title at stake. Iowa stomped them 30-7 the next weekend, allowing the Hawkeyes to split a league crown with Michigan.

Wisconsin lost to Georgia 24-21 in the Gator Bowl, ending a once-promising year with a 9-3 mark.

2. 2003 Virginia Tech Hokies

CHUCK BURTON/Associated Press

Virginia Tech cruised to a 6-0 start in 2003, winning every game by at least 16 points. Even after a deflating loss to West Virginia to close October, the Hokies recovered with an upset of No. 2 Miami and jumped back into the Top Five.

But the season rapidly turned sour.

Pitt clipped the Hokies, who then narrowly survived Temple—a program that finished the season 1-11. And then Virginia Tech fell to Boston College, had a four-game winning streak over rival Virginia snapped and lost to Cal in the Insight Bowl.

Virginia Tech entered November ranked No. 5 nationally yet ended the campaign outside the Top 25.

1. 2014 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

Following a 6-0 start, Notre Dame lost a heartbreaker to No. 2 Florida State on the road. Because the 2014 season began the College Football Playoff era, though, the Irish still had an opportunity to recover and compete for a national title.

Well, on paper, at least.

Notre Dame knocked off Navy but then dropped four in a row. The slide included a 24-point loss at Arizona State, three-point losses to Northwestern and Louisville and a 49-14 disaster at USC.

Although we know in hindsight that the Irish would've needed help to reach the CFP anyway, their performance at FSU suggested they had the potential. Instead, Notre Dame needed a Music City Bowl victory over LSU to win eight games.