College Football Rankings: 10 Teams That Will Upset the Apple Cart
It's the time of year when college football memories are made.
Remember when four-touchdown underdog Pittsburgh went into Morgantown and crushed West Virginia's hopes of playing for a championship in 2007?
In that same year, Oklahoma did the same to a Missouri team that found itself on top of the rankings heading into the Big 12 title game.
It's happened before and it's going to happen again.
Will Oregon and Auburn play in the BCS Championship Game this year? It's likely, but don't count on it.
There's a good chance these 10 team could wreak havoc with postseason dreams.
10. Michigan Wolverines
1 of 10
With the crazy win over Illinois under its belt and a logical victory against Purdue this week, Michigan will host No. 7 Wisconsin on Nov. 20 riding a two-game winning streak.
The Badgers will need a win here to have any claim of the Big Ten championship, but the Wolverines have regained some confidence and swagger.
A win over Wisconsin and/or Ohio State will be the appropriate salve to heal some of the wounds in Ann Arbor that have developed since Rich Rodriguez took over as coach.
Prediction: Michigan 38, Wisconsin 33
9. Texas A&M Aggies
2 of 10
The Aggies have been a team of streaks in 2010.
They opened the season with three wins, followed that with three losses and are now enjoying a three-game winning streak.
If the trend continues Mike Sherman's new-found stability as Texas A&M's coach could dissipate quickly. However, the Aggies have found their stride and could finish the season 9-3.
That would take an upset win at home against No. 8 Nebraska on Nov. 20. While Nebraska is 8-1, the Cornhuskers have flirted with danger. If they do that with the Aggies it will come back to haunt them.
Prediction: Texas A&M 28, Nebraska 21
8. Iowa Hawkeyes
3 of 10
Iowa is still clinging to the possibility of winning a Big Ten championship, and one of the best ways to accomplish that would be by defeating No. 9 Ohio State on Nov. 20.
We saw how well the Buckeyes handled the hostile road game at Wisconsin. Playing at Kinnick Stadium isn't much easier.
The Hawkeyes have a balanced offensive attack led by QB Ricky Stanzi, who loves to find Marvin McNutt and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for big plays.
Ohio State would like to think it just had one bad Saturday in Madison, Wis., this season. What we will likely find out is the Buckeyes don't have the mettle to win big games on the road.
Prediction: Iowa 27, Ohio State 17
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7. Oklahoma Sooners
4 of 10
There is no logical reason to believe the Sooners can do anything but underachieve this season.
But OU has Oklahoma State's number and the Sooners are capable of running their winning streak against the Cowboys to eight in a row when the two meet on Nov. 27.
Not only would this hurt Oklahoma State's shot at winning the Big 12 South, but it would also keep the Cowboys from realizing T. Boone Pickens' dreams.
Like last year, the underdog Sooners will outperform their in-state rival.
Prediction: Oklahoma 24, Oklahoma State 14
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
5 of 10
It won't be enough to get into the SEC Championship game, but Arkansas has a chance to ruin two seasons the final two weeks of the regular season.
First, the Ryan Mallett-led Razorbacks will give No. 19 Mississippi State a major challenge in Starkville on Nov. 20, before coming back home to take down LSU on Nov. 27.
The win over the Tigers is the big one. By this point LSU won't have a shot at the SEC West title, but the Tigers will be playing for a BCS Bowl invite.
LSU's charmed existence will get stymied in Fayetteville and possibly be Mallett's and Bobby Petrino's landmark victory.
Prediction: Arkansas 28, LSU 14
5. SEC East champion
6 of 10
No. 2 Auburn is going to win the SEC West. A victory over Georgia is all but assured.
What's going to finally catch up to the Tigers is all the negative press surrounding Cam Newton's pay-for-play talk.
So either Florida or South Carolina, whichever wins the SEC East, will rise up to the occasion and not only cost Auburn any shot at a national championship, but likely a place in a BCS Bowl.
What a crappy way to end a season.
Prediction: SEC East champ 34, Auburn 31
4. Nevada Wolf Pack
7 of 10
Nevada proved in its 52-31 victory over Cal that it can take care of a decent Pac-10 team.
Now the challenge for the Wolf Pack and all-everything quarterback Colin Kaepernick is much bigger: Take down undefeated No. 4 Boise State.
Nevada has a legitimate shot at an upset mainly because the game isn't being played on the blue carpet in Idaho. Instead it's in Reno on Nov. 26.
It's going to take an all-out effort by Nevada's defense and an All-American performance from Kaepernick to pull it off, but the dream Boise season comes to end in Nevada.
Prediction: Nevada 48, Boise State 45
3. San Diego State Aztecs
8 of 10
The impact of second-year coach Brady Hoke on San Diego State is amazing. If not for one bad game against BYU, the Aztecs would be undefeated in the Mountain West Conference.
That's why going on the road to play No. 3 TCU on Saturday is so big. If Hoke's team can pull off the unimaginable the MWC title is still within their reach.
Having to make the long road trip does not work to San Diego State's advantage, but the Aztecs do get an overconfident and potentially emotionally drained TCU team that just played out of its mind at Utah last week.
The odds are long, but upsets happen every week.
Prediction: San Diego State 24, TCU 21
2. Arizona Wildcats
9 of 10
No. 18 Arizona almost pulled off a huge win against Oregon last year, but that game was at Arizona Stadium.
It will take a near miracle for the Wildcats, especially since Mike Stoops' team will have to do it at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 26.
Still, Arizona finds a way to create enough Oregon turnovers and controls the ball to keep the game close. Maybe it's just the Ducks feeling the pressure of trying to go perfect, but the closer the contest stays the more the Wildcats start to believe.
The quarterback duo of Nick Foles and Matt Scott lead a late scoring drive that silences the Oregon crowd, and the title season crashes and burns just one day after Thanksgiving.
Prediction: Arizona 36, Oregon 34
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
10 of 10
The 2010 season has been a disappointment for the Crimson Tide. Two losses are unacceptable in the Bama Nation these days.
One way to take the sting out a little is to ruin rival No. 2 Auburn's season in the Iron Bowl. The Tigers will still represent the SEC West in the conference championship, but it would give all of those Alabama fans another year of bragging rights.
Don't forget this game is in Tuscaloosa the day after Thanksgiving, and that crowd is going to be fired up and ready for a huge upset.
Chances are they get it.
Prediction: Alabama 33, Auburn 27
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
