College Football: 13 Highly Ranked Teams That Bit the Dust in Week 2 in the Past

Regardless of the fact that college football has no true preseason, we are all well accustomed to the “warm-up” games that many programs schedule to predicate a tough conference slate.

These “soft” contests (against FCS or non-AQ teams) mean that fewer and fewer highly ranked teams fall early in the season as time goes on, but thank goodness for those programs who schedule great non-conference opponents, even if that just means playing a foe from another BCS conference.

But, regardless of scheduling trends and completely due to the wonderful, unpredictable nature of college football we all know that an early and quite shocking loss will occur and a highly ranked team will “bite the dust” and come tumbling down out of the rankings.

Last week, we witnessed a miniature version of this scenario with No. 14 TCU falling to unranked Baylor and No. 16 Notre Dame falling to unranked USF, and, looking ahead to Week 2, opportunity comes knocking for a big crash when No. 2 Alabama visits Penn State, No. 9 Oklahoma State hosts Arizona and Oregon State travels to face No. 11 Wisconsin.

The following slideshow takes a bit of a historical journey and pinpoints 13 highly ranked teams that have suffered a shocking Week 2 loss in recent years (the last decade is the approximate time frame), and subsequently watched their lofty poll position and perhaps their entire season bite the dust in just the second act of a 14 segment play.

2003 Virginia

The 2003 Cavaliers were ranked No. 17 in the preseason Coaches’ Poll and slid up to No. 15 by blanking Duke 27-0 in their home opener.

Virginia’s Week 2 road loss to No. 25 South Carolina (7-31) dropped the Cavaliers completely out of the rankings and they went on to finish 8-5 and unranked.

The Gamecocks (then under Lou Holtz) finished the 2003 season 5-7 marking what would be Holtz’s second to last campaign in Columbia.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 15

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  NR

Ranking at the End of the Season:  NR

2010 Miami FL

After posting a 9-4 record in 2009 (the Hurricanes best effort since 2005), Miami fans were hopeful that 2010 would finally be the year that their Hurricanes could return to the dominant form they enjoyed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This hope was bolstered by Miami’s No. 13 ranking in the preseason AP, a pole position that was improved by a full spot when the Hurricanes bested FCS Florida A&M 45-0 in Week 1.

Week 2 held the allure and challenge of the front end of a home and away series with Ohio State in Columbus and so it became the marquis matchup of the No. 12 Hurricanes vs. the No. 2 Buckeyes in an early season barn burner.

Ohio State triumphed 36-24 (but the victory has since been vacated by a repentant OSU) and Miami subsequently dropped to a 1-1 record and a No. 17 spot in the AP.

Ironically, if the Hurricanes had bested the Buckeyes in part one of a series that will be wrapped up next weekend at the first ever officially sanctioned Sanction Bowl, they too may have had to vacate the game due to recent infractions of their own.

Miami went on to suffer a 7-6 finish in Randy Shannon’s final season, while Ohio State went 11-1 but technically vacated every win, their coach and their starting QB.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 12

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 17

Ranking at the End of the Season:  NR

2007 Georgia

The Bulldogs were ranked a lofty No. 13 coming into the 2007 season and moved up to No. 11 by virtue of a 35-14 Week 1 victory over Oklahoma State.

This win set-up a compelling Week 2 early conference opener in Athens between No. 11 Georgia and unranked South Carolina, who had received a paltry amount of votes in both polls that put them in the mid 30’s from a ranking standpoint.

Ultimately, the Gamecocks nipped the Bulldogs in a narrow 16-12 decision, dropping Georgia to the No. 23 slot in the AP and earning SC a No. 17 mention.

The Bulldogs rebounded nicely in 2007 and went on to enjoy an 11-3 record that earned them a BCS berth and subsequent victory over Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl; they finished the campaign ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll.

South Carolina went 6-6 in 2007 which included suffering five consecutive losses to end the season.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 11

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 23

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 2

2003 NC State

The 2002 Wolfpack had gone 11-3 including a 28-6 drubbing of Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl and a final AP ranking of No. 12, which was enough for them to earn a No. 14 ranking in the 2003 preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The Wolfpack opened up their 2003 campaign by razing FCS Western Carolina 59-20 in Raleigh, and had subsequently climbed to the No. 11 spot entering their Week 2 conference opener at Wake Forest.

The unranked Demon Deacons shocked NC State with a 38-24 victory and the Wolfpack dropped to No. 22 on their way to an 8-5 unranked finish.

Wake Forest, on the other hand, went 5-7 in 2003, but the freshman on that squad would become the seniors in 2006 who led the Demon Deacons to an 11-3 finish, an ACC crown and a BCS bowl bid (that resulted in a 13-24 loss to Louisville in the Orange Bowl).

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 11

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 22

Ranking at the End of the Season:  NR

2007 Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech was the No. 9 ranked team in the 2007 preseason polls and retained this high spot despite barely beating East Carolina in Blacksburg in Week 1 (17-7).

Week 2 offered a highly touted non-conference matchup between the No. 9 Hokies and No. 2 LSU down in Baton Rouge that had been circled on everyone’s gridiron calendar since the spring.

The actual game was fairly disappointing (especially if you were a Virginia Tech fan) with the Hokies being completely manhandled by the Tigers to the tune of 7-48.

The ever resilient Hokies went on to enjoy an 11-3 season that included another ACC crown, another loss in a BCS game (this time to Kansas 21-24 in the Orange Bowl) and a No. 9 closing spot in the rankings ( where they began Week 2).

LSU rode the big non-conference win over Virginia Tech all the way to that delightful land of perfection that includes a certain crystalline football, signifying the Tigers fourth national title in program history.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 9

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 18

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 9

2008 West Virginia

The Mountaineers finished the 2007 season at 11-2 and as champs of both the Big East and the Fiesta Bowl, a closing act to the Rich Rod show in Morgantown that propelled Bill Stewart’s first WVU product to a No. 8 preseason ranking in 2008.

West Virginia held the line with a 48-21 drubbing of FCS Villanova in the opener and Week 2 looked like another fairly uncomplicated affair with East Carolina on the docket for a road game in Greenville, NC.

But, the No. 8 Mountaineers ultimately fell prey to the purple Pirates of ECU (who were unranked but received enough votes to technically be the No. 27 team in the AP) by a not so pretty score of 3-24.

West Virginia dropped to No. 25 in the AP after the loss and ultimately went 9-4 which included a loss to Florida State in the Gator Bowl and a No. 23 finish.

East Carolina, on the other hand, suddenly became the AP’s No. 14 team going into Week 3 and by the time the dust settled went 9-5 which included a C-USA title (their first conference title since 1976) and a loss to Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 8

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 25

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 23

2005 Iowa

The 2004 Hawkeyes had earned their fair share of a Big Ten title and high hopes for similar successes in 2005 were duly reflected in their No. 11 preseason ranking.

Iowa absolutely crushed Ball State in the opener (56-0) in Iowa City, moving the Hawkeyes up to No. 8 in the polls coming into their annual Week 2 romp against neighborly Iowa State.

Regardless of the fact that the underdog Cyclones had only received a mere two votes in the Week 2 poll (which technically put them at No. 49 in the Coaches’ listing) they dominated Iowa by a final score of 23-3.

The rivalry loss dropped the Hawkeyes to No. 22 in the rankings and they went on to finish the 2005 season at 7-5 and completely unranked.

The win drove Iowa State into the rankings (debuting at No. 24) but the Cyclones also ended their season with a 7-5 record and out of the polls.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 8

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 22

Ranking at the End of the Season:  NR

2004 Michigan

Michigan marched into their 2004 campaign fresh off a 10-3 finish in 2003 that included a Big Ten title, a loss to USC in the Rose Bowl (14-28) and a No. 6 final ranking in the AP.

The Wolverines’ expectations were high, as were those of the college football voters who had Michigan at No. 7 in the preseason rankings, a position that was held after a Week 1, 43-10 drubbing of Miami OH.

Week 2 brought a road trip to Notre Dame, who was completely unranked (and received zero votes in both major polls) after losing to BYU 17-20 in their season opener in Provo.

The Irish bested No. 7 Wolverines in 2004’s Week 2, but, despite the upset, went on to suffer a 6-6 finish under Tyrone Willingham in his final campaign in South Bend.

Michigan survived the loss and achieved a 9-3 mark that included a piece of the Big Ten title, a one-point loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl (37-38) and a No. 14 ranking in the final AP poll.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 7

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 17

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 14

2002 Florida

The 2002 Gators were preseason ranked No. 6 in the nation and opened up the season by pounding UAB 51-3 in Gainesville.

Week 2 featured one of the most anticipated meetings of the early season when the still No. 6 Gators hosted the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes for a Sunshine State showcase showdown.

Miami was actually a two-point underdog in the game, but it was all Hurricanes as they absolutely destroyed Florida 41-16.

Florida dropped to No. 12 in the polls after the loss and ultimately finished the 2002 season (Ron Zook’s first year in Gainesville) 8-5, No. 24 in the Coaches Poll and unranked in the AP.

The 2002 Hurricanes went on to go undefeated and capture the Big East for the third straight year, but ultimately fell to Ohio State 24-31 in the National Championship Fiesta Bowl.

 Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 6

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 12

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 24

2009 Oklahoma State

The Cowboys finished the 2008 campaign 9-4 and ranked No. 16, and that momentum, plus a bunch of returning talent, garnered Oklahoma State a No. 9 spot in the preseason rankings.

Oklahoma State lived up to their billing in Week 1 when they knocked off No. 13 Georgia in Stillwater, earning them the No. 5 spot nationally coming into what looked like a bit of a break in Week 2 hosting Houston.

The Cougars had received a paltry one vote from the AP after a Week 1 beat down of FCS Northwestern State and looked to be a candidate for a man-handling by the Cowboys.

But, and proving once again that real life is sometimes better than fiction, Houston out threw Oklahoma State and earned a thrilling 45-35 upset decision and the No. 21 ranking in the AP.

The Cowboys dropped to No. 16 and ultimately finished 2009 at 9-4, which included a loss to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl and a No. 25 mention in the closing Coaches’ Poll.

Houston went on to capture the C-USA west crown and lost to first ECU in the conference title game and then got drilled by Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 5

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 16

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 25 (Coaches’ Poll only)

2005 Ohio State

The 2005 Buckeyes stormed into the season with a No. 5 preseason ranking and beat Miami OH (by the relatively close score of 34-14) in the opener, garnering OSU the No. 4 spot coming into Week 2.

The second game of the season was on everyone’s radar for the entire off season and featured No. 2 Texas visiting Columbus for a classic No. 2 versus No. 4 early season clash for a bunch of marbles and momentum.

Ultimately, the Longhorns nipped the Buckeyes 25-22 and used the win to catapult them to an undefeated national championship campaign.

Ohio State rebounded from the loss nicely and, other than a regular season loss to Penn State (10-17), the Buckeyes remained otherwise unscathed and earned a 10-2 record, a share of another Big Ten title, a win over Notre Dame in the BCS Fiesta Bowl (34-20) and a No. 4 ranking in the final AP poll (which is precisely where they were ranked going into Week 2).

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 4

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 9

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 4

2005 Michigan

The Wolverines were preseason ranked No. 4 coming into the 2004 campaign and after escaping Northern Illinois with a 33-17 victory in the season opener in Ann Arbor, they held the No. 3 spot in the nation.

Week 2 featured No. 3 Michigan hosting No. 20 Notre Dame in what turned out to be yet another ruinous victory by the Irish (10-17) that sent the Wolverines on a 10 spot slide to No. 14.

Michigan went 7-5 in 2005, which included a 28-32 loss to Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl while the Irish went 9-3 under first year coach Charlie Weis and lost to Ohio State in the BCS Fiesta Bowl.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 3

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 14

Ranking at the End of the Season:  NR

2006 Texas

Coming off their thrilling BCS national title win over USC, the 2006 Longhorns were preseason ranked at No. 2, which is a position they held on to tightly after smashing North Texas 56-7 in the opener.

Week 2 featured the back end of a home and away series with Ohio State (which Texas had won in Columbus during the previous season), and it was the highly anticipated rematch of now No. 1 Ohio State against No. 2 Texas in Austin.

Ultimately, the road team was victorious again, and the Buckeyes waltzed back across Texas with a huge 24-7 victory over the defending-champ Longhorns.

The loss cost Texas their top billing, but they finished the 2006 season 10-3 and wound up ranked No. 13 in the country when the dust finally settled.

Ohio State used the victory (as had Texas a year earlier) to launch an undefeated regular season campaign, but fell short of the Longhorns’ 2005 performance by losing to Florida in the BCS title game.

Ranking Before the Week 2 Loss:  No. 2

Ranking After the Week 2 Loss:  No. 8

Ranking at the End of the Season:  No. 13