Upsets occur every year, Virginia beating Florida State in 1995, giving the Seminoles their first ACC loss ever.  Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a year ago that gave new meaning to the term “Mid-Major”.  Most recently, D1-AA Appalachian State pulled off what some consider to be the biggest upset in college football history by taking out Big Ten powerhouse Michigan in the Big House.       These "Hoosiers" type outcomes bring out the best in college football.  However, are the underdog teams still considered inferior to the big boys of the college football matrix? 

This past weekend marked one of the most unexpected, downright unbelievable Saturdays in history.  Five of the top ten teams in the country lost, four to unranked opponents.  West Virginia, formerly ranked #5 in the polls, lost to then #18 South Florida.  Florida, Texas, Rutgers, and Oklahoma all lost to unranked opponents, Oklahoma being the only one of the four to lose on the road. 

History has taught us that upsets do occur, not only in college football but in wars, human rights struggles, and presidential elections, but the world of college football has become neutral.  Despite what the pundits, the polls, or the spreads say, each game has become one of equal opportunity.  No longer are top ten teams trying to stave off an inferior opponent.  No longer is an underdog looking for a landmark win.  Sure, there are teams with superior coaching talent that are able to lead their team through the jungle we call conference play on their way to a championship.  However, the talent levels at each school are becoming progressively equivalent. 

South Florida, a school that did not have a football team two decades ago is now ranked 6^th in the country.  Rutgers, aside from playing in the first ever football game hasn’t had any good press since they were squaring off against Ivy League schools in the seventies.  Appalachian State, Boise State, Hawaii, Cincinnati, and many others are closing the gap on the teams that many believe are perennial powerhouses.  When, in any point in time would you hear Rutgers or South Florida in the same sentence as conference championship, much less National Championship?

We designate stars to recruits coming out of high school.  Programs often define themselves on the quality of the players they recruit.  However, it seems that a team that brings in nothing but high end recruits, is no different than a team that brings in middle-of-the-pack recruits.  The big names in college football get the most attention from high school players, the little guys have always been a fall back for those who don’t get scholarships. However, the gap is closing, the talent is no longer evaluated on paper.  It is getting to the point where one could make an argument that the players at some of the lesser known schools are just as talented as those who play for the big names.  This season, if not any other, has proved that the most.

This has been a season of monumental upsets, if you can still call them that.  There have been too many to name them here, but for anyone who follows college football they should know that these outcomes are not supposed to happen.  Highly ranked teams aren’t supposed to lose to unranked opponents.  A D1-A school is not supposed to lose to a D1-AA opponent.  These are notions college football has lived by for decades, the sport is mired in regularity but strives in times of change. As of now, the sport is changing, every weekend we expect certain things to happen, certain teams to win, and certain players to perform, but in this day in age of college football, there are no more Davids and no more Goliaths.  College football, as it is, is a sport of equality.