Ad Disclosure
Top-10 teams haven’t been safe so far in 2024 against unranked teams. In fact, when a Top-10 team has faced an unranked team so far this season, you might as well push the Upset Alert button because chances are, there’s an upset just waiting to happen.
ESPN writer Bill Connelly has noticed. On Sunday morning, in the aftermath of one of the crazier college football Saturdays in recent memory, Connelly tweeted out a stat regarding the trend of unranked teams knocking off Top-10 teams. He compared the madness of this fall to that of 2007, which was well-known for its topsy-turvy nature.
That fall 17 years ago, Top-10 teams lost to unranked foes 9 times alone in the 1st 6 weeks of the season.
This season has come close to that pure craziness. In 2024, unranked teams have upset Top-10 teams 8 times in the 1st 6 weeks of the season, capped by Saturday, when Vanderbilt took down No. 1 Alabama in Nashville and Arkansas stunned No. 4 Tennessee in Fayetteville. If those 2 SEC upsets weren’t enough for you, then the Big Ten provided another one of them on Saturday night in Seattle, where Washington beat No. 10 Michigan in a rematch of last season’s national championship game.
Top 10 teams losing to unranked opponents in the first 6 weeks of the 2007 season: 9
Top 10 teams losing to unranked opponents in the first 6 weeks of the 2024 season: 8
I'M JUST SAYING.
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 6, 2024
Connelly wasn’t showing favoritism to any team or any trend. He was just pointing out how unpredictable this season has been.
“I’M JUST SAYING,” tweeted Connelly.
We’ll see what madness Week 7 has in store.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
