Sports fans love a good upset. It’s thrilling to see the underdog win against all odds. But sometimes, these wins are so crazy, they leave us speechless. We can’t believe what we just saw!
Did you know that in 2018, a tiny college team beat the top-ranked team in basketball? It was the first time ever in the NCAA tournament. That’s just one of the wild upsets we’ll talk about.
This blog will show you the top 10 craziest upsets in sports history. Get ready for some jaw-dropping stories!
#10: Villanova Men’s Basketball over Georgetown, 1985 NCAA Tournament
The 1985 NCAA Tournament saw a huge upset. Villanova, an 8th seed, beat Georgetown 66-64 in the final game. This win was a big deal. Villanova played their best game ever. They made 78.6% of their shots overall.
In the second half, they were even better, making 90% of their shots.
We played the perfect game at the perfect time. – Rollie Massimino, Villanova’s coach
This win was special. Villanova became the lowest-seeded team to win the national title. It was a true Cinderella story. The game is still talked about today as one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history.
Villanova’s win showed that in college basketball, anything can happen.
#9: New York Jets over Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl III, 1969
Super Bowl III saw a huge upset. The New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7. No one thought the Jets could win. They were 18-point underdogs. But Jets quarterback Joe Namath had other plans.
He boldly said his team would win. And they did!
The Colts had a great season before the big game. They won 13 games and lost only one. But on Super Bowl day, they couldn’t score. The Jets’ defense was too strong. Namath led his team to victory, just like he said he would.
This win shocked football fans everywhere. It’s still one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
#8: Francis Ouimet over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, U. S. Open, 1913
Francis Ouimet shocked the golf world in 1913. He was just an amateur player, but he beat two top pros at the U.S. Open. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray were big names in golf. They came from England to play in America.
But Ouimet, a local guy, beat them both.
The big match happened at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. It was an 18-hole playoff. Ouimet played his best golf that day. He won against the pros, making history. This upset win made people love golf more in America.
It showed that anyone could win, even against the best players.
#7: Appalachian State Football over Michigan, 2007
From golf to football, upsets happen in all sports. In 2007, a huge shock hit college football. Appalachian State, a small school, beat Michigan, a big-time program. No one saw it coming.
The final score was 34-32. Appalachian State pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever. They were from a lower division but still won. Michigan was a top team, but they lost at home.
This game showed that in sports, anything can happen. It’s why fans love to watch – you never know what might occur on any given day.
#6: New York Giants over New England Patriots, Super Bowl XLII, 2008
Super Bowl XLII in 2008 was a real shocker. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14. This was huge! The Patriots came in with a perfect 18-0 record. Everyone thought they’d win for sure.
But the Giants had other plans.
The game came down to one amazing play. Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a 32-yard pass to David Tyree. Tyree caught the ball against his helmet! It was crazy. This “Helmet Catch” helped the Giants score the winning touchdown.
Manning threw a 13-yard pass to Plaxico Burress with just 35 seconds left. The Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever. Next up, we’ll look at another wild upset that rocked the college basketball world.
#5: UMBC Men’s Basketball over Virginia, 2018 NCAA Tournament
UMBC shocked the sports world in 2018. They beat Virginia 74-54 in the NCAA Tournament. This was huge! UMBC was a 16 seed, and Virginia was a 1 seed. No 16 seed had ever won before.
UMBC was a big underdog, with odds of 20.5 points against them.
The game was close at first. But UMBC caught fire in the second half. They scored 53 points after halftime! This win ruined every perfect bracket in major games. It was truly a Cinderella story.
UMBC’s victory will go down as one of the biggest upsets ever in March Madness.
#4: USA Men's Ice Hockey over Soviet Union, 1980 Winter Olympics
Moving from college basketball to Olympic ice hockey, we find another amazing upset. The 1980 Winter Olympics saw a huge shock on the ice rink. Team USA, made up of young amateurs, beat the mighty Soviet Union 4-3.
This win was huge because the Soviets had won gold four times in a row before this.
The game took place on February 22, 1980. It was a true David vs. Goliath match. The U.S. team was full of college kids, with an average age of just 21. They faced off against the best hockey team in the world.
The Soviet players were pros and had years of experience. But on that day, the young Americans pulled off the impossible. This upset became known as the “Miracle on Ice” and is still talked about today.
#3: Texas Football over USC, BCS National Championship, 2006
From Olympic ice to college gridiron, sports upsets keep fans on the edge of their seats. In 2006, the Texas Longhorns shocked the world at the Rose Bowl. They beat the USC Trojans 41-38 in a nail-biting game.
Vince Young, Texas quarterback, was the star of the show. He ran for over 200 yards and threw for more than 260 yards. But his biggest play came near the end. On 4th-and-5, Young ran eight yards for a touchdown.
This clutch move sealed the win for Texas. It was a true David vs. Goliath moment in college football history.
#2: Howard Football over UNLV, 2017
Howard Football shocked the world in 2017. They beat UNLV 43-40 as a 45-point underdog. This win was huge! Howard’s freshman QB, Caylin Newton, ran for 190 yards and threw for 140 more.
He led his team to a big upset.
This game wasn’t just about the score. Howard got $600,000 just for playing. But they did more than show up. They won! It was a historic day for Howard. They proved that sometimes, the little guy can win big.
This game will be talked about for years to come.
#1: Leicester City winning the Premier League, 2015-2016 Season
Leicester City’s win in the 2015-16 Premier League is the stuff of legends. They beat 5,000 to 1 odds to become champions. That’s like flipping a coin and getting heads 12 times in a row! The team had barely stayed in the league the year before.
But under manager Claudio Ranieri, they did the impossible. They went from almost-losers to kings of English soccer in just one year.
This win shocked the world. Big teams with lots of money usually win the Premier League. But Leicester City proved that sometimes, the little guy can come out on top. They played great soccer all season long.
The players worked hard and never gave up. Fans around the world cheered for this underdog team. It was a magical season that no one will ever forget.
Bottom Line
Sports upsets never fail to amaze us. They show that anything can happen on game day. These wild wins remind us why we love sports. They prove that underdogs can beat the odds. Let’s keep cheering for the little guys who dream big!
