2011 Kickoff Countdown: The Wild 2007 Season

The 2007 season remains, without question, the most bizarre season of the Bowl Championship Series era. The benchmark for FCS program wins over the FBS was set, a two-loss team rose to the national championship, the final day of the season was a veritable roller coaster and the final BCS scene was an inexplicable mess. Basically, the Doomsday Scenario playoff proponents warn against was evident in this season.

In going back through the archives to pinpoint one or even two games to spotlight, it just wasn’t possible. Too much happened in this season to leave out some of the more odd occurrences. Earning the No. 2 ranking generally brought about bad things in this campaign. USC, Oregon, West Virginia, USF, Boston College — all achieved such recognition only to suffer upset. It was indicative of a wild year loaded with memorable games.

Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 2: Sept. 1

The tone for the entire season was set on its first Saturday morning broadcast, and the initial game broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The whole nation, Michigan in particular, learned the name Armanti Edwards. One of the greatest FCS players ever put on a show in leading what was deemed the biggest upset of all-time. The Mountaineers caught the heavily favored Wolverines off-guard with 28 first half points, 21 of which came in the second quarter.

Stanford 24, No. 2 USC 23: Oct. 6

ASU’s stake to the claim of biggest upset ever lasted about a month. So big was Stanford’s defeat of second ranked USC in the Coliseum, the university bookstore actually sold Biggest Upset Ever t-shirts. The Trojans had won at least shares of the previous five Pac-10 conference titles (and would do so again in both ’07 and ’08), while Stanford was coming off a last place finish in league. The Cardinal were 40.5-point underdogs and starting a back-up quarterback.

Yet, Stanford held USC to just nine first half points, then went on an inexplicable second half tear. All 24 of its points were scored in the second 30 minutes, and the Trojans were stymied again with just a single touchdown in each of the last two quarters.

No. 17 Kentucky 43, No. 1 LSU 37 (3OT): Oct. 13

Kentucky’s 2007 was a season for the ages in Lexington. Wildcat basketball was in a rare funk, but the football team was pushing for an even rarer shot at the SEC Championship. Quarterback Andre Woodson was dealing for the Wildcats, throwing three touchdowns including the game winner in triple overtime and spurring the necessary comeback to force extra frames with a late third quarter score. Woodson’s TD in that third quarter began a 13-0 march back from a 27-14 deficit.

Arizona 34, No. 2 Oregon 24: Nov. 15

USC’s reign of conference championships and automatic BCS bowl berths was in jeopardy heading into November. Oregon had knocked on the door in 2005, but just weren’t up to snuff with those particular Trojans. The 2007 version, however, had legitimate designs on both the conference and national championships. But the Ducks ran into an odd phenomenon of recent years: under the lights of Arizona Stadium, UA played up.

Solidifying the Wildcats’ case for upset was talented dual threat quarterback Dennis Dixon suffering a knee injury early on, make no mistake. But UA had a first half that goes down in Wildcat history as perhaps its best. It didn’t start that way, though. The Ducks reached the end zone in under three minutes after kickoff, then Mike Bellotti’s hubris was exhibited in a two-point conversion. The rout, seemingly, was on. Questions about Dixon’s health arose before the game, and a bye week leading up to it excused his ailments. But Dixon buckled on the grass without being tackled. The tide then turned.

Willie Tuitama’s long bomb touchdown pass to Mike Thomas in the second quarter was the second such connection between T-N-T, and the meat of Antoine Cason’s scoring sandwich. The senior cornerback’s final game at Arizona Stadium was perhaps his finest. He returned an interception 42 yards for a score, and later a punt 56 yards for another. That was all the scoring UA needed, as the defense buckled down in the second half to secure the win.

Pitt 13, No. 2 West Virginia 9: Dec. 1

Pitt was playing for nothing but pride. In the Backyard Brawl though, that’s all the motivation either side needs. The Panthers were in Year 3 of the Wannstedt Era and again ending out of the bowl picture, but the season ended on quite the high note. West Virginia needed only to win and it would play Ohio State in New Orleans for the BCS Championship. The Panther defense had other plans.

In one of the ugliest offensive games ever played, dynamic Mountaineer quarterback Pat White was held to 91 yards *total*, West Virginia scored just twice and the Panthers got the necessary offensive punch they needed from LeSean McCoy for a 13-9 victory. The second WVa. score was a safety Pitt conceded to run out the clock’s final seconds.

It was the final punctuation leading to LSU winning a title in the most fitting Les Miles’ian fashion.

No. 11 Hawaii 35, Washington 28

Boise State’s dramatic defeat of Oklahoma to cap the 2006 season had fans clamoring for more BCS buster magic the following year. That Hawaii team wasn’t at the level of the ’04 Utah Utes or ’06 Broncos, but Colt Brennan had overcome personal demons to become a Heisman Trophy finalist and June Jones’ uptempo style of football made UH an exciting contender.

The wildest regular season ended in fitting fashion. UW had been on the cusp of big things in ’07. The Huskies beat Boise State (the Broncos’ first loss since the 2005 Humanitarian Bowl), upset Cal, suffered three and six point heartbreakers against USC and Oregon State and blew a big lead to lose to Arizona.

But with one last shot at spoiling a season, the Huskies were locked in. UW built a three-touchdown lead in the first quarter while much of the nation slept, and took a second 21-point lead in the second quarter.

The Warriors systematically chipped away. Brennan connected with Jason Rivers three separate times in the first half, and UH climbed to within a touchdown by halftime. The UH defense was allowing nothing after falling behind 28-7, but the offense couldn’t fully bridge the gap until the fourth quarter.

That was when Brennan found Rivers a fourth time midway through the last stanza to tie it. In dramatic fashion, it was again Brennan striking the final shot with under a minute play, giving UH its only lead and securing a Sugar Bowl berth.