Ranking the 3 worst losses of college football Week 8
Looking back at college football Week 8, here are the three worst losses, a list that includes Texas A&M football, Syracuse, and Miami.
When you are comparing losses, there are a number of variables at play. College football is a sport with all sorts of variables.
So it can be hard to judge which losses are the worst compared to some others. Some might argue that then seventh-ranked Ole Miss losing on the road to LSU was among the worst defeats in college football Week 8, while others would argue that the spread actually favored LSU anyway and that the Tigers are now a top-20 team with a 6-2 record.
It was sort of an upset in name only. College football fans always see that ranking and think upset, but sometimes, it’s not even an upset.
That’s happened a few times this season. The spread can be a completely different animal than judging the game just by its outcome. Fan Duel had Syracuse as a 14-point underdog to Clemson and the Orange only lost by six.
Syracuse covered the spread but lost the game. On paper, it doesn’t sound bad, but as you will read, it made our list of three worst losses of college football Week 8 for a reason.
3. Syracuse blows a 14-point lead at Clemson
By all accounts, Syracuse played well. Yet, the Orange led Clemson 21-7 at one point in the second half and 21-10 going into the fourth quarter.
It should have been a program-changing win. Instead, the Tigers were able to rally and win 27-21, keeping an undefeated season intact. A big controversy was running back Sean Tucker only getting five carries because he gained 54 yards.
Dino Babers had some excuses about the Clemson defense but the bottom line is that he didn’t give the ball to his best player, in the most important game of the season, when his team had the lead. It just doesn’t make sense and in college football, close isn’t good enough.
Syracuse had Clemson on the ropes and couldn’t seal the deal. That’s why it has wound up on our list of worst losses from Week 8 of college football.