Ask Farrell: Which upset was the biggest surprise last weekend?
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It was Upset Weekend in college football.
Four teams in the top 10 went down. Three others in the top 25 lost. It was the biggest weekend of upsets so far this season, and it shook up the College Football Playoff landscape and more.
Let’s start at the top. Second-ranked Georgia went to LSU and got dominated, 36-16. The Bulldogs didn’t score until the third quarter and were run out of the building in the fourth. It was Georgia’s worst loss since getting blown out at Auburn last season.
Then there was sixth-ranked West Virginia, which looked to have an unstoppable offense until it visited Iowa State and lost 30-14. The Cyclones held the Mountaineers to 100 passing yards and 52 rushing yards, astonishing numbers since West Virginia hadn’t scored fewer than 35 points all season.
No. 17 Oregon and No. 7 Washington went back-and-forth in a thrilling Pac-12 North battle before the Ducks won in overtime. After Washington kicker Peyton Henry kicked a field goal for the Huskies in the extra period, Oregon had its chance to win with a touchdown - and that’s what the Ducks did. CJ Verdell ran in from 6 yards and Oregon took down the Huskies.
Eighth-ranked Penn State never trailed until the last 19 seconds in another back-and-forth contest in Happy Valley that saw Michigan State receiver Felton Davis score on a 25-yard pass in the waning moments to take down the Nittany Lions.
Also in the top 25, USC upended previously-undefeated and No. 19 Colorado, Tennessee snapped its 11-game SEC losing streak by winning at No. 21 Auburn and Virginia downed No. 13 Miami.
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to weigh in on which top-25 loss came as the biggest surprise to him.
FARRELL'S TAKE
“To me it was West Virginia, and that would be the answer for a lot of people. While Georgia was an upset, it was a loss on the road at LSU. Washington and Oregon was a bit of a toss-up, and Penn State losing to Michigan State isn’t stunning. Throw in USC beating Colorado and you have some upsets for sure, but nothing like Iowa State beating West Virginia.
"The Mountaineers were expected to be undefeated heading into some key contests, especially Texas, but losing to Iowa State is a huge blow to their Big 12 chances. And the way they lost, with such an inept offensive performance, is even more surprising. To me, it was a weekend of upsets for sure, but West Virginia’s loss to Iowa State was by far the biggest.”