Beating Two Top-10 Teams Consecutively

[javadoc]

When did we last do that?

 

[Halfmooncuse]

When did we last do that?

In the year ...never.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

When did we last do that?

So I decided to do a little research on this. Here's what I found:

2006 - Last time we played two top ten teams back to back. We played WVU on October 14th and lost 41-17. We followed that up with a 28-13 loss the next week against Louisville at home.

1992 - This is the closest we've ever come. And it's not in consecutive weeks, so not sure if that counts. We lost to #1 Miami 16-10. Then on New Years Day we beat #10 Colorado 26-22 in the Fiesta Bowl.

1982 - In 1982 we played #8 Penn State and #2 Pitt in back to back weeks. We lost 28-7 and 14-0.

1981 - Surprisingly we had a similar chance in 1981. We played #2 Penn State and lost 41-16 and then lost 23-10 to #2 Pitt the following week.

1978 - We lost to #10 Maryland 24-9 followed by yet another loss to the #2 Nitwits 45-15.

1959 - In 1959 we beat two top ten teams in the same year. We beat #7 Penn State 20-18. We beat #4 Texas on New Years Day at the Cotton Bowl 23-14. We actually beat #17 UCLA in our last regular season game 36-8.

1956 - We almost did it in 1956. We beat #6 Maryland to start the year 26-12. We vaulted from unranked to #7 in the polls. We then promptly lost to #10 Pitt 14-7.

So yeah, we've never beaten two top ten teams in consecutive weeks.

Let's talk about beating two top ten teams in a YEAR.

In 1959 we did it, as noted above.

In 1987 we almost did. We beat #10 PSU 48-21, and would have won in the Sugar Bowl if not for Pat Dye.

We had a chance in 1968. We beat #9 UCLA, but then lost our last game of the year to #3 PSU 30-12.

And that's it. We've beaten two top ten teams in the same year ONCE. And that was our national championship year.

Let's look at some other teams. These are current top 10 teams that have beaten two top 10 teams in consecutive weeks dating back to 2000 (some of these include playoffs, and bowls):

Alabama - 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009
Clemson - 2016, 2015
Penn State - 0
Georgia - 0
Washington - 0
TCU - 0
Wisconsin - 0
Washington St. - 0
Ohio St. - 2014
Auburn - 2013, 2005, 2003, 2002
Miami - 0
Oklahoma - 2013, 2002, 2000 (twice!)
USC - 2002

 

[orangenauburn]

I know it's been done but when is the last time anyone did it? Outside playoff and during regular season

 

[OrangeTarheel]

When has any team done that? Must be a rarity.

 

[CuseCrew08]

Especially as an unranked team in both games, Id bet that has never happened.

 

[Crusty]

Hmmmm

 

[DoctorBombay]

To paraphrase this guy:

 

[Finwad32]

When did we last do that?

Saturday, October 21st, 2017.

 

[SWC75]

 

[javadoc]

Saturday, October 21st, 2017.

History is waiting to be made.

 

[Toga]

Tennessee (I don't care)
Michigan

 

[Cuse'91]

Also, wouldn't mind seeing the D knockout the opposing starting qb in three straight games...

 

[DNABB5]

When did we last do that?

October 21st 2017

 

[CanadianSU]

Man do I wish we had BC (a good team but our easiest opponent left) on for this week

 

[SWC75]

Man do I wish we had BC (a good team but our easiest opponent left) on for this week

I'd rather play the teams we expect to beat when everything has calmed down.

 

[dasher]

The week after we beat Nebraska in '84, didn't we play a top rated Florida team?

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

The week after we beat Nebraska in '84, didn't we play a top rated Florida team?

According to sports reference, Florida was not ranked at that point in the year. They jumped into the poll at #18 after beating us. They finished the season #3 in the country.