SWC75
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We are about to take on Florida State , the #2 team in the country and are rated as 38 ½ point underdogs. Naturally, I had to wonder what the point spread was when we beat #1 Nebraska back in 1984. And when I wondered that, I wondered what the spread- and the results were when we’ve played a team ranked that high. I used the Post Standard Archive and the SU Media Guide to find out:
10/18/52 at #1 Michigan State
I couldn’t find a specific point spread but the paper said we were “3 touchdown underdogs”. It was worse than that. We lost 7-48.
10/22/55 vs. #2 Maryland in Archbold
Maryland was favored by 14. They topped that, 13-34.
(Texas was ranked #4 when we beat them in 1/1/60 Cotton Bowl)
9/24/66 vs. #2 UCLA in Archbold
We were pretty good ourselves and the Bruins were only a 7 point favorite. But they won by 12-31.
10/30/76 at #2 Pittsburgh
The Panthers were favored by “4 touchdowns” but barely held on thanks to some home cookin’ by the refs, 13-23.
10/21/78 at #2 Penn State
Penn State was “as much as a 29 point favorite for this one. We lost 15-45.
9/13/80 at #1 Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 25 point favorites and we shocked them by taking a 21-3 lead. Then talent took over from emotion and we lost 21-31.
10/17/81 vs. #2 Penn State at the Dome
The first of two consecutive games against #2 ranked teams, (#1 Texas lost to Arkansas this same day). The Lions were favored by 16 ½ and topped that, 16-41.
10/24/81 at #2 Pittsburgh
The Panthers were a bigger favorite than the Lions had been, 24 points. But they couldn’t cover, 10-23.
10/1/83 at #1 Nebraska.
We were 36 point underdogs but couldn’t hold the Huskers to that, losing 7-63.
9/28/84 vs. #1 Nebraska at the Dome
Strangely, we were only 24 point underdogs, despite the previous year’s result and the fact that we’d managed to get shut out at home by Rutgers, 0-19 the previous week. Go figure. But we won, 17-9. Go figure.
11/24/90 at #2 Miami
The first of several confrontations with the Hurricanes in their glory era. They were favored by 20 and won 7-33.
9/28/91 at #1 Florida State
The ‘Noles were favored by 18. We got off to a great start, taking a 14-7 lead that would have been 21-7 except for a dropped pass in the end zone. We’d just whipped Florida in the Dome two weeks before and it looked like we were going to do it again. We were doing it with quick-hitting plays that got the ball moving forward as fast as possible. Then we started running the near-side option over and over again and lost 14-46. That still bugs me after all these years. Can you tell?
11/21/92 vs. #1 Miami at the Dome
We were only a 6 point dog at the Dome. We spent the first half running the near-side option, then got smart and started going right at them and started dominating the game. But we couldn’t manage the clock and the game ended at the 3 yard line with the ‘Canes still leading 10-16, the exactly margin they were supposed to win by.
(Virginia Tech was #4 when they swamped us 0-62 in 1999)
10/21/00 vs. #2 Virginia Tech at the Dome
The Hokies were 13 ½ point favorites. This was Dwight Freeney’s big coming out party. He sacked Michael Vick 5 times, (officially 4½ because he had help on one of them). We built up a 14-0 lead. Then Troy Nunes started to give the ball away and Tech rallied to win 14-22.
11/18/00 vs. #2 Miami at the Dome
Miami was a 13 point favorite and doubled that, winning 0-26.
11/17/01 at Miami, who was #1 in the writer’s poll and #2 in the coach’s poll.
This was the big confrontation between the Orangemen, who had won 8 in a row and were ranked #14/#13 and the Canes for the Big East title and a spot in a BCS bowl, maybe the big one. The home team was a 21 point favorite. They won by nearly three times that much, 0-59. Our defense was going to keep us in it.
11/30/02 vs. #1 Miami at the Dome.
This time the Canes were 20 point favorites and that wasn’t enough, either, 7-49.
9/8/12 vs. #2 Southern California at the Meadowlands
The Trojans were 25 point favorites but we threw a scare into ‘em, 29-42. They turned out to be paper tigers, err Trojans, finishing with a worse record than we did 7-6 vs. 8-5.
11/16/13 vs. #2 Florida State
We are 38 ½ point underdogs.
We are 6-11-1 against the spread vs. #1-2 teams. The average spread in those games has been 20 points. The average margin of defeat , including the ’78 Penn State game, has been 24 points.
10/18/52 at #1 Michigan State
I couldn’t find a specific point spread but the paper said we were “3 touchdown underdogs”. It was worse than that. We lost 7-48.
10/22/55 vs. #2 Maryland in Archbold
Maryland was favored by 14. They topped that, 13-34.
(Texas was ranked #4 when we beat them in 1/1/60 Cotton Bowl)
9/24/66 vs. #2 UCLA in Archbold
We were pretty good ourselves and the Bruins were only a 7 point favorite. But they won by 12-31.
10/30/76 at #2 Pittsburgh
The Panthers were favored by “4 touchdowns” but barely held on thanks to some home cookin’ by the refs, 13-23.
10/21/78 at #2 Penn State
Penn State was “as much as a 29 point favorite for this one. We lost 15-45.
9/13/80 at #1 Ohio State
The Buckeyes were 25 point favorites and we shocked them by taking a 21-3 lead. Then talent took over from emotion and we lost 21-31.
10/17/81 vs. #2 Penn State at the Dome
The first of two consecutive games against #2 ranked teams, (#1 Texas lost to Arkansas this same day). The Lions were favored by 16 ½ and topped that, 16-41.
10/24/81 at #2 Pittsburgh
The Panthers were a bigger favorite than the Lions had been, 24 points. But they couldn’t cover, 10-23.
10/1/83 at #1 Nebraska.
We were 36 point underdogs but couldn’t hold the Huskers to that, losing 7-63.
9/28/84 vs. #1 Nebraska at the Dome
Strangely, we were only 24 point underdogs, despite the previous year’s result and the fact that we’d managed to get shut out at home by Rutgers, 0-19 the previous week. Go figure. But we won, 17-9. Go figure.
11/24/90 at #2 Miami
The first of several confrontations with the Hurricanes in their glory era. They were favored by 20 and won 7-33.
9/28/91 at #1 Florida State
The ‘Noles were favored by 18. We got off to a great start, taking a 14-7 lead that would have been 21-7 except for a dropped pass in the end zone. We’d just whipped Florida in the Dome two weeks before and it looked like we were going to do it again. We were doing it with quick-hitting plays that got the ball moving forward as fast as possible. Then we started running the near-side option over and over again and lost 14-46. That still bugs me after all these years. Can you tell?
11/21/92 vs. #1 Miami at the Dome
We were only a 6 point dog at the Dome. We spent the first half running the near-side option, then got smart and started going right at them and started dominating the game. But we couldn’t manage the clock and the game ended at the 3 yard line with the ‘Canes still leading 10-16, the exactly margin they were supposed to win by.
(Virginia Tech was #4 when they swamped us 0-62 in 1999)
10/21/00 vs. #2 Virginia Tech at the Dome
The Hokies were 13 ½ point favorites. This was Dwight Freeney’s big coming out party. He sacked Michael Vick 5 times, (officially 4½ because he had help on one of them). We built up a 14-0 lead. Then Troy Nunes started to give the ball away and Tech rallied to win 14-22.
11/18/00 vs. #2 Miami at the Dome
Miami was a 13 point favorite and doubled that, winning 0-26.
11/17/01 at Miami, who was #1 in the writer’s poll and #2 in the coach’s poll.
This was the big confrontation between the Orangemen, who had won 8 in a row and were ranked #14/#13 and the Canes for the Big East title and a spot in a BCS bowl, maybe the big one. The home team was a 21 point favorite. They won by nearly three times that much, 0-59. Our defense was going to keep us in it.
11/30/02 vs. #1 Miami at the Dome.
This time the Canes were 20 point favorites and that wasn’t enough, either, 7-49.
9/8/12 vs. #2 Southern California at the Meadowlands
The Trojans were 25 point favorites but we threw a scare into ‘em, 29-42. They turned out to be paper tigers, err Trojans, finishing with a worse record than we did 7-6 vs. 8-5.
11/16/13 vs. #2 Florida State
We are 38 ½ point underdogs.
We are 6-11-1 against the spread vs. #1-2 teams. The average spread in those games has been 20 points. The average margin of defeat , including the ’78 Penn State game, has been 24 points.
