Schadenfootball

Although my favorite sports moments revolve around my teams winning, as of course they would, there is a part of me that is made almost as happy seeing teams that I don't like lose, especially in humiliating fashion. Many of my biggest schadenfreude moments over the years have involved the Yankees (2001 World Series, 2004 ALCS, 1995, 2002, 2005, and 2006 ALDS), but the easiest place to mine such moments is in college sports, where there are a number of schools that I just love to see lose because they've been obnoxiously successful throughout history and have fanbases that reflect that.

With that in mind, today has to be one of the greatest days for me as a college football fan, ever. The only better ones that come directly to mind: NU beating Wisconsin in 2000; NU beating Michigan in 2000; NU beating Ohio State in 2004... that might be it. There have certainly been other great schadenfreude games - the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, anyone? - but to have two major ones in one day, combined with a Northwestern win? Let's recap.

Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32

There are like 17 crazy great things about this one, but let's start with the three most obvious:
1) Michigan was ranked #5
2) Michigan was at home
3) A I-AA team had never beaten a ranked I-A opponent ever

People have been calling this the biggest upset in college football history. Usually this ends up being major hyperbole, but it's possible, although most of that would be due to the division status. I'm sure there's been a case of some terrible team upsetting a ranked team, and the two-time defending I-AA national champion is, realistically, probably at least a mediocre I-A team. And since it's the first game of the season, it may turn out that Michigan's ranking was unjustified. But it's still a pretty big deal, and might at least make football factories think twice about scheduling I-AA "cupcakes" in the future.

Georgia Tech 33, Notre Dame 3

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Worst season-opening loss by ND in school history. At home. Nuff said.

The sports year may yet disappoint me - God knows the Cubs are trying - but this was a pretty good start to the football part of it. The 27-0 win by NU (albeit over a I-AA Northeastern team) makes things even sweeter.