Appalachian State shows why little guys still count in college football
- Share via
The buzz surrounding college football’s first weekend has focused almost entirely on the matchups between top-ranked teams.
Saturday’s marquee games — including No. 1 Alabama against No. 20 USC and No. 4 Florida State against No. 11 Mississippi — could have an immediate impact on the race for the January playoff.
Then again, the beauty of this game is its unpredictability, so tiny Appalachian State might have a say in the matter too.
The Mountaineers nearly pulled off a repeat of their 2007 shocker against Michigan on Thursday night, falling just short in a 20-13 overtime loss to No. 9 Tennessee.
“People weren’t really expecting us to come in and play like this,” linebacker Eric Boggs said.
Tennessee, a popular dark-horse pick to make the playoff, needed a missed field goal attempt and a fumble recovery in the end zone to win. It remains to be seen whether the close escape will hinder the Volunteers’ playoff prospects.
No one should argue against high-profile matchups in the nonconference schedule — they are good for the sport — but the little guys remain part of the overall picture.
Appalachian State has one more opportunity to tilt the national balance in a couple of weeks with a home game against Miami, which is hovering at the edge of the Top 25.
Tennessee Coach Butch Jones had this to say about the Mountaineers: “They’re a physical, tough football team that’s very active in their defensive front, which causes some issues up front.”
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
