On September 1st, 2007, the Big Ten Network made its debut, airing what should have been a relatively uneventful game between Michigan and Appalachian State. Instead, it turned into one of, if not the biggest, college football upsets of all time!

A back-and-forth battle ended with a dramatic blocked field goal, a moment that hasn’t left my mind since it happened. And it begs the question: are upsets of that magnitude dead? Has the disparity between teams made it nearly impossible for an App State to head into the Big House and take down Michigan? Will we ever see something like this again?

To help me relive this moment and explain the viability of a shocking upset in modern college football, I’m joined by Ty Hildenbrandt and Dan Rubenstein of The Solid Verbal. We remember some guys, talk about what an upset would look like in the 2026 college football landscape, and get in our time machines to go back to 2007, when NFL legends were still in college and people were watching games on Sony WEGA televisions.

Welcome to Episode 009 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here.

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Thanks The Solid Verbal. If you don’t already listen tot heir show, check it out wherever you get podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-solid-verbal-college-football/id270037732