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.

Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

 

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&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&rsquo;m Tony Reali, and I&rsquo;m so happy you&rsquo;re here.
Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks The Solid Verbal. If you don&rsquo;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
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REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.

 

Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.

 

This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It’s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.

 

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali is a sports culture podcast built around one irresistible moment at a time. A play. A clip. A photo. A legend. The cultural touchstones of sports that never leave us. Every episode starts small and goes deep into the story behind the story, the feeling behind the moment, and the human truth that explains why it's still living rent-free in our heads years later.
&nbsp;
Hosted by longtime ESPN personality Tony Reali, REAL DEAL blends storytelling, humor, nostalgia, emotional insight, and unpredictable energy with guests who complete the story. Athletes, broadcasters, superfans, comedians, journalists and the people nobody else would think to call.
&nbsp;
This is neither a debate show nor a recap show. It&rsquo;s an evergreen sports culture format built around the moments, stories, and emotional chaos that keep sports alive, always.
&nbsp;

REAL DEAL with Tony Reali

Could an App State-Michigan Upset Ever Happen Again in College Football? | The Solid Verbal

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2fff89e6-8836-41bb-858f-b4ba0155acd2/transcript