College football’s bowl season often pits two bowl-eligible teams that would not normally play against each other. The two teams will compete at a neutral location to see which team will finish their respective seasons on a high note. Sometimes these rarely played matchups lead to completely unexpected surprises.

Here’s a look at the biggest bowl game upsets by point spread, going back to the FBS-FCS split in 1978. Data comes from ESPN Research:

1998 Humanitarian Bowl: Idaho (+17) def. Southern Miss 42-35

Idaho freshman John Welsh threw four touchdowns and the Vandals’ defense forced six turnovers in an upset win over the 17-point underdog Southern Miss Golden Eagles. In more than one release early in the season, Idaho was ranked last in all of Division I football. But under coach Chris Tormey, the Vandals won the Big West Conference and finished 1998 9-3, including a stunning win over Southern Miss at Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium (then Bronco Stadium).

ReliaQuest Bowl 2024: Michigan (+16.5) def. Alabama 19-13

Michigan let its defense call the shots in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl against No. 11 Alabama. An interception and two fumble recoveries in the first quarter gave the Wolverines an early 16-point lead, and Alabama – which had a 16.5-point advantage – was unable to mount a comeback.

Fiesta Bowl 2013: UCF (+16.5) def. Baylor 52-42

The UCF Knights became the biggest underdog winner in the BCS era when they defeated No. 6 Baylor, which entered the game as a 16.5-point favorite. UCF only had to commit four penalties for a total of 40 yards, outscoring the nation’s top-scoring team. The upset, sparked by Blake Bortles’ four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing), capped a 12-1 season for the Knights.

1990 Liberty Bowl: Air Force (+16.5) def. Ohio State 23-11

Air Force quarterback Rob Perez rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes as underdogs by 16.5 points at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (then Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium) in Memphis, Tennessee. The Buckeyes got within 13-11 in the fourth quarter but failed to convert a 2-pointer. It remains the only meeting between the two programs.

2013 Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma (+16) def. Alabama 45-31

Freshman Trevor Knight completed 32 of 44 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns, leading No. 11 Oklahoma past third-ranked Alabama. The Crimson Tide entered the battle between the two traditional programs as 16-point favorites. Oklahoma captured the crown in the 80th Sugar Bowl, the first in which quarterbacks from both teams threw for more than 300 yards. Crimson Tide QB AJ McCarron threw for 387 yards and two scores but had two interceptions.

1998 Sun Bowl: TCU (+16) def. USC 28-19

In the 65th Sun Bowl, TCU running back Basil Mitchell ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns as the Horned Frogs scored on their first three possessions and held off USC as a 16-point underdog in El Paso, Texas. The Trojans — led by future Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer with 280 passing yards — managed minus-23 yards on the ground.

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