Fansided

5 potential college football upsets on the horizon

By Stu White

Oct 31, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Taniela Tupou (90) celebrates with his team after Washington defeated the Arizona Wildcats 49-3 at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Taniela Tupou (90) celebrates with his team after Washington defeated the Arizona Wildcats 49-3 at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 31, 2015; Annapolis, MD, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds (19) poses for a photo with his offensive line after the game against the South Florida Bulls at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy Midshipmen defeated South Florida Bulls 29-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; Annapolis, MD, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds (19) poses for a photo with his offensive line after the game against the South Florida Bulls at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy Midshipmen defeated South Florida Bulls 29-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Navy Midshipmen at Houston Cougars

Date: Friday, Nov. 27

This isn’t the sexiest game on this list, but it has the potential to be a sneaky good one, especially if the Houston Cougars, currently ranked 25th in the country, head into the game undefeated. If there’s chaos among the Power Five teams atop the CFP rankings — and considering the ridiculous season we’ve had so far, there’s no reason to expect anything but chaos for the next month — the nation’s eyes will be on the Cougars and their explosive offense, led by exceptional dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward Jr.

But don’t underestimate the Midshipmen. Sure, we don’t know a lot about Navy at this point in the season — the Midshipmen have only played two away games, and one of those was a 41-24 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish — but this weekend’s test against the no. 13 Memphis Tigers should tell us quite a bit about how the Midshipmen stack up against a powerful offense.

One thing we do know for sure, though, is that you should never, ever count out triple-option teams. Navy’s rushing attack, led by stud quarterback Keenan Reynolds, averages 319.71 yards per game, and their ability to control the ball in late-game situations is a huge asset. Houston has been strong against the run this year, allowing a scant 103.63 yards per game, but they haven’t been as stout in the fourth quarter. Of the 29 rushes of 10+ yards the Cougars have given up this year, ten of them have come in the fourth quarter. It’s also the time when the Cougars have given up the most rushes for first downs — 16. This could spell trouble for Houston, as Navy’s triple-option attack is designed to slowly but surely wear teams down.

Next: Oregon Ducks at Stanford Cardinal

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