80 Years Later . . .

They’ll Still be Talking About It!

Every once in awhile you read about these great, improbable upsets. This time Appalachian State University of Boone, North Carolina, upset the University of Michigan 34-32 in Michigan’s home opener. Now I’m not much of a sports fan or writer, but I think it shows just what happens when these big sports powerhouses get too cocky.

I also went to a small college, Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. It’s well-known for strong academic programs, but let’s face it, not for sports. Well, they, too have their own version of the great upset football story. Back in 1926, the Tech Tartans were playing Notre Dame (then coached by the legendary Knute Rockne) at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Coach Rockne though so little of the lowly Tech Tartans that he skipped the game to see Army play Navy in Chicago. As things turned out on November 27, 1926, Carnegie Tech, as it was then known, beat Notre Dame 19-0. (I guess this was one that they didn't win for the Gipper.) At CMU, they still talk about that game, too!

So in 2087, do you think the Michigan story will still be told at Appalachian State?