[BostonCard]

That 2001 W over Oregon is Top 5 regular season Ws for Stanford football . . . at least in my fandom.  Incredible game.

Yes, that is one of those games where I remember where I was, 20 years later.  That game featured more incredible special teams plays than you might see in an entire season:
One punt return for a TD (by the Ducks)
One kick-off return for a TD (by the Duckes)
Two(!) blocked punts (by Stanford)
One successful on-sides kick (by Stanford)
One blocked extra point (by the Ducks)
A successful two-point conversion (by Stanford)

On top of that Stanford went for it on fourth down 4 times (converting 2), and each team had a missed field goal.

BC

[BostonCard]

That 2001 W over Oregon is Top 5 regular season Ws for Stanford football . . . at least in my fandom.  Incredible game.

Yes, that is one of those games where I remember where I was, 20 years later.  That game featured more incredible special teams plays than you might see in an entire season:
One punt return for a TD (by the Ducks)
One kick-off return for a TD (by the Duckes)
Two(!) blocked punts (by Stanford)
One successful on-sides kick (by Stanford)
One blocked extra point (by the Ducks)
A successful two-point conversion (by Stanford)

On top of that Stanford went for it on fourth down 4 times (converting 2), and each team had a missed field goal.

BC

[terry]

Chris Lewis led Stanford to a win over Texas in 2000. I believe Texas was ranked #5.

[terry]

Chris Lewis led Stanford to a win over Texas in 2000. I believe Texas was ranked #5.

[BostonCard]

Chris Lewis led Stanford to a win over Texas in 2000. I believe Texas was ranked #5.

The crazy thing is that the 1999 team that went to the Rose Bowl lost disastrously to Texas, while the 2000 team that went 5-6 beat Texas team that was (as you noted) ranked #5 at the time, and ended up ranked #12.  The team went 9-3, with losses to Oklahoma and two Pac-10 teams (Stanford, and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl).

BC

[BostonCard]

Chris Lewis led Stanford to a win over Texas in 2000. I believe Texas was ranked #5.

The crazy thing is that the 1999 team that went to the Rose Bowl lost disastrously to Texas, while the 2000 team that went 5-6 beat Texas team that was (as you noted) ranked #5 at the time, and ended up ranked #12.  The team went 9-3, with losses to Oklahoma and two Pac-10 teams (Stanford, and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl).

BC

[martyup]

I have updated my list at the top of this thread.  I couldn't find point spreads for most of the games, so I had to guess based on the rankings. While the 2001 Oregon game might have been a great game, IMO it wasn't as big an upset as those on my list.  Notice that 8 out of 10 were road games.

I'm sure there were some big upsets in earlier years, but I couldn't find enough information on them to include them on my list. Sorry Phogge.

[martyup]

I have updated my list at the top of this thread.  I couldn't find point spreads for most of the games, so I had to guess based on the rankings. While the 2001 Oregon game might have been a great game, IMO it wasn't as big an upset as those on my list.  Notice that 8 out of 10 were road games.

I'm sure there were some big upsets in earlier years, but I couldn't find enough information on them to include them on my list. Sorry Phogge.

[martyup]

Watch Stanford football's #1 upset of all time:

Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIUh11fcbFY

Full Game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbCZpuEQzwo

[martyup]

Watch Stanford football's #1 upset of all time:

Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIUh11fcbFY

Full Game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbCZpuEQzwo

[TriangleTree]

[quote="teejers1" pid='325414' dateline='1631660019']

That 2001 W over Oregon is Top 5 regular season Ws for Stanford football . . . at least in my fandom.  Incredible game.

That remains for me the best sports event I ever attended.  
It was the single loss for an Oregon team team  that finished the season #2 after a thrashing of #3 Colorado
Sadly, that was also the Seattle Bowl season which led to the Dark Ages.

[TriangleTree]

[quote="teejers1" pid='325414' dateline='1631660019']

That 2001 W over Oregon is Top 5 regular season Ws for Stanford football . . . at least in my fandom.  Incredible game.

That remains for me the best sports event I ever attended.  
It was the single loss for an Oregon team team  that finished the season #2 after a thrashing of #3 Colorado
Sadly, that was also the Seattle Bowl season which led to the Dark Ages.

[UltimateCard]

I have updated my list at the top of this thread.  I couldn't find point spreads for most of the games, so I had to guess based on the rankings. While the 2001 Oregon game might have been a great game, IMO it wasn't as big an upset as those on my list.  Notice that 8 out of 10 were road games.

The spread for the 1979 tie against USC was 22 points. Our freshman dorm road trip to the Coliseum for that game is one of my favorite Stanford memories. Down 21-0 at the half, I remember our group saying "at least we're beating the spread" and "maybe they'll put (our freshman classmate) John Elway into the game." Somehow Turk Schonert got hot, the D stopped eventual H-award winner Charles White and the "student body" sweeps, and Gordie Banks for the second week in a row blocked a FG attempt to preserve the "upset." That result prevented SC from claiming the national championship at season's end. Here's the Sports Illustrated write-up: https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/10/22/the-week.

Going to that game cemented my Stanford football fandom. As a first-gen college student from NYC, my college search process wasn't the most rigorous - the Bill Walsh-coached comeback in the 1978 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl (and vague memories of Plunkett-to-Vataha in the 1971 Rose Bowl) led me to believe I would get to enjoy big time college football as a student, especially with Elway in our class. Not a month into my freshman year, I watched Ken Naber kick a 56-yard FG to beat UCLA in front of 70,000 at the old Stanford Stadium and then the following week witnessed the shocking tie against the #1-ranked Trojans (and survived the incessant blaring of "Conquest"). Sadly, those were the highs in an up-and-down season that finished 5-5-1 (foreshadowing my roller coaster ride as a Stanford football fan over the years). We never did go to a bowl game during my student days but those game day experiences were intoxicating. I keep coming back for more.

[UltimateCard]

I have updated my list at the top of this thread.  I couldn't find point spreads for most of the games, so I had to guess based on the rankings. While the 2001 Oregon game might have been a great game, IMO it wasn't as big an upset as those on my list.  Notice that 8 out of 10 were road games.

The spread for the 1979 tie against USC was 22 points. Our freshman dorm road trip to the Coliseum for that game is one of my favorite Stanford memories. Down 21-0 at the half, I remember our group saying "at least we're beating the spread" and "maybe they'll put (our freshman classmate) John Elway into the game." Somehow Turk Schonert got hot, the D stopped eventual H-award winner Charles White and the "student body" sweeps, and Gordie Banks for the second week in a row blocked a FG attempt to preserve the "upset." That result prevented SC from claiming the national championship at season's end. Here's the Sports Illustrated write-up: https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/10/22/the-week.

Going to that game cemented my Stanford football fandom. As a first-gen college student from NYC, my college search process wasn't the most rigorous - the Bill Walsh-coached comeback in the 1978 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl (and vague memories of Plunkett-to-Vataha in the 1971 Rose Bowl) led me to believe I would get to enjoy big time college football as a student, especially with Elway in our class. Not a month into my freshman year, I watched Ken Naber kick a 56-yard FG to beat UCLA in front of 70,000 at the old Stanford Stadium and then the following week witnessed the shocking tie against the #1-ranked Trojans (and survived the incessant blaring of "Conquest"). Sadly, those were the highs in an up-and-down season that finished 5-5-1 (foreshadowing my roller coaster ride as a Stanford football fan over the years). We never did go to a bowl game during my student days but those game day experiences were intoxicating. I keep coming back for more.

[Papa John]

Watch Stanford football's #1 upset of all time:

Highlights:

Full Game:

I had forgotten that Tavita Pritchard took the last snap in victory formation versus USC in both 2007 and 2009.

[Papa John]

Watch Stanford football's #1 upset of all time:

Highlights:

Full Game:

I had forgotten that Tavita Pritchard took the last snap in victory formation versus USC in both 2007 and 2009.

[Phogge]

For Marty... the Ohio State upset was titanic. The Bucs were coming off a shared national championship and a Rose Bowl win over USC. Note: the other champ was UCLA, undefeated and ineligible because of the Big 10/PCC ban on consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl. Plus they had the eventual Voldemort winner in Hopalong Cassidy. Stanford was coming off Chuck Taylor's first crappy season, a year that UCLA beat them 72-0. Plus in those days there was only one televised college game and Stanford/OS was it that week.

I remember that Ed MaCually kept calling the name of Joe Long who played C/LB and must have had over 20 tackles. I also seem to remember that Brodie and Jerry Gustafson alternated at QB. And that WR Paul Camera had played at St. Ignatius where my uncle was head football coach.

[Phogge]

For Marty... the Ohio State upset was titanic. The Bucs were coming off a shared national championship and a Rose Bowl win over USC. Note: the other champ was UCLA, undefeated and ineligible because of the Big 10/PCC ban on consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl. Plus they had the eventual Voldemort winner in Hopalong Cassidy. Stanford was coming off Chuck Taylor's first crappy season, a year that UCLA beat them 72-0. Plus in those days there was only one televised college game and Stanford/OS was it that week.

I remember that Ed MaCually kept calling the name of Joe Long who played C/LB and must have had over 20 tackles. I also seem to remember that Brodie and Jerry Gustafson alternated at QB. And that WR Paul Camera had played at St. Ignatius where my uncle was head football coach.

[martyup]

Phogge, thanks for the context on the Rose Bowl win against tOSU.  Where would you rank that in the list?

[martyup]

Phogge, thanks for the context on the Rose Bowl win against tOSU.  Where would you rank that in the list?

[terry]

For Marty... the Ohio State upset was titanic. The Bucs were coming off a shared national championship and a Rose Bowl win over USC. Note: the other champ was UCLA, undefeated and ineligible because of the Big 10/PCC ban on consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl. Plus they had the eventual Voldemort winner in Hopalong Cassidy. Stanford was coming off Chuck Taylor's first crappy season, a year that UCLA beat them 72-0. Plus in those days there was only one televised college game and Stanford/OS was it that week.

I remember that Ed MaCually kept calling the name of Joe Long who played C/LB and must have had over 20 tackles. I also seem to remember that Brodie and Jerry Gustafson alternated at QB. And that WR Paul Camera had played at St. Ignatius where my uncle was head football coach.

A bit more about Stanford's 6-0 upset of OSU in 1955 --

The only TD in that game came on Stanford's opening drive. Stanford went 71 yards in 13 plays, scoring on a 1-yard pass from Jerry "Gus" Gustafson to Paul Camera. 

Ohio State threatened in the 4th quarter, driving to Stanford's 15 yard line before Camera intercepted a pass from Frank Theis.

Stanford's Bill Tarr ran for 102 yards on 20 carries, out-gaining OSU's Hopalong Cassady, who was held to 37 yards on 11 carries. Stanford's Joe Long played all 60 minutes.

[terry]

For Marty... the Ohio State upset was titanic. The Bucs were coming off a shared national championship and a Rose Bowl win over USC. Note: the other champ was UCLA, undefeated and ineligible because of the Big 10/PCC ban on consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl. Plus they had the eventual Voldemort winner in Hopalong Cassidy. Stanford was coming off Chuck Taylor's first crappy season, a year that UCLA beat them 72-0. Plus in those days there was only one televised college game and Stanford/OS was it that week.

I remember that Ed MaCually kept calling the name of Joe Long who played C/LB and must have had over 20 tackles. I also seem to remember that Brodie and Jerry Gustafson alternated at QB. And that WR Paul Camera had played at St. Ignatius where my uncle was head football coach.

A bit more about Stanford's 6-0 upset of OSU in 1955 --

The only TD in that game came on Stanford's opening drive. Stanford went 71 yards in 13 plays, scoring on a 1-yard pass from Jerry "Gus" Gustafson to Paul Camera. 

Ohio State threatened in the 4th quarter, driving to Stanford's 15 yard line before Camera intercepted a pass from Frank Theis.

Stanford's Bill Tarr ran for 102 yards on 20 carries, out-gaining OSU's Hopalong Cassady, who was held to 37 yards on 11 carries. Stanford's Joe Long played all 60 minutes.

[Phogge]

The January 1, 1971 Rose Bowl win might be #1 on my list. I just missed the previous RB (1952 loss to Illinois) so the win was a culmination of my almost 20 year love affair with Stanford football. I was lucky to be one of the 35mm operators on the USIA film "One Man, Jim Plunkett." So I was in the corner of the end zone when Bob Moore made his spectacular catch and on the 50 yard line when the band played the Barnes' version of the Star Spangled Banner post game (the RB committee refused the offer to play it pregame). It was a film that by statute (propaganda) could not be screened in the USA. It actually was telecast one time only many years later on PBS. As a crew we won two first place awards at the World Sportsfilm Awards in 1972.

So, my top ten (witnessed in person).

1) Rose Bowl over Ohio State
2) 1970 over USC
3) Rose Bowl over Michigan 1972
4) Upset of Michigan State 1962
5) Big Game 1990
6) Win vs Ohio State 1955
7) Big Game 1991 (Vardell and shutting up Palawski)
8) USC 1975 (Mike Lankford)
9) Win over #1 Washington 1982
10) Win at Oklahoma 1980 (Trying to keep my lens dry in a driving rainstorm)

Individual performance
1) Dave Chaney SJS at Stanford 1971
2) Ed Cummings in win over MSU 1962
3) OJ Simpson vs Stanford 1968

[Phogge]

The January 1, 1971 Rose Bowl win might be #1 on my list. I just missed the previous RB (1952 loss to Illinois) so the win was a culmination of my almost 20 year love affair with Stanford football. I was lucky to be one of the 35mm operators on the USIA film "One Man, Jim Plunkett." So I was in the corner of the end zone when Bob Moore made his spectacular catch and on the 50 yard line when the band played the Barnes' version of the Star Spangled Banner post game (the RB committee refused the offer to play it pregame). It was a film that by statute (propaganda) could not be screened in the USA. It actually was telecast one time only many years later on PBS. As a crew we won two first place awards at the World Sportsfilm Awards in 1972.

So, my top ten (witnessed in person).

1) Rose Bowl over Ohio State
2) 1970 over USC
3) Rose Bowl over Michigan 1972
4) Upset of Michigan State 1962
5) Big Game 1990
6) Win vs Ohio State 1955
7) Big Game 1991 (Vardell and shutting up Palawski)
8) USC 1975 (Mike Lankford)
9) Win over #1 Washington 1982
10) Win at Oklahoma 1980 (Trying to keep my lens dry in a driving rainstorm)

Individual performance
1) Dave Chaney SJS at Stanford 1971
2) Ed Cummings in win over MSU 1962
3) OJ Simpson vs Stanford 1968

[martyup]

Re-watch Stanford's 2012 upset of the #2 ranked Oregon Ducks.  Shaw's second year.  Hogan's first road start.  Mariota leads the Ducks at QB, with the help of RBs D'Anthony Thomas and Varner.  This is a great example of the "bend don't break" Stanford defense led by Skov and Chase Thomas.  Somehow we overcame 3 turnovers and won it in overtime.  This was the game with the incredible Ertz TD catch in the endzone that was initially called incomplete.

Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9kN6pVYs6U

Full game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZkvzK1Soqg

[martyup]

Re-watch Stanford's 2012 upset of the #2 ranked Oregon Ducks.  Shaw's second year.  Hogan's first road start.  Mariota leads the Ducks at QB, with the help of RBs D'Anthony Thomas and Varner.  This is a great example of the "bend don't break" Stanford defense led by Skov and Chase Thomas.  Somehow we overcame 3 turnovers and won it in overtime.  This was the game with the incredible Ertz TD catch in the endzone that was initially called incomplete.

Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9kN6pVYs6U

Full game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZkvzK1Soqg