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How many times has an unranked team upset top 10 powerhouse in Week 1? FSU is latest
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- How many times has an unranked team upset top 10 powerhouse in Week 1? FSU is latest
Florida State football suffered an improbable loss overseas to start the 2024 college football season.
The Seminoles (0-1, 0-1 ACC) went down 24-21 on a last-second field goal to ACC foe Georgia Tech (1-0, 1-0 ACC) despite being ranked ranked No. 10 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25 Poll . They entered as 10.5-point favorites over ACC for Georgia Tech. Despite jumping out to an 8-0 lead on its first drive of the game, FSU's offense never found its footing in the first game as a Seminole for quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
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How this loss reflects in the Seminoles' national ranking, and more importantly impacts their College Football Playoff resume, remains to be seen. But what is known is the list of top 10 teams that Florida State joined Saturday by being upset by an unranked opponent in Week 1 and the rarity it has occurred in college football.
REQUIRED READING: No. 10 Florida State football upset by Georgia Tech in opener in Dublin | Three takeaways
Here's what you need to know on past upsets by unranked opponents vs. top 10 opponents in Week 1:
When was the last time a top 10 team lost to an unranked team in Week 1 of college football?
Before Florida State was upset by Georgia Tech on Saturday, the last top 10 team to lose to an unranked team in Week 1 of the college football season came last season when Duke beat No. 9 Clemson at home in Durham, North Carolina .
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REQUIRED READING: Grading Florida State football: Coaching staff lets team down
History of top 10 college football teams upset in Week 1 by unranked opponents
Here's a look back at past top 10 college football teams to be upset by an unranked team in Week 1 dating back to 2000:
Note: Some sites considered these games as Week 1 games despite taking place in Week 2 of their respective seasons , taking into account Week 0 designation .
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2001:Fresno State defeated No. 10 Oregon State
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2002:Colorado State defeated No. 7 Colorado
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2016: Texas defeated No. 10 Notre Dame
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2021: Virginia Tech defeated No. 10 North Carolina
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2022:Florida defeated No. 7 Utah
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2023:Duke defeated No. 9 Clemson
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2024:Georgia Tech defeated No. 10 FSU
REQUIRED READING: Georgia Tech upsets No. 10 Florida State in Dublin 24-21: Social media reactions
Unranked teams to beat an AP Top 10 conference opponent in season opener
Per ESPN's ACC Network play-by-play announcer Jorge Sedano on X (formerly Twitter), Florida State is the fifth AP Top 10 team to lose to an unranked conference opponent in its season opener over the last 40 years.
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Here's a look at other top 10 teams to have been beaten by an unranked conference opponent in its season opener per Sedano:
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2020:Mississippi State defeated No. 6 LSU
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2020: Indiana defeated No. 8 Penn State
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2021:Virginia Tech defeated No. 10 North Carolina
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2023:Duke defeated No. 9 Clemson
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2024:Georgia Tech defeated No. 10 Florida State
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: History top 10 teams upset in college football Week 1 after FSU loss
