Biggest college football bowl game upsets, by point spread - ESPN

College football's bowl season often pairs two bowl-eligible teams that wouldn't ordinarily face each other. The two teams square off at a neutral site to see which team will end its respective season on a high note. Sometimes those rarely played matchups produce wildly unexpected upsets.

Here's a look at the largest bowl game upsets by point spread, dating back to the FBS-FCS split in 1978. Data are 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 Southern Miss Golden Eagles as a 17-point underdog. More than one publication at the beginning of the season ranked Idaho dead last in all of Division I football. But under coach Chris Tormey, the Vandals won the Big West Conference and finished 9-3 in 1998, including the stunning victory over Southern Miss at Boise State's Albertsons Stadium (then Bronco Stadium).

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

Michigan had its defense do the talking against No. 11 Alabama in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. An interception and two fumble recoveries in the first quarter allowed the Wolverines to jump out to an early 16-point lead, and Alabama--who were favored by 16.5 points--couldn't mount a comeback.

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

The UCF Knights became the biggest underdog winner in the BCS era when they toppled No. 6 Baylor, which entered the game as a 16.5-point favorite. UCF was flagged for just four penalties totaling 40 yards and outdueled the highest-scoring team in the country. The upset, powered by Blake Bortles' four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing), capped a 12-1 season for the