B1G 2016 // Indiana Potluck Part 5: Pizza Party!

Founded in Jeffersonville, Indiana by Ball State alum "Papa" John Schnatter, Papa John's Pizza has expanded to over 4700 locations worldwide, and is served at numerous stadiums nationwide. There's probably one in your town* right now, in fact. *Statement likely only valid in the US, but you never know

Why it's part of the Potluck: Pizza and football just go together so well. And because it gives me the opportunity to post one of OTE's favorite pictures again, for old times sake.

Playing in a conference with a bunch of nationally relevant schools, Indiana has had plenty of chances to spring a major upset, but has yet to really capitalize on any of them. What was the first upset (preferably in football) that you remember as being a big deal for your school?

Andrew Kraszewski: If we're talking about within the clear framework of my fandom, probably Little Giants over Notre Dame. There have been other great upsets in my lifetime - Desmond Howard tripping over his own feet to lose the game sure comes to mind - but Little Giants was a watershed moment in Dantonio's tenure. So much of MSU's history over the preceding 20 years had been about having that big moment in hand and finding some excruciating way to screw it up, it was quite cathartic to get it right for a change. And MSU hasn't really looked back.

MNWildcat: As a youth, I remember 1999, Dan Nystrom lifting the Gophers over the #2 Nittany Lions in Happy Valley as time expired. What a game. In my Northwestern memory (I was only 14 and not thinking about college when the OSU upset at Ryan Field happened), while the field-rushings at the end of both Wisconsin games were cool [stupid band obligations] and the Stanford game was a major upset, it's Notre Dame in 2014. How could it ​not​ be Notre Dame in 2014? http://www.offtackleempire.com/2014/11/18/7238251/i-was-there-when

StewMonkey13: A few spring to mind.  In chronological order.  I have vague recollections of the '85 Iowa/Michigan (fuck Harbaugh) game, but Iowa was ranked #2 in the Nation, so not sure how much that counts.  Next would be the magical '90 season.  Iowa just beat the shit out of powerhouse Illinois (yes, you read that right).  I lived in Wisconsin at the time (fuck Wisconsin), and my family and another family of Illini fans drove out to the country on a high hill so we could pick up the radio call.  It was awesome.  In '91 there was the game against OSU at the shoe immediately following the Gang Lu shootings in Iowa City.  Iowa wore no decals, and beat OSU.  Again, though, I was actually ranked higher at the time, so not sure it counts.  I'll also always have a place in my heart for the '08 game against PSU.  I was there when Murray drilled that FG.  It was glorious.

AlnamiasIV: The first upset I remember for my school? 2002 Iowa over Michigan in the Big House. It officially announced the 2002 Hawkeyes and Kirk Ferentz specifically as being nationally relevant. And it was not only an upset, it was a trouncing: 34-9 over a good Michigan squad in the Big House.

Jesse Collins: In football? Probably 1994 Season, 1995 Orange Bowl over Miami. That was looked at as a surefire loss and yet we finally did the unthinkable and beat the Hurricanes in their stadium. Bonus points go to Florida the next year who many thought would pass all over Nebraska, but LOL. Historically, any time Nebraska beat Oklahoma was an upset, but that rivalry was long established by the time I started watching.

LincolnParkWildcat: I’ll never forget the day that Northwestern defeated Notre Dame in 1995. I had just returned home from my freshman year high school game, and I turn on the TV, and see that NU is leading ND. I get my dad in the room and was completely shocked at the result. Before that point, I was a Notre Dame fan, but this game started the process of switching to NU that finalized once my brother enrolled five years later.

Nate Peterson: As a Gopher fan, it has to be 2013 over Nebraska. You could say Floyd in 2010 but the Gophers had beaten Iowa in my lifetime.  As a Purdue fan, beating notre dame in Ross Ade in 99. notre dame trailed by five late and had taken a timeout before third and goal. Jarius Jackson missed the handoff after turning the wrong way and was tackled for a huge loss with 13 or so seconds left. The irish couldn't get a play off in the final seconds for the second consecutive week. Bob Davie did not survive the season. That's one of my favorite childhood memories.  Could have sworn that game was earlier 99 but I guess not.

Random thought, my first memories of cfb are probably from the 97 season which means that after this fall I will have been a Minnesota fan for a decade, matching what the amount of years I remember being a Purdue fan. Wild.

babaoreally: Purdue 28 Notre Dame 17 at Ross-Ade in 1997. Joe Tiller's first season as coach was so great.

GoForThree: The first upset I remember being a big deal was the 1996 loss to Michigan, when that colossal turd John Cooper lost to the Wolverines 13-9. My folks went to the game, so my best friend and I walked from saturday morning wrestling practice to his house in the bitter cold in time for the noon game. Misery. Pure, unadulterated misery. From that moment onward, I knew that hairbag Cooper was a phony. My parents’ by then 5-year hate affair with the man made total sense.