Let's see your list of the top 5 upset wins by the Bears all-time. Maybe the older set will go back a little for some of their picks adding to newer games? Likely the younger guys will have more recent picks....we'll see. So, what games make the list? Baylor, as an underdog, just pulled off a big upset...what 5 games stick out to you?


I guess I get to start since its my thread: (not ranked in order, just a list of the 5 games):

* 1985 Baylor 20, #3 USC 13
* 2012 Baylor 52, #1 Kansas St 24
* 1978 Baylor 38, #9 Texas 14 (Worm game)
* 2004 Baylor 35, #16 Aggy 34 OT
* 1974 Baylor 34, #12 Texas 24 (Miracle on the Brazos)

These are the ones I attended as a member of BUGWB:

1983- Baylor vs Steve Young (BYU) 40-36. It was the only game Steve lost that year.

1985- Baylor beats Aggy 20-15 in sheets of rain so thick we couldn't see most of the second quarter in the stands

1985- Liberty Bowl. Baylor pounds LSU 21-7. Damn near froze in Memphis

1986-Bluebonnet Bowl. Baylor whips Bill 5th Down McCartney Colorado 21-9. My last game as a member of BUGWB and already an alumni since I had graduated a couple weeks before.

Then the one in Austin 1989. Baylor 50 UT 7. Biggest @$$ whipping the Horns got at home in decades. My folks and I watched it from the end zone seats and didn't mind the drive back to Dallas.

We did not get to go to USC game since it was non-conference. But no one on campus got any sleep from the car honking all night.

BUGWBBear said:

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These are the ones I attended as a member of BUGWB:........

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Good list, but I'm not sure all of those were 'upsets', I need to check those out.

OK, here's what i found:
'83 BYU - 1st game of season, both teams unranked, Baylor at home, could've been a pick'em game?
'85 Aggy - Baylor at home ranked #14, Aggy unranked, BU was def favored (not an upset)
'85 LSU - Baylor unranked, LSU #12, def an upset victory
'86 CU - Baylor ranked #14, Colorado unranked, BU favored to win (not an upset)
'89 UT - Both unranked, both teams 5-6, could've been a pick'em? maybe a small upset because UT at home?

It really depends on how your defining upset. Pre game odds or adjusted live game odds. Because for me the greatest upset would be 14 TCU. But that's based off live game odds. Baylor was a slight favorite before kickoff.

So what's your list? Define upset however you prefer.

Oh yeah, here's a 6th upset I really like, just missed my list:

*2011 Baylor 50, #14 Tcu 48 (coming off Rose bowl win, undefeated year)

BUGWBBear said:

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1985- Baylor beats Aggy 20-15 in sheets of rain so thick we couldn't see most of the second quarter in the stands

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From the 70's through the mid 80's we had multiple games against aggy played at least partially in a monsoon like deluge - all at Collie Station - but this game in Waco wasn't one of them. I was there at this exciting win and weather wasn't a factor, plus both us & aggy had good teams that season and it wasn't that much of an "upset" win.

Huge upset of #5 Arkansas in Fayetteville, 1966. Bears scored late in the fourth to break a 0-0 tie and end the Hogs' 24-game win streak. QB: the great Terry Southall. Bears finished with a 5-5 season.

Here's mine (in addition to how big these upsets were, part of my criteria is also how improbable they were):

1957 Sugar Bowl - Heavy underdog 11th ranked Baylor upsets undefeated 2nd ranked Tennessee 13-7.

1974 "Miracle on the Brazos" - With a highly improbable 2nd half come back, Baylor gets its 1st win in 17 years against UT by upsetting the 12th ranked Longhorns 34-24 and then goes on to win its first conference title in 50 years.

1978 "Worm Game" - Playing off the joke about the successful mumbling ice fisherman who was "keeping his worms warm", Grant Teaff swallows a worm to inspire his Baylor team to upset 9th ranked UT 38-14. That BU team went 3-8, but 2 of the wins were aggy & UT (neither game was close) making them one of the rare teams in BU football history to defeat both of those schools in the same season.

2004 - Heavy underdog Baylor upsets 16th ranked aggy 35-34 in OT to break an 18 year winless drought against the gomers.

2012 - Baylor stuns undefeated number 1 ranked Kansas State with a dominant 52-24 win in Waco.

Honorable Mention: 1982 - Baylor upsets 5th ranked Arkansas 24-17.

Feels like the 1991 Colorado game deserves a mention.

Was typing when Harrison commented.

2 pretty big ones not mentioned so far:

1991 - Baylor upsets defending champion Colorado in Boulder 16-14. Colorado was ranked #5 and I remember it being a pretty big deal at the time.

2011 - Baylor upsets OU on the RGIII bomb to Terrance Williams with 8 seconds left.

That play basically locked up the Heisman for RGIII and jumpstarted Baylor's dominant run over the next few years (culminating in back-to-back conference titles).

In order of occurrence not significance:
1957 beat #2 Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl
1974 beat Texas at home after being down 17 at the half (this is probably #1 due to the lore around this game)
1985 beat #3 USC on the road
2011 beat #5 OU at home on a virtual last second play
2012 beat #1 K St at home (only game on this list I was at)

Honorable mention: 2004 beat A&M on a two point conversion in OT

Delmar 2.0 said:

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BUGWBBear said:

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These are the ones I attended as a member of BUGWB:........

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Good list, but I'm not sure all of those were 'upsets', I need to check those out.

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We were not favored in any of those games. Particularly in 1989, since Baylor hadn't won in Austin at that time since before your parents were born. You had to be there.

BYU was projected to win the Natty in 1983. We spoiled it for them.

Delmar 2.0 said:

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OK, here's what i found:
'83 BYU - 1st game of season, both teams unranked, Baylor at home, could've been a pick'em game?
'85 Aggy - Baylor at home ranked #14, Aggy unranked, BU was def favored (not an upset)
'85 LSU - Baylor unranked, LSU #12, def an upset victory
'86 CU - Baylor ranked #14, Colorado unranked, BU favored to win (not an upset)
'89 UT - Both unranked, both teams 5-6, could've been a pick'em? maybe a small upset because UT at home?

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Count back how many years it had been since Baylor beat UT in Austin from that point. During my time on campus, we beat UT each time they came to Waco, so it was almost expected. In Austin was a different story.

BYU was projected to win the Natty that year, except for the loss Steve Young took in Waco. Which, btw…was only televised in Provo. Again-YOU HAD TO BE THERE TO SEE IT OTHERWISE!

Iowa Bear said it best. Until you clarify W T F your definition of an upset is, we aren't going to agree and it's clear you can't read since my list consisted of games WHERE I WAS THERE!

Pollyannas…I swear….

BUGWBBear said:

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Delmar 2.0 said:

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BUGWBBear said:

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These are the ones I attended as a member of BUGWB:........

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Good list, but I'm not sure all of those were 'upsets', I need to check those out.

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We were not favored in any of those games.

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Ummmm.....No!
Baylor was clearly favored over Aggy in 1985, #14 BU had home field advantage, Aggy was unranked.
BU also clearly favored in the '86 Bluebonnet vs CU, #14 Baylor was a 31-30 loss at A&M (a game I was in attendance for) away from being SWC Champs that year; Colorado was unranked.

BUGWBBear said:

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Delmar 2.0 said:

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BUGWBBear said:

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These are the ones I attended as a member of BUGWB:........

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Good list, but I'm not sure all of those were 'upsets', I need to check those out.

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....Particularly in 1989, since Baylor hadn't won in Austin at that time since before your parents were born.....

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Wrong again! Baylor beat Texas in Austin in 1951, 18-6. My dad was born in 1942 (and my other dad in 1939).

BUGWBBear said:

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Delmar 2.0 said:

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OK, here's what i found:
'83 BYU - 1st game of season, both teams unranked, Baylor at home, could've been a pick'em game?
'85 Aggy - Baylor at home ranked #14, Aggy unranked, BU was def favored (not an upset)
'85 LSU - Baylor unranked, LSU #12, def an upset victory
'86 CU - Baylor ranked #14, Colorado unranked, BU favored to win (not an upset)
'89 UT - Both unranked, both teams 5-6, could've been a pick'em? maybe a small upset because UT at home?

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Count back how many years it had been since Baylor beat UT in Austin from that point. During my time on campus, we beat UT each time they came to Waco, so it was almost expected. In Austin was a different story.

BYU was projected to win the Natty that year, except for the loss Steve Young took in Waco. Which, btw…was only televised in Provo. Again-YOU HAD TO BE THERE TO SEE IT OTHERWISE!

Iowa Bear said it best. Until you clarify W T F your definition of an upset is, we aren't going to agree and it's clear you can't read since my list consisted of games WHERE I WAS THERE!

Pollyannas…I swear….

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What does your attendance at a game have to do with whether it was an upset or not? Let me give you a clue.............

NOT ONE DAMN THING!!!!


Oh, and I was in attendance at the '83 BYU game, the '85 Aggy game, & the '86 Bluebonnet Bowl vs CU.
Just sayin'

Thanks to Johnny, Oso, others that have posted their list. Anybody else want to get in on this while the getting is good?

Maybe not the biggest but my favorite upsets 1) 1974-BU 34 TU-24
2) 2011 BU45 UO-38
3) 2011 BU 50 Tex Lib U-48
4) 2012 BU 52 #11KSU 24
5) 1957BU 13 #2 Tenn 7


My favorite football wins of all time
1974 BU 34 Tu 24 "Miracle on the Brazos
1980 BU 46 A&M 7
1985 BU 45 TCU 0
1989 BU 50 Tu 7
2011 BU 45 UO 38
2012 BU 49 ucla 19
2013 BU 41 UO 12
2014 BU 48 UO 14
2015 BU 49 NC 38

2 more
2011 BU 48 Tu 24
2013 BU 30 Tu 13(our 1st Big 12 Championship)

One more honorable mention I just thought of. 2021 Big 12 Championship Game Baylor v Ok St (-7).

Baylor wins 21-16 on one of the greatest goal line stands of all time both college and NFL. All four of the final plays were inside the five yard line. Three of them inside the two.

BUGWBBear said:

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Then the one in Austin 1989. Baylor 50 UT 7. Biggest @$$ whipping the Horns got at home in decades. My folks and I watched it from the end zone seats and didn't mind the drive back to Dallas.

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That was my freshman year. Went to game with a school friend who was a UT student. Had way more fun than he did.

Harrison Bergeron said:

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Feels like the 1991 Colorado game deserves a mention.

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Budweiser was using the "Why ask Why?" advertising campaign for Bud Dry. After we lost to Rice (!?!) at home a few weeks later, there were T-Shirts made to commorate the loss: "When you beat the defending national champion and then lose to Rice at home, Why ask Why?".

Three things:

I was there for our 1983 scorefest win over BYU. Back and forth, but BYU had the ball lastYoung was throwing passes into our end zone but we held.

Best goal line stand ever when we beat OkieState for the Big 12 title.

61-58!!! No matter the rankings, when you are that far down in the 4th Qtr yet younwin, then THAT IS AN UPSET ! ! !

The biggest win in our history has to be the 2011 win over OU. That game established Baylor as a college football brand for the first time in history which lasted for a while. I would say at least few of games since then would also rank higher than some of these Teaff era wins. I'm thinking particularly of the 12 KSU game and the 2013 OU and Texas games. Not to mention the 14 game in Norman the 14 game against TCU and the 2021 XII Championship game.

BearlyBeloved said:

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61-58!!! No matter the rankings, when you are that far down in the 4th Qtr yet younwin, then THAT IS AN UPSET ! ! !

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So what is the difference between an upset and a comeback then?

To me, an upset is when the team predicted to lose wins. A comeback is one team, regardless of status before the game, comes from behind (I would say down at least two scores late in the game) to win.

That makes this game a comeback. But I really don't know who was favored pre-game. I think it was a coin flip.