Berry Tramel: Mid-majors still capable of upsets; just ask Notre Dame

But the rich dont always win.

Not in life.

Not on the gridiron.

Just ask Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish, who have had their own television network for decades, lost 16-14 last Saturday to Northern Illinois, which we assume has televisions in its dorm rooms.

Northern joins the club of mid-majors who have taken down Notre Dame in recent years.

Marshall in 2022.

Cincinnati 2021.

Navy four times in 10 seasons, 2007-16.

Tulsa 2010.

Air Force 2007.

Brigham Young 2004.

And the Irish are not alone.

The little guy has beaten the big guy every once in awhile since college football schedules were dumbed down about three decades ago.

And that hasnt changed now that players are being paid and have the freedom to move about the cabin, via the transfer portal.

Tulane is in Norman on Saturday, and if the Sooners survive by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin, much relief will be felt above Owen Field.

OSU plays at Tulsa on Saturday, and while the Cowboys have stopped losing in the Cimarron Turnpike series 9-0 since 1998 they havent stopped losing to mid-majors.

South Alabama, anyone, just last September? Its a big club.

Tulane beat Kansas State and Southern Cal in 2022.

Little Jacksonville State beat Florida State in 2021.

Auburn lost to lowly New Mexico State last November.

College football is littered with such upsets, both before and after the pay-for-play revolution commenced.

Some still decry the market.

Mike Gundy says there are a small group of schools hes suggested 10 or so in the past that are paying huge amounts to secure talent, which eventually could crush the sport.

There is a group of teams that are running away with it, Gundy said of the bidding wars for ballplayers.

Some, OSU doesnt even attempt to lure.

You call them and they say, 'I get $300,000 just to take an official visit, Gundy said.

OSUs response? Next.

I suppose football could come to that.

But it hasnt.

Not in the Big 12, which has parity unseen in the league or any of its predecessors going back decades.

Not in the Southeastern Conference, which OU has joined and which has won four of the last five national titles, by three different schools.

How is that not parity? And the transfer madness doesnt have all mid-majors demanding reform.

Sure, no one listens to the Boise States or Memphises or Coastal Carolinas.

But some coaches in the backwoods of college football are finding ways to make the brave new world work for them.

Tulsas Kevin Wilson knows hell lose some players to the power conferences.

But the transfer frenzy leaves more scholarships and playing time available for incoming high school recruits.

Hes interested in exploiting that phenomenon.

My deal is, if you come here, give us a couple of three years to develop you, lets see how good you can be, Wilson said.

And if you get another opportunity, then go max it out.

Im trying to do it the old way, with a little bit of expectation that its not going to be a four- to five-year deal, but can we get a two- and a three-year deal with kids to see how far they can go.

Meanwhile, Tulanes Jon Sumrall sees an alternative option for mid-majors.

Sumrall knows a thing or two about building a program; he took over at Troy in 2022, after the Trojans went through three straight five-win seasons.

Troy promptly won two straight Sun Belt Conference titles.

Sumralls theory: at places like Troy and Tulane, he will lose players to the power conferences.

But hell also get players from the power conferences, as well as players from Division I-AA who want to move up.

Some people may say all the best players are going to transfer up, Sumrall said.

Theres maybe some truth to that.

If a guy has success, he may move up.

But theres also some really good players that are not playing at maybe some of the traditional schools, the Alabamas, the Oklahomas, the LSUs, the Georgias, if you will.

And they want to go somewhere where they can play a bigger role ...

they really want to make the most of what their time left in college is.

The best way to get to the NFL is play in college.

Go play.

Dont watch.

And for us, were in a unique situation where I think we can get some really good kids to move up.

Thats the thing to remember.

You can pay players.

You can pay them a bunch.

But so far, no one has changed the number of players who can take the field at any one time.

Its still 11 vs.

11.

Payday, but not playing time, has boomed at the bluebloods.

Its not like the Georgias and Alabamas werent getting an inordinate amount of the top talent already.

And still weve had upsets.

In the 21st century, Ohio State is the only blueblood that hasnt lost to a mid-major.

Alabama twice lost to two mid-majors in the same season: Central Florida and Southern Mississippi in 2000, Hawaii and Northern Illinois in 2003.

Even in Nick Sabans first season, 2007, the Crimson Tide lost to Louisiana-Monroe.

Then the Bama coach turned into the Great Saban, and the Tide quit losing to much of anybody.

Oregon lost to Boise State in 2008, 2009 and 2017, then dang near did it again last Saturday with the best team money could buy.

Michigan was a national-championship contender in 2006, then lost to Appalachian State in 2007 and both Toledo and Utah in 2008.

The Sooner lost to Houston in 2016, Brigham Young in 2009 and Texas Christian in 2005, and while all three now are in the Big 12, beating the likes of OU is one of the reasons they were admitted into the big-boys club.

The upsets of the tradition-rich schools seem to be declining, but if so, it might be because schools are getting more careful about scheduling.

Brent Venables said playing a team like Tulane prepares you for the season.

With better competition, the better you get.

That brings out the best in everybody.

When you've got force and you've got people that can create resistance and challenge you, that's how you get better.

Of course, the Sooners didnt schedule a three-game series with Tulane thinking the Green Wave was a mid-major powerhouse.

When this contract was signed in 2015, Tulane had posted one winning season in the previous 12 years.

Sometimes its just dumb luck.

OSU had no idea it was inviting a hornets nest into its home when it signed up to play Division I-AA powerhouse South Dakota State.

Same with the Sooners and Tulane.

Ideally, these mid-major/power-conference matchups will subside.

OSU-Tulsa is a good series, with history and geography on its side.

OU-Tulane has turned out intriguing, because the Green Wave seem capable of popping the Sooners.

But the more marquee games, the better for the sport.

I wish Bedlam was being staged Saturday.

Until then, well have to depend on the portal to keep distributing talent in unconventional ways that create Northern Illinois over Notre Dame..

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