"We just beat Michigan!!"

How amazingly cool must it have been to be one of the handful of Appalachian State fans who made the trip to the Big House for the Michigan game on Saturday, probably daring to hope for nothing more than the moral victory of a good effort and a surprisingly close loss... and then...

(Hat tip: Fanhouse.)

P.S. Here are the TV highlights from the final two minutes:

That's the same announcing crew that did the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl, isn't it? [UPDATE: Yup.] Lucky bastards!! Anyway, here's the radio call from the Appalachian State radio network.

After the jump, clips of Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State fans reacting to their hated rival's humiliating loss... heh.

Watching the end of the game under Buckeye Stadium:

Watching the end of the game under Beaver Stadium:

Announcing the final score during the postgame festivities at Spartan Stadium:

A bunch of Buckeye and Nittany Lion fans watch on TV at a bar in Washington, D.C.:

Comments

[gahrie]

And that is what college sports is all about!!!!!!!

(By the way..what is the next game that crew is announcing...I want to be at that game!)

[David K.]

I just wish they had scored off that blocked kick, that would have made it even better!

[spider79]

The first thing I thought of when I saw the score was this underscores the need for a playoff system in college football. Unfortunately it will only help prevent it from ever happening because the money schools that stand to loose the most know it can happen to them on any Saturday. By the way Brendan, thanks for what you do. I live in SE Texas on the coast where we got hammered by Rita. When a storm starts brewing your blog is one of the first places I look.

[C. Bassett]

The first thing I thought of when I saw the score was this underscores the need for a playoff system in college football.

heh That got me to thinking...

Fortunately for Appalachaian State, the division in which they play has a playoff system.

Unfortunately for Michigan, the division in which they play does not have a playoff system. If they did, they could win conference- putting them in the playoffs- and work their way through to the national championship game. The loss to Appalachian would just be an embarrassing blemish to an otherwise great championship season instead of the national championship dreams destroying disaster that it really was. =)

[Lisa]

My favorite part is the very end of the first video, where you can hear a Michigan fan say, "That's the last time that happens."

[Brendan Loy]

I just wish they had scored off that blocked kick, that would have made it even better!

I actually disagree. I hate it when a team scores in the final seconds of a close game and makes it seem like it wasn't close, thus creating the awkward situation where sports anchors constantly have to say, "The game was closer than the final margin indicates." This was most definitely a one-possession game, in fact it was a game decided by a field goal, so it's right and proper that it should go into the history books with a final score of 34-32, not 40-32.

Besides, while I don't really blame him for getting caught up in the moment, technically the proper thing for that Appalachian player to do was to take a knee once the clock hit 0:00. By continuing to keep the ball in play as he ran toward the end zone, he ran the risk that a Michigan player would strip the ball and run it back for a touchdown.

[Mad Max, Esquire]

That is just magic. It will go down with The Play, Magic Flutie, etc, as one of the great moments in College football.

[ChrisN]

Brendan, I usually agree with what you said about late scores, but in this case, if Appy had scored on the last play, NOBODY was going to be saying "the game was closer than the final margin indicates"!

[Mad Max, Esquire]

"Besides, while I don't really blame him for getting caught up in the moment, technically the proper thing for that Appalachian player to do was to take a knee once the clock hit 0:00. "

Brendan - While it might make sense, I can't envision a competitive player at any level of any sport doing something like that, much less the coach of that player thinking it would be appropriate. That competitive fire is what resulted in Appalachian State's win, not "lawyer ball."

[B. Minich]

Wow . . . just wow.

This makes me more nervous as a Penn State fan, though. If we lose to Michigan, which is a bit of a trend, its going to be bad for us.

However, this shows that Michigan is very beatable - so I hope we beat those guys. I'm tired of losing to Michigan.

Both this and the Notre Dame loss are going to hurt Penn State's strength of schedule a lot, so I hope we can run the table. (I don't think we will, but we pretty much have to - a 1 lose Penn State team isn't going to win any BCS formulas I know.)

[Scott Robertson]

The next game these guys are announcing is Ohio State-Akron

[dc]

I love it when commentators scream uncontrollably. Michigan had to bring their best game to play the two time defending national champs.

Clearly, those guys aren't used to losing and I feel like the Michigan team thought that they were just going to fold in the big house.

At least it was entertaining, USC was just in "ace formation" running "hb dive" from Madden all game :)

[Scientizzle]

Appie State is #38 in Sagarin's ratings right now. Michigan is #40.