Upset (competition)
Sports
### Sports

Below is a selection of major upsets from a variety of popular sports around the world. It is not meant to be comprehensive, merely representative. 

#### American football

* Heading into the [2007 college football season](/wiki/2007_NCAA_Division_I_FBS_football_season "2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season"), the [Michigan Wolverines](/wiki/2007_Michigan_Wolverines_football_team "2007 Michigan Wolverines football team") were ranked as the pre\-season Number 5 team, and among the favorites for that year's [BCS National Championship](/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series "Bowl Championship Series"). As an early season tune\-up game, Michigan had booked the lower division [Appalachian State Mountaineers](/wiki/2007_Appalachian_State_Mountaineers_football_team "2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team") for their [first game of the season](/wiki/2007_Appalachian_State_vs._Michigan_football_game "2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game"). The Mountaineers surprised the football world by leading 28–17 at the half. Though Michigan clawed their way back to lead 32–31 late into the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers kicked a field goal with 26 seconds left in the game to take the lead 34–32\. Michigan managed to use only 20 seconds of game time to drive the ball down to the App State 27\-yard line, and as time was expiring the Mountaineers' Corey Lynch blocked a Michigan field goal attempt to secure the upset for App State. The game marked only the second time, to that point, that a lower\-division school had beaten a top\-division AP\-ranked team.
* In [Super Bowl III](/wiki/Super_Bowl_III "Super Bowl III"), the senior [National Football League](/wiki/National_Football_League "National Football League") was playing their third interleague championship game against the upstart [American Football League](/wiki/American_Football_League "American Football League"). The NFL had won the prior two matchups without much difficulty, and it looked poised to do so again, as the [Baltimore Colts](/wiki/1968_Baltimore_Colts_season "1968 Baltimore Colts season"), with a 13–1 record, behind [quarterback](/wiki/Quarterback "Quarterback") [Earl Morrall](/wiki/Earl_Morrall "Earl Morrall"), who led the league in touchdown passes that season and was named NFL Most Valuable Player. The team also had several future Hall of Fame players on the roster, including quarterback [Johnny Unitas](/wiki/Johnny_Unitas "Johnny Unitas"), relegated to a back\-up role following an early\-season injury, [tight end](/wiki/Tight_end "Tight end") [John Mackey](/wiki/John_Mackey_%28American_football%29 "John Mackey (American football)"), as well as a defense led by perennial all\-pro [Bubba Smith](/wiki/Bubba_Smith "Bubba Smith"). The [New York Jets](/wiki/New_York_Jets "New York Jets") were led by [Joe Namath](/wiki/Joe_Namath "Joe Namath") at quarterback, who earlier in the week had "guaranteed" victory against the Colts. Namath's top target, future Hall of Fame wide receiver [Don Maynard](/wiki/Don_Maynard "Don Maynard"), was hobbled by an injury, but Namath led the Jets on a run\-focused attack that leaned heavily on fullback [Matt Snell](/wiki/Matt_Snell "Matt Snell"), who ran for 121 yards and scored the Jets' only touchdown. The Jets defense confounded Morrall, who had only six completions on 17 attempts, with three interceptions in the first half, including an interception to the Jets' [Jim Hudson](/wiki/Jim_Hudson "Jim Hudson") while Colts' star receiver [Jimmy Orr](/wiki/Jimmy_Orr "Jimmy Orr"), uncovered in the end zone, waved his hands to no avail. Colts' head coach [Don Shula](/wiki/Don_Shula "Don Shula") put the hobbled Unitas in the game in the second half, and despite a late game touchdown, lost the game 16–7\.

#### Association football

* Examples of a "giant\-killing" [non\-league](/wiki/Non-league "Non-league") team ([Levels 5 to 10](/wiki/English_football_league_system%23The_system "English football league system#The system")) beating a Level 1 opponent in the English [FA Cup](/wiki/FA_Cup "FA Cup") are [National League](/wiki/National_League_%28division%29 "National League (division)") side [Lincoln City](/wiki/Lincoln_City_F.C. "Lincoln City F.C.")'s [away victory](/wiki/Burnley_0%E2%80%931_Lincoln_City_%282017%29 "Burnley 0–1 Lincoln City (2017)") over Premier League side [Burnley](/wiki/Burnley_F.C. "Burnley F.C.") in the [2016–17 FA Cup](/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_FA_Cup "2016–17 FA Cup") and [Conference Premier](/wiki/Conference_Premier "Conference Premier") side [Luton Town](/wiki/Luton_Town_F.C. "Luton Town F.C.")'s [away victory](/wiki/Norwich_City_0%E2%80%931_Luton_Town_%282013%29 "Norwich City 0–1 Luton Town (2013)") over the [Premier League](/wiki/English_Premier_League "English Premier League")'s [Norwich City](/wiki/Norwich_City_F.C. "Norwich City F.C.") in the [2012–13 fourth round proper](/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_FA_Cup%23Fourth_round_proper "2012–13 FA Cup#Fourth round proper"). This was the first defeat of a top flight team by non\-league opposition since 1989, when [Sutton United](/wiki/Sutton_United_F.C. "Sutton United F.C.") claimed a [2–1 victory](/wiki/Sutton_United_2%E2%80%931_Coventry_City_%281989%29 "Sutton United 2–1 Coventry City (1989)") at home over [Coventry City](/wiki/Coventry_City_F.C. "Coventry City F.C."), who had won the FA Cup two seasons earlier and finished that season seventh in the First Division.[BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21095990) , 26 January 2013
* [Leicester City F.C.](/wiki/Leicester_City_F.C. "Leicester City F.C."), an English football club, were crowned champions of the [2015–16 Premier League](/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Premier_League "2015–16 Premier League"). The club had narrowly avoided the relegation the previous season by finishing 14th and being in the bottom of the table the most part of the season. At the beginning of the season, bookmakers had given Leicester City odds of 5000/1 against them winning the league. It was the first [English title](/wiki/List_of_English_football_champions "List of English football champions") in their history.
* A major upset in Spanish football was the [Alcorconazo](/wiki/Alcorconazo "Alcorconazo"), when in the first leg of a [2009–10 Copa del Rey](/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Copa_del_Rey "2009–10 Copa del Rey") [AD Alcorcón](/wiki/AD_Alcorc%C3%B3n "AD Alcorcón") won over [Real Madrid](/wiki/Real_Madrid_C.F. "Real Madrid C.F.") 4–0\.[Alcorconazo](http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Alcorconazo/elpepudep/20091027elpepudep_14/Tes) , El País.com , October 27, 2009 Real Madrid is one of the largest clubs in Spanish football and the world while Alcorcón team played in the third\-tier [Segunda División B](/wiki/Segunda_Divisi%C3%B3n_B "Segunda División B"). Because Real Madrid won the second leg only 1–0, Alcorcón advanced victorious to the next round. The half\-time substitution of [Guti](/wiki/Guti_%28footballer%29 "Guti (footballer)") when the score was 3–0 and when he was booked before was another topic in the Spanish press because of words exchanged between the player and his coach, [Manuel Pellegrini](/wiki/Manuel_Pellegrini "Manuel Pellegrini").[Pellegrini y Guti discutieron en el descanso y el jugador mandó al técnico a tomar por el c\*\*\*](http://www.marca.com/2009/10/28/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1256729859.html)  [MARCA](/wiki/MARCA "MARCA").com , October 28, 2009

#### Baseball

* The [1906 World Series](/wiki/1906_World_Series "1906 World Series") looked to be one of the most lopsided matchups in [World Series](/wiki/World_Series "World Series") history, as the [National League](/wiki/National_League_%28baseball%29 "National League (baseball)") powerhouse [Chicago Cubs](/wiki/1906_Chicago_Cubs_season "1906 Chicago Cubs season"), with a record of 116–36 represented the best winning percentage in modern [Major League Baseball](/wiki/Major_League_Baseball "Major League Baseball") history. They faced off against their cross\-town rivals, the [Chicago White Sox](/wiki/1906_Chicago_White_Sox_season "1906 Chicago White Sox season"), who finished with the [American League](/wiki/American_League "American League") pennant having a record of 93–58\. The White Sox were dubbed the "hitless wonders" as their .230 team [batting average](/wiki/Batting_average_%28baseball%29 "Batting average (baseball)") was not only the worst batting average by a team to win their league pennant, it was the worst overall batting average in all of Major League Baseball that season. Buoyed by a pitching staff that held the Cubs to a [below .200](/wiki/Mendoza_Line "Mendoza Line") batting average for the series, the White Sox showed an uncharacteristic surge of batting prowess in games 5 and 6 with 16 runs on 26 hits over the two games to claim the World Series crown four games to two in what has been called the biggest upset in MLB history.

#### Basketball

* In the [1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament](/wiki/1985_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament "1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament"), the [Georgetown Hoyas](/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_Georgetown_Hoyas_men%27s_basketball_team "1984–85 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team") had won the [previous national championship](/wiki/1984_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament "1984 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament"), and looked poised to win their second straight, as they entered the [1985 national championship](/wiki/1985_NCAA_Division_I_Men%27s_Basketball_Championship_Game "1985 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game") as the defending national champion with the Number 1 overall seed, as well as the Number 1 seed in the East Region, posting a record of 35–2, including a [Big East tournament](/wiki/1985_Big_East_men%27s_basketball_tournament "1985 Big East men's basketball tournament") title. Their opponent and Big East rival, the Number 8 seed [Villanova Wildcats](/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_Villanova_Wildcats_men%27s_basketball_team "1984–85 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team"), entered the national championship with a 24–10 record. Villanova defeated Georgetown, 66–64, in what has been considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament history. As of [2022](/wiki/2022_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament"), this is the only time an 8th\-seeded team has won the NCAA tournament and the 1984–85 Villanova team remains the lowest\-seeded team to win the NCAA tournament.
* The [Stanford Cardinal](/wiki/Stanford_Cardinal_women%27s_basketball "Stanford Cardinal women's basketball") entered the [1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament](/wiki/1998_NCAA_Division_I_women%27s_basketball_tournament "1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament") with the Number 1 seed in the West Region, posting a record of 21–5, including a Pac\-10 regular season title. Their opponent, the Number 16 seed [Harvard Crimson](/wiki/Harvard_Crimson_women%27s_basketball "Harvard Crimson women's basketball"), entered the tournament with a 22–4 record and an [Ivy League](/wiki/Ivy_League "Ivy League") regular season title. Before this match, no Number 1 seed had ever fallen to a Number 16 seed since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1994\. [Harvard defeated Stanford, 71–67](/wiki/1998_Harvard_vs._Stanford_women%27s_basketball_game "1998 Harvard vs. Stanford women's basketball game"), in what has been considered the biggest upset in NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament history. 20 years later, a Number 16 seed had beaten a Number 1 seed in men's tournament (see below).
* The [Virginia Cavaliers](/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_Virginia_Cavaliers_men%27s_basketball_team "2017–18 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team") entered the [2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament](/wiki/2018_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament") with the Number 1 overall seed, as well as the Number 1 seed in the South Region, posting a record of 31–2, including both an ACC regular season title and [ACC tournament](/wiki/2018_ACC_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2018 ACC men's basketball tournament") title. Their opponent, Number 16 seed [UMBC](/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_UMBC_Retrievers_men%27s_basketball_team "2017–18 UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team"), entered the tournament with a 24–10 record and an [America East tournament](/wiki/2018_America_East_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2018 America East men's basketball tournament") title. Before this match, no Number 1 seed had ever fallen to a Number 16 seed since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985\. [UMBC defeated Virginia, 74–54](/wiki/2018_UMBC_vs._Virginia_men%27s_basketball_game "2018 UMBC vs. Virginia men's basketball game"), in what has been considered the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history. This is the only time a Number 16 seed has beaten a Number 1 seed in NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament until 2023 (see below).
* The [Purdue Boilermakers](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Purdue_Boilermakers_men%27s_basketball_team "2022–23 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team") entered the [2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament](/wiki/2023_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament") with the Number 1 seed in the East Region, posting a record of 29–5, including both a [Big Ten regular season](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Big_Ten_Conference_men%27s_basketball_season "2022–23 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season") and [tournament title](/wiki/2023_Big_Ten_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2023 Big Ten men's basketball tournament"). Their opponent, Number 16 seed [Fairleigh Dickinson Knights](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Fairleigh_Dickinson_Knights_men%27s_basketball_team "2022–23 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team"), entered the tournament with a 20–15 record after an 84–61 win over [Texas Southern](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Texas_Southern_Tigers_basketball_team "2022–23 Texas Southern Tigers basketball team") in the First Four. Despite a 67–66 loss in the [Northeast Conference tournament championship game](/wiki/2023_Northeast_Conference_men%27s_basketball_tournament "2023 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament") to the NEC regular season champion [Merrimack Warriors](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Merrimack_Warriors_men%27s_basketball_team "2022–23 Merrimack Warriors men's basketball team"), Fairleigh Dickinson received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the NEC tournament runners\-up, while the NEC tournament champion Merrimack was ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to a 4\-year transition from Division II. Closed as 23\.5\-point underdogs, [Fairleigh Dickinson shocked Purdue 63–58](/wiki/2023_Fairleigh_Dickinson_vs._Purdue_men%27s_basketball_game "2023 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue men's basketball game") to become the second Number 16 seed to beat a Number 1 seed in NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament history.
* Entering the [first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs](/wiki/2007_NBA_playoffs%23%281%29_Dallas_Mavericks_vs._%288%29_Golden_State_Warriors "2007 NBA playoffs#(1) Dallas Mavericks vs. (8) Golden State Warriors"), the [Dallas Mavericks](/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_Dallas_Mavericks_season "2006–07 Dallas Mavericks season") had the best record in all of [NBA](/wiki/National_Basketball_Association "National Basketball Association") at 67–15, six games up on second place, while their first round opponent, the [Golden State Warriors](/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_Golden_State_Warriors_season "2006–07 Golden State Warriors season"), had a 42–40 record and had only qualified for the tournament on the last day of the regular season, having needed to win all of their last five games just to qualify. Dallas was captained by [power forward](/wiki/Power_forward_%28basketball%29 "Power forward (basketball)") [Dirk Nowitzki](/wiki/Dirk_Nowitzki "Dirk Nowitzki"), who was in the midst of a Hall\-of\-Fame career that would feature 14 all star appearances, and supported by other star players such as [Jason Terry](/wiki/Jason_Terry "Jason Terry"), [Jerry Stackhouse](/wiki/Jerry_Stackhouse "Jerry Stackhouse"), [Devin Harris](/wiki/Devin_Harris "Devin Harris"), and [Josh Howard](/wiki/Josh_Howard "Josh Howard"). Golden State had completely revamped their team mid\-season, including two starters ([Stephen Jackson](/wiki/Stephen_Jackson "Stephen Jackson") and [Al Harrington](/wiki/Al_Harrington "Al Harrington")), who arrived in January in a blockbuster 8\-player deal with the [Indiana Pacers](/wiki/Indiana_Pacers "Indiana Pacers"). [Baron Davis](/wiki/Baron_Davis "Baron Davis") was the unquestioned star of the playoff run, as he dominated the Mavericks, averaging 25\.3 points, 6\.5 assists, and 2\.9 steals per game, as the Warriors would knock off the Mavericks four games to two.
* Entering the [second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs](/wiki/2020_NBA_playoffs%23%282%29_Los_Angeles_Clippers_vs._%283%29_Denver_Nuggets "2020 NBA playoffs#(2) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (3) Denver Nuggets"), The [Los Angeles Clippers](/wiki/Los_Angeles_Clippers "Los Angeles Clippers"), under the guidance by championship head coach [Doc Rivers](/wiki/Doc_Rivers "Doc Rivers"), were widely regarded as frontrunners for the championship. Armed with star talents like [Kawhi Leonard](/wiki/Kawhi_Leonard "Kawhi Leonard"), who came off a championship win with the [Toronto Raptors](/wiki/Toronto_Raptors "Toronto Raptors"), and [Paul George](/wiki/Paul_George "Paul George"), a previous MVP candidate and first\-team All\-Defensive player, and defensive guard [Patrick Beverley](/wiki/Patrick_Beverley "Patrick Beverley"), the Clippers had high expectations. Their deep bench, featuring [Montrezl Harrell](/wiki/Montrezl_Harrell "Montrezl Harrell") and [Lou Williams](/wiki/Lou_Williams "Lou Williams"), added to their championship aspirations, while their strong defensive prowess further solidified their position. However, the [Denver Nuggets](/wiki/Denver_Nuggets "Denver Nuggets"), guided by the dynamic duo of [Jamal Murray](/wiki/Jamal_Murray "Jamal Murray") and [Nikola Jokic](/wiki/Nikola_Jokic "Nikola Jokic"), emerged as formidable challengers. Murray's explosive scoring prowess, highlighted by a remarkable 40\-point performance in Game 7, combined with Jokic's extraordinary playmaking and versatility as a center, were instrumental in fueling the Nuggets' remarkable comeback. This unforeseen development showcased the Nuggets' remarkable resilience and their strategic acumen in exploiting the Clippers' defensive weaknesses. In contrast, the Clippers' star players faltered significantly in the crucial Game 7, with Leonard managing only 14 points and a 6\-of\-22 shooting performance, and George contributing a mere 10 points at a shooting efficiency of 25%, including a notable miss that hit the side of the backboard during a 3\-point attempt. Notably, both stars were unable to score in the 4th quarter. This series of events culminated in a stunning reversal, as the Clippers lost their dominant 3–1 series lead, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to do so. The Nuggets, driven by the exceptional performances of Murray and Jokic, clinched a victory in what became one of the most unexpected and memorable upsets in recent NBA playoff history.
* Entering the [first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs](/wiki/2023_NBA_playoffs%23%281%29_Milwaukee_Bucks_vs._%288%29_Miami_Heat "2023 NBA playoffs#(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Miami Heat"), the [Milwaukee Bucks](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Milwaukee_Bucks_season "2022–23 Milwaukee Bucks season") earned the inaugural [Maurice Podoloff Trophy](/wiki/Maurice_Podoloff_Trophy "Maurice Podoloff Trophy") as the NBA's best regular season team with a 58–24 record, while their first round opponent, the [Miami Heat](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Miami_Heat_season "2022–23 Miami Heat season"), had a 44–38 record, had won their second straight [Southeast Division](/wiki/Southeast_Division_%28NBA%29 "Southeast Division (NBA)"), had qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight year, and earned the eighth spot in the [Eastern Conference](/wiki/Eastern_Conference_%28NBA%29 "Eastern Conference (NBA)"). Despite losing to the [Atlanta Hawks](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Atlanta_Hawks_season "2022–23 Atlanta Hawks season") 116–105 in the first [play\-in tournament](/wiki/NBA_play-in_tournament "NBA play-in tournament") game, Miami bounced back and defeated the [Chicago Bulls](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Chicago_Bulls_season "2022–23 Chicago Bulls season") 102–91 in the final play\-in tournament game. Miwaukee was coached by [Mike Budenholzer](/wiki/Mike_Budenholzer "Mike Budenholzer"), who is a two\-time NBA Coach of the Year and won the NBA championship in 2021\. The Miami Heat knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, in what has been considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoffs history. This made the Heat the first number 8 seed to win a playoff series after qualifying for the play\-in tournament. This also made the Bucks the sixth number 1 seed to lose a playoff series in the opening round (the others being the [1994 SuperSonics](/wiki/1993%E2%80%9394_Seattle_SuperSonics_season "1993–94 Seattle SuperSonics season"), [1999 Heat](/wiki/1998%E2%80%9399_Miami_Heat_season "1998–99 Miami Heat season"), [2007 Mavericks](/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_Dallas_Mavericks_season "2006–07 Dallas Mavericks season"), [2011 Spurs](/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_San_Antonio_Spurs_season "2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season"), and [2012 Bulls](/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_Chicago_Bulls_season "2011–12 Chicago Bulls season")).

#### Cricket

* In the [1983 Cricket World Cup](/wiki/1983_Cricket_World_Cup "1983 Cricket World Cup"), the third edition of the tournament, the [West Indies cricket team](/wiki/West_Indies_cricket_team "West Indies cricket team") had won both of the previous two World Cups and looked poised to win their third. Their opponent in the finals, [India](/wiki/India_national_cricket_team "India national cricket team"), had never made it out of the group stage before 1983\. India went to bat first, and managed 183 before being dismissed with five overs left. West Indies star batsman, [Viv Richards](/wiki/Viv_Richards "Viv Richards"), hit a hook towards the leg\-side boundary, where Indian captain [Kapil Dev](/wiki/Kapil_Dev "Kapil Dev") made a running catch to get out the West Indies best batsman. Among the remaining batsman, only [Jeff Dujon](/wiki/Jeff_Dujon "Jeff Dujon") managed more than 20 runs, and West Indies were bowled out at 140, giving India their first World Cup.

#### Ice hockey

* Entering the [medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympics](/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_1980_Winter_Olympics%23Final_round "Ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics#Final round"), the [Soviet Union](/wiki/Soviet_Union_men%27s_national_ice_hockey_team "Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team") had won four consecutive gold medals of the previous four Winter Olympics and were heavily favored to win another gold medal. Their opponent, the [United States](/wiki/United_States_men%27s_national_ice_hockey_team "United States men's national ice hockey team"), consisted entirely of collegiate and amateur players and under head coach [Herb Brooks](/wiki/Herb_Brooks "Herb Brooks"), had finished second in Blue Division behind [Sweden](/wiki/Sweden_men%27s_national_ice_hockey_team "Sweden men's national ice hockey team") (based on goal difference) and qualified for the medal round. The U.S. pulled off a 4–3 upset over the Soviets, in what has since become known as the "[Miracle on Ice](/wiki/Miracle_on_Ice "Miracle on Ice")". After that loss, the Soviets pummeled Sweden to settle for silver, while the U.S. went on to win gold after defeating [Finland](/wiki/Finland_men%27s_national_ice_hockey_team "Finland men's national ice hockey team").
* Entering the [first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs](/wiki/2019_Stanley_Cup_playoffs%23%28A1%29_Tampa_Bay_Lightning_vs._%28WC2%29_Columbus_Blue_Jackets "2019 Stanley Cup playoffs#(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC2) Columbus Blue Jackets"), the [Tampa Bay Lightning](/wiki/2018%E2%80%9319_Tampa_Bay_Lightning_season "2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning season") earned the [Presidents' Trophy](/wiki/Presidents%27_Trophy "Presidents' Trophy") as the [NHL](/wiki/National_Hockey_League "National Hockey League")'s best regular season team with a 62–16–4 record (128 points), while their first round opponent, the [Columbus Blue Jackets](/wiki/2018%E2%80%9319_Columbus_Blue_Jackets_season "2018–19 Columbus Blue Jackets season"), had a 47–31–4 record (98 points), had qualified for the playoffs for the third straight year and earned the second wild card spot in the [Eastern Conference](/wiki/Eastern_Conference_%28NHL%29 "Eastern Conference (NHL)"). The [Blue Jackets swept the Lightning in four games](/wiki/2019_Tampa_Bay_Lightning%E2%80%93Columbus_Blue_Jackets_playoff_series "2019 Tampa Bay Lightning–Columbus Blue Jackets playoff series") and won the playoff series for the first time in franchise history, in what has been considered the biggest upset in Stanley Cup playoffs history. This marks the first time in Stanley Cup playoffs history that the Presidents' Trophy winners were swept in the opening round.
* Entering the [2023 Stanley Cup playoffs](/wiki/2023_Stanley_Cup_playoffs%23%28A1%29_Boston_Bruins_vs._%28WC2%29_Florida_Panthers "2023 Stanley Cup playoffs#(A1) Boston Bruins vs. (WC2) Florida Panthers"), the [Boston Bruins](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Boston_Bruins_season "2022–23 Boston Bruins season") had set new NHL records for single\-season wins and points, finishing with a 65–12–5 record (135 points), and earning the President's Trophy. By contrast, their first round opponent, the [Florida Panthers](/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Florida_Panthers_season "2022–23 Florida Panthers season"), had narrowly qualified for the playoffs, finishing with a 42–32–8 record (92 points), and clinching an Eastern Conference wild card berth one day after their penultimate regular\-season game. The Panthers defeated the Bruins in seven games, rallying from a 3–1 series deficit and winning three straight games to eliminate Boston; additionally, the team advanced to the second round of the playoffs for just the third time in franchise history. The 43\-point difference between the two teams represented the largest upset by standings position of any best\-of\-seven playoff series in NHL history.

#### Skiing

* [Ester Ledecká](/wiki/Ester_Ledeck%C3%A1 "Ester Ledecká") won the gold medal in [super\-G](/wiki/Alpine_skiing_at_the_2018_Winter_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Women%27s_super-G "Alpine skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Women's super-G") alpine skiing at the [2018 Winter Olympics](/wiki/2018_Winter_Olympics "2018 Winter Olympics"), after finishing 0\.01 seconds ahead of the 2014 Olympics defending gold medalist [Anna Veith](/wiki/Anna_Veith "Anna Veith"), who had already been proclaimed the winner by many media outlets. Ledecká was ranked 49th in the event before the Olympics and had never medalled in any World Cup level international skiing event.

#### Quizzing

* At the [4th edition of the Mirko Miočić Memorial](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorijal_Mirka_Mio%C4%8Di%C4%87a#IV._izdanje_(2020.)) in 2020, an unexpected shift occurred in the pairs event of the quizzing world. After years of dominance by Dean Kotiga and Perica Živanović, who had long been the gold standard in competitive quizzing duos, the duo of Mladen Vukorepa and Karlo Plazina stunned everyone with a remarkable upset victory. The event, named in honor of Croatian quiz legend Mirko Miočić, has always been a significant fixture on the quizzing calendar, attracting some of the top quizzing talent in the region. For years, Kotiga and Živanović had made the pairs event their own, consistently emerging victorious and seemingly unbeatable due to their incredible breadth of knowledge and synergy as a team. However, 2020 saw Vukorepa and Plazina rise to the occasion. They capitalized on their own deep knowledge base and effective teamwork, proving that even the strongest champions can be challenged. Their victory not only broke the long\-standing dominance of Kotiga and Živanović but also signaled a new era in Croatian and regional quizzing. The duo’s win at the Mirko Miočić Memorial was a testament to their preparation and resilience, cementing their place among the top quizzing pairs. The win was significant not just because of the upset, but because it occurred at such a prestigious event, where the competition is fierce and the pressure high. Vukorepa and Plazina’s triumph will long be remembered as a key moment in the tournament's history and in the wider quizzing community.

What are some strategies that can help a team overcome long-standing dominance in competitive quizzing pairs?