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David Goldman/Associated Press

Upsets are part of college football’s fabric. Sometimes, it’s fun to see a 40-point underdog come out of nowhere and stun a top-tier foe (as Stanford did to Southern California in 2007) or watch an FCS school vanquish a titan of college football (as then-FCS team Appalachian State did at Michigan earlier that season). Upsets are a part of college gridiron life, and they happen on a yearly basis.

At times, however, they can deal a blow to a more meaningful college football season. As exciting as upsets are, Top 10 showdowns and battles for a spot in the College Football Playoff are far more interesting. An untimely upset can steal much of a prime matchup’s meaning. Sure, the games will go on as scheduled, but perhaps they won’t have the same impact if a league title or more is no longer on the line.

Here’s a look at 10 hypothetical upsets that would ruin the 2016 college football season. We spotlighted these games because, if they happen, they’d drain meaning from much bigger, marquee games on the schedule or ruin a talented team’s hopes of challenging for an important goal down the line.