College football is full of odd streaks and numbers, but this season is proving that nobody should ever want to be ranked No. 17 in the major polls, because it almost certainly guarantees a loss is coming your way. A team ranked No. 17 in either the Coaches Poll, Associated Press Poll or the College Football Playoff ranking has lost each week of the college football season.
It begins in the season opener when No. 17 USC was blasted in Arlington by Alabama, 52-6. The Trojans were ranked No. 17 in the Coaches Poll, but not for long. After the blowout loss to the Tide, the coaches named Oklahoma State the new No. 17 in their Week 2 poll. That did not last for long, as the Cowboys were stunned at home by Central Michigan, 30-27, in controversial fashion. Alabama would once again dish out a loss to the new No. 17 team in the Coaches Poll, Ole Miss, in Week 3.
The curse moved to the AP Poll in Week 4 when AP No. 17 Arkansas dropped a game in blowout fashion to Texas A&M. The Razorbacks took a tumble in the polls, leaving Michigan State to assume the dreaded position the following day in the AP Poll. Michigan State has been having a rough season this year, and the curse came into play once again when the Spartans dropped a game to Indiana, of all teams.
The No. 17 rank was handed off to North Carolina just before a key division game against Virginia Tech in Week 6. The Hokies ambushed the Tar Heels, 34-3. That game would prove to be pivotal, because now the Hokies have control of the ACC Coastal Division with time running out. As a result of their blowout win over North Carolina, Virginia Tech ascended to the No. 17 rank and quickly lost it with a surprising loss to Syracuse in Week 7. Low and behold, the No. 17 rank once again fell in the laps of Arkansas. And once again, Arkansas fumbled it away, this time in a 56-3 loss against Auburn.
In Week 9 the ranking fell on Utah. The Utes, although giving No. 4 Washington just about all it could handle, were no match for the curse. A late touchdown by the Huskies assured the curse would continue. Utah went down, 31-24. At this point, the curse transfers from the AP Poll to the College Football Playoff rankings, which debuted this season with Baylor in the cursed No. 17 ranking. Yet again, No. 17 would be blown out. Baylor, black jerseys and all, were decimated by TCU, 62-22.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-nJi98iiYc
The ranking returned to North Carolina in Week 11, but after a loss at Duke, a new team will take over the No. 17 ranking in the polls this Sunday. We will now have to wait until Tuesday night to learn who the new No. 17 team will be in the College Football Playoff rankings.
If that ends up being your favorite team, our condolences to you in advance.
[Reddit]
