Appalachian State shows why little guys still count in college football

The buzz surrounding college football’s first weekend has focused almost entirely on the matchups between top-ranked teams.

Saturday’s marquee games — including No. 1 Alabama against No. 20 USC and No. 4 Florida State against No. 11 Mississippi — could have an immediate impact on the race for the January playoff.

Then again, the beauty of this game is its unpredictability, so tiny Appalachian State might have a say in the matter too.

The Mountaineers nearly pulled off a repeat of their 2007 shocker against Michigan on Thursday night, falling just short in a 20-13 overtime loss to No. 9 Tennessee.

“People weren’t really expecting us to come in and play like this,” linebacker Eric Boggs said.

Tennessee, a popular dark-horse pick to make the playoff, needed a missed field goal attempt and a fumble recovery in the end zone to win. It remains to be seen whether the close escape will hinder the Volunteers’ playoff prospects.

No one should argue against high-profile matchups in the nonconference schedule — they are good for the sport — but the little guys remain part of the overall picture.

Appalachian State has one more opportunity to tilt the national balance in a couple of weeks with a home game against Miami, which is hovering at the edge of the Top 25.

Tennessee Coach Butch Jones had this to say about the Mountaineers: “They’re a physical, tough football team that’s very active in their defensive front, which causes some issues up front.”

david.wharton@latimes.com

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