Notre Dame pulled off the upset over No. 1 FSU in 1993 because the Irish defense slowed down QB Charlie Ward the 'Noles' high-powered offense. Bill Frakes/SI
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No. 1 USC rolls into South Bend this weekend with a 27-game winning streak, two straight national titles and an aura of invincibility. Then again, history teaches us that no team is truly unbeatable. The Trojans' reign, remember, began when they split the 2003 title (with LSU) after that season's "Team for the Ages," Oklahoma, dropped its final two games after winning its first 12 by an average margin of 35 points. Here, in no particular order, are 10 other seemingly indestructible teams that met their match:

1. Notre Dame 31, Florida State 24, Nov. 13, 1993: This was the last game in Notre Dame Stadium that carried the buzz of this week's clash. The hype was due to a matchup of the No. 1 Seminoles and No. 2 Irish, with each carrying 16-game winning streaks. It was Florida State, though, that had the glitzy passing attack led by eventual Heisman-winning QB (and future NBA point guard) Charlie Ward. Notre Dame led 24-7 in the third quarter before Ward led a furious comeback. He threw a TD pass to make it 31-24 with 1:39 to play and, after a Notre Dame three-and-out, moved to the Irish 14 in the final seconds. Notre Dame finally clinched the win when cornerback Shawn Wooden batted down a pass in the end zone as time expired. The euphoria would be short-lived for the Irish, however, as they fell to Boston College the next week and the Seminoles rebounded to win the national championship.

2. Notre Dame 7, Oklahoma 0, Nov. 16, 1957: Though the Irish had been the last team to beat the Sooners in the 1953 season opener, Notre Dame seemed an unlikely squad to end Oklahoma's record 47-game winning streak. The Sooners had defeated the Irish 40-0 the year before in South Bend and Notre Dame had been outscored 54-12 in the two weeks before traveling to Norman. Yet the 19-point underdogs held the powerful Sooners' rushing attack to 98 yards, and ND halfback Dick Lynch capped a 20-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard TD run around right end.

3. Arizona State 19, Nebraska 0, Sept. 21, 1996: The No. 1-ranked and two-time defending champ Huskers, took a 26-game winning streak into Tempe. They were returning a trip that the Sun Devils had made a year earlier to Lincoln, when Nebraska had rolled to a 77-28 win. This time, however, the Arizona State defense not only notched a shutout but also collected three safeties. Sun Devils senior quarterback Jake Plummer threw for 292 yards and a touchdown to lead an Arizona State team that would win the Pac-10 and reach the Rose Bowl.

4. Mississippi State 6, Alabama 3, Nov. 1, 1980: Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide were ranked No. 1 and, like this year's Trojans, were shooting for an unprecedented third straight national title. That dream ended in Jackson, Miss., against a Bulldogs team that had lost to Southern Miss, 42-12, earlier in the season. Alabama had a chance to win it late, but fumbled inside the Mississippi State 5-yard line with 15 seconds left. The Bulldogs recovered with six seconds remaining, but amazingly fumbled on the very next play. MSU fullback Donald Ray King won the furious scramble for the ball on the one-half yard line to preserve the victory.

5. Ohio State 31, Miami 24, 2 OT, Jan. 3, 2003: The Hurricanes entered the Fiesta Bowl as a 13-point favorite and in search of their second straight title with a 34-game winning streak. But the Buckeyes' defense proved to be the equal to the star-studded Miami offense featuring quarterback Ken Dorsey, running back Willis McGahee, receiver Andre Johnson and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Dorsey was decked a final time as his fourth-down pass from the 3 fell incomplete to end the game. Hurricanes fans will recall, though, that Miami appeared to have won the game when a Ohio State pass fell incomplete on fourth down during the first overtime, only to see a late flag fly for pass interference.

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6. Notre Dame 31, Miami 30, Oct. 15, 1988: The defending champion 'Canes took a 36-game regular-season winning streak and the No. 1 ranking into Notre Dame Stadium. They left it as one of eight No. 1 teams felled by the Irish, more than any other school. Miami quarterback Steve Walsh threw an 11-yard scoring pass in the final minute, but his two-point pass attempt for the win was knocked away by Pat Terrell. Earlier in the game, Terrell returned an interception -- one of seven Miami turnovers -- for a touchdown. Third-year head coach Lou Holtz sufficiently awoke the echoes and the Irish went on to win the national title. The Hurricanes, however, returned the favor in Miami a year later, beating No. 1 Notre Dame 27-10 on Nov. 25 to end the Irish's 23-game winning streak.

7. Miami 31, Nebraska 30, Jan. 2, 1984: The No. 1 Huskers were being mentioned as one of the greatest teams ever before the Orange Bowl. And no wonder, with per-game averages of 52 points and 401 rushing yards. Yet freshman quarterback Bernie Kosar and the young Hurricanes upset the 11-point favorites, leap-frogging from No. 5 to No. 1 with the victory. The Huskers could likely have clinched the title with a tie, but Nebraska coach Tom Osborne went for two when the Huskers scored in the final minute. Turner Gill's pass to Jeff Smith was deflected by Miami's Kenny Calhoun to seal the win.

8. Oregon State 3, USC 0, Nov. 11, 1967: The game between USC and UCLA the following week was so anticipated that Trojans running back O.J. Simpson and Bruins quarterback Gary Beban -- eventual Heisman winners both -- shared the cover of the Nov. 20 issue of Sports Illustrated under the headline, "USC vs. UCLA: Showdown in L.A." The cover story had closed early due to the publishing constraints of the day. Further back in the same Nov. 20 issue, however, was a much shorter story about the Beavers' shocking upset of the No. 1 Trojans in the mud of Corvallis. Still, Trojans fans searching for omens can take solace from what happened the next week, when USC knocked off UCLA (which had moved to No. 1) 21-20 and went on to win the national title.

9. Alabama 34, Miami 13, Jan. 1, 1993: The No. 1 Hurricanes lived up to their bad-boy rep in the days before the Sugar Bowl as some players woofed at their Crimson Tide rivals on Bourbon Street. Miami's swagger was bolstered by its 29-game winning streak and two national titles in the previous three seasons. None of that meant much once the game started as Alabama shut down Heisman-winning quarterback Gino Torretta. The signature play came when Crimson Tide safety George Teague caught mouthy Miami receiver Lamar Thomas from behind and somehow ripped the ball away while at full gallop.

10. Harvard 29, Yale 29, Nov. 23, 1968: The headline in the Harvard Crimson afterward famously read: "Harvard Wins 29-29!" That's because Harvard rallied to score 16 points in the final 42 seconds to forge an unlikely deadlock with the heavily-favored Bulldogs. Both teams entered the game undefeated at 8-0, but Yale had won 16 straight games. Moreover, the Bulldogs had iconic quarterback Brian Dowling -- the inspiration for the B.D. character in Doonesbury and a perfect 22-0 as a starter -- and halfback Calvin Hill (dad of NBA star, Grant). But they could only watch Harvard's frantic comeback in the most famous edition of The Game.