Every year at this time, they show their seemingly harmless faces, quietly plotting the next takedowns. They are the spoilers, and they're coming for national championship hopefuls.
Miami nearly became one last week against Florida State. For a while, Kansas looked like one against TCU.
Oregon State, the kingpin of spoilers, did its thing Saturday night in upsetting No. 6 Arizona State 35-27. The loss likely removed ASU from the national championship chase and affirmed Reser Stadium in Corvallis -- site of USC's losses in 2006 and 2008 -- as the place where big dreams die.
As the playoff plot thickens, a new set of possible spoilers emerges each week. Boston College (at No. 3 Florida State) and Oklahoma State (at No. 7 Baylor) are among those entering the spoiler spotlight Saturday. Even brand-name programs Texas (vs. No. 5 TCU on Thanksgiving), Florida (at No. 3 Florida State on Nov. 29) and Michigan (at Ohio State on Nov. 29) soon could be spoilers.
"I don't think we approach the week in regard to, 'This is a team that has a shot to play for the national championship. Let's spoil it,'" said Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads, whose team spoiled Oklahoma State's national title shot in 2011 and could do the same against TCU on Dec. 6. "To win a game like that, against a team that's one of the best in the country, you've got to believe you can do it, you've got to play with confidence as you do it, and show the conviction to do it for 60 minutes or longer if that's what it takes."
What goes into being a spoiler? Inside Access surveyed coaches who have done it, and some on the other side, to find out.
Coaches of successful spoiler teams don't devote much time to what's at stake for the opponent.