January 3 in college football
Every January 3 in Iron's archive: the ranked teams that lost to unranked ones, the ranked matchups, and the games worth retelling. Every result links to its game card.
- 18games on file
- 0unranked wins over ranked teams
- 12ranked vs ranked meetings
- 2000–2024seasons covered
Ranked vs ranked on January 3
12 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | #2 Ohio State 31 | #1 Miami 24 | Neutral site · Sun Devil Stadium |
| 2001 | #1 Miami 37 | #4 Nebraska 14 | Neutral site · The Rose Bowl · Pasadena, CA |
| 2000 | #1 Oklahoma 13 | #3 Florida State 2 | Neutral site |
| 2007 | #8 Kansas Jayhawks 24 | #3 Virginia Tech Hokies 21 | On the road |
| 2005 | #3 Penn State Nittany Lions 26 | #22 Florida State Seminoles 23 | On the road · Dolphins Stadium · Miami, FL |
| 2004 | #3 Auburn Tigers 16 | #9 Virginia Tech Hokies 13 | At home · Louisiana Superdome · New Orleans, LA |
| 2012 | #4 Oregon Ducks 35 | #5 Kansas State Wildcats 17 | On the road |
| 2010 | #4 Stanford Cardinal 40 | #13 Virginia Tech Hokies 12 | On the road |
| 2006 | #4 LSU Tigers 41 | #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 14 | At home · Louisiana Superdome · New Orleans, LA |
| 2013 | #12 Clemson 40 | #7 Ohio St. 35 | Neutral site |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | #3 Penn State Nittany Lions 26 | #22 Florida State Seminoles 23 | 3 pts |
| 2007 | #8 Kansas Jayhawks 24 | #3 Virginia Tech Hokies 21 | 3 pts |
| 2004 | #3 Auburn Tigers 16 | #9 Virginia Tech Hokies 13 | 3 pts |
| 2011 | #13 Michigan Wolverines 23 | #11 Virginia Tech Hokies 20 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | #1 Miami 37 | #4 Nebraska 14 | 23 pts |
| 2012 | #4 Oregon Ducks 35 | #5 Kansas State Wildcats 17 | 18 pts |
| 2000 | #1 Oklahoma 13 | #3 Florida State 2 | 11 pts |
| 2002 | #2 Ohio State 31 | #1 Miami 24 | 7 pts |
| 2013 | #12 Clemson 40 | #7 Ohio St. 35 | 5 pts |
Biggest comebacks
Deficit the winner erased. Measured from in-game margins where play data exists, cross-checked against quarter scores; a row prints only when the quarter lines corroborate it, so this list starts in 2000.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Connecticut Huskies 38 | Buffalo Bulls 20 | 10 ptsin game |
| 2013 | #12 Clemson 40 | #7 Ohio St. 35 | 9 ptsin game |
| 2024 | Minnesota Golden Gophers 24 | Virginia Tech Hokies 10 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2002 | #2 Ohio State 31 | #1 Miami 24 | 7 ptsat a quarter |
| 2011 | #13 Michigan Wolverines 23 | #11 Virginia Tech Hokies 20 | 6 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #12 Clemson 40 | #7 Ohio St. 35 | 75 pts |
| 2013 | #8 Missouri 41 | #13 Oklahoma St. 31 | 72 pts |
| 2003 | Georgia Tech 52 | Tulsa 10 | 62 pts |
| 2008 | Connecticut Huskies 38 | Buffalo Bulls 20 | 58 pts |
| 2024 | Texas State Bobcats 30 | North Texas Mean Green 28 | 58 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | #1 Miami 37 | #4 Nebraska 14 | 93,781 |
| 2006 | #4 LSU Tigers 41 | #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 14 | 77,781 |
| 2005 | #3 Penn State Nittany Lions 26 | #22 Florida State Seminoles 23 | 77,773 |
| 2002 | #2 Ohio State 31 | #1 Miami 24 | 77,502 |
| 2004 | #3 Auburn Tigers 16 | #9 Virginia Tech Hokies 13 | 77,349 |