January 4 in college football
Every January 4 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.
- 16games on file
- 0unranked wins over ranked teams
- 9ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1946–2024seasons covered
Ranked vs ranked on January 4
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | #2 Texas Longhorns 41 | #1 USC Trojans 38 | At home |
| 2004 | #1 USC Trojans 55 | #2 Oklahoma Sooners 19 | On the road · Pro Player Stadium |
| 2003 | #3 LSU 21 | #1 Oklahoma 14 | Neutral site · La. Superdome · New Orleans, LA |
| 1999 | #1 Florida State 46 | #2 Virginia Tech 29 | Neutral site |
| 1998 | #1 Tennessee 23 | #2 Florida State 16 | Neutral site |
| 2009 | #6 Boise State Broncos 17 | #4 TCU Horned Frogs 10 | On the road |
| 2010 | #6 Ohio State Buckeyes 31 | #8 Arkansas Razorbacks 26 | On the road |
| 2012 | #9 Texas A&M Aggies 41 | #11 Oklahoma Sooners 13 | On the road |
| 2011 | #23 West Virginia Mountaineers 70 | #15 Clemson Tigers 33 | On the road |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | #2 Texas Longhorns 41 | #1 USC Trojans 38 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #1 USC Trojans 55 | #2 Oklahoma Sooners 19 | 36 pts |
| 1999 | #1 Florida State 46 | #2 Virginia Tech 29 | 17 pts |
| 1998 | #1 Tennessee 23 | #2 Florida State 16 | 7 pts |
| 2003 | #3 LSU 21 | #1 Oklahoma 14 | 7 pts |
| 2009 | #6 Boise State Broncos 17 | #4 TCU Horned Frogs 10 | 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tulane 30 | Southern Mississippi 13 | 13 ptsin game |
| 2005 | #2 Texas Longhorns 41 | #1 USC Trojans 38 | 12 ptsin game |
| 2011 | #23 West Virginia Mountaineers 70 | #15 Clemson Tigers 33 | 7 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Toledo 63 | Arkansas St. 44 | 107 pts |
| 2011 | #23 West Virginia Mountaineers 70 | #15 Clemson Tigers 33 | 103 pts |
| 2005 | #2 Texas Longhorns 41 | #1 USC Trojans 38 | 79 pts |
| 1999 | #1 Florida State 46 | #2 Virginia Tech 29 | 75 pts |
| 2004 | #1 USC Trojans 55 | #2 Oklahoma Sooners 19 | 74 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | #3 LSU 21 | #1 Oklahoma 14 | 79,342 |
| 2004 | #1 USC Trojans 55 | #2 Oklahoma Sooners 19 | 77,912 |
| 2021 | Kansas St. 42 | LSU 20 | 52,207 |
| 2013 | Vanderbilt 41 | Houston 24 | 42,717 |
| 2019 | Tulane 30 | Southern Mississippi 13 | 38,513 |