January 5 in college football
Every January 5 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.
- 9games on file
- 0unranked wins over ranked teams
- 2ranked vs ranked meetings
- 2007–2025seasons covered
Ranked vs ranked on January 5
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #3 Texas Longhorns 24 | #10 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | At home |
| 2009 | #10 Iowa Hawkeyes 24 | #9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 14 | On the road |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #3 Texas Longhorns 24 | #10 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #10 Iowa Hawkeyes 24 | #9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 14 | 10 pts |
| 2008 | #3 Texas Longhorns 24 | #10 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wisconsin River Falls 24 | North Central College 14 | 11 ptsin game |
| 2013 | Arkansas St. 23 | Ball St. 20 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2008 | #3 Texas Longhorns 24 | #10 Ohio State Buckeyes 21 | 4 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights 52 | Ball State Cardinals 30 | 82 pts |
| 2025 | Montana State Bobcats 35 | Illinois State Redbirds 34 | 69 pts |
| 2018 | North Dakota State 38 | Eastern Washington 24 | 62 pts |
| 2012 | Ole Miss Rebels 38 | Pittsburgh Panthers 17 | 55 pts |
| 2012 | North Dakota State Bison 39 | Sam Houston State Bearkats 13 | 52 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Arkansas St. 23 | Ball St. 20 | 36,119 |
| 2025 | Montana State Bobcats 35 | Illinois State Redbirds 34 | 24,105 |
| 2025 | Wisconsin River Falls 24 | North Central College 14 | 2,403 |