September 1 in college football
Every September 1 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.
- 545games on file
- 5unranked wins over ranked teams
- 9ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1973–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 1
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Appalachian State Mountaineers 34 | #5 Michigan Wolverines 32 | On the road |
| 2002 | Kentucky 22 | #17 Louisville 17 | On the road |
| 1994 | Washington State 10 | #22 Illinois 9 | On the road |
| 2018 | Maryland 34 | #23 Texas 29 | At home · Landover, Md. / FedExField · Landover, Md. |
| 2001 | Colorado 41 | #24 Colorado State 14 | On the road · Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium |
Ranked vs ranked on September 1
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide 41 | #8 Michigan Wolverines 14 | At home |
| 2018 | #9 Auburn 21 | #6 Washington 16 | At home · Mercedes-Benz · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2001 | #7 Oregon 31 | #22 Wisconsin 28 | At home · Eugene, OR |
| 2018 | #12 Notre Dame 24 | #14 Michigan 17 | At home · Notre Dame Stadium · Notre Dame, IN |
| 2007 | #12 California Golden Bears 45 | #15 Tennessee Volunteers 31 | At home · Memorial Stadium |
| 2024 | #23 USC Trojans 27 | #13 LSU Tigers 20 | Neutral site · Allegiant Stadium · Las Vegas, NV |
| 2002 | #16 Virginia Tech 26 | #14 LSU 8 | At home · Lane/Worsham Field · Blacksburg, VA |
| 2001 | #17 UCLA 20 | #25 Alabama 17 | On the road |
| 2008 | #23 UCLA Bruins 27 | #18 Tennessee Volunteers 24 | At home · The Rose Bowl · Pasadena, CA |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | #7 Oregon 31 | #22 Wisconsin 28 | 3 pts |
| 2001 | #17 UCLA 20 | #25 Alabama 17 | 3 pts |
| 2008 | #23 UCLA Bruins 27 | #18 Tennessee Volunteers 24 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide 41 | #8 Michigan Wolverines 14 | 27 pts |
| 2018 | #9 Auburn 21 | #6 Washington 16 | 5 pts |
| 2007 | Appalachian State Mountaineers 34 | #5 Michigan Wolverines 32 | 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Northwestern State Demons 27 | Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 23 | 23 ptsat a quarter |
| 2022 | Florida International Panthers 38 | Bryant Bulldogs 37 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2001 | Texas A&M 38 | McNeese 24 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Louisville Cardinals 39 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 34 | 15 ptsin game |
| 2011 | Syracuse Orange 36 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons 29 | 15 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #5 Ohio State 77 | Oregon State 31 | 108 pts |
| 2012 | #11 West Virginia Mountaineers 69 | Marshall Thundering Herd 34 | 103 pts |
| 2022 | #12 Oklahoma State Cowboys 58 | Central Michigan Chippewas 44 | 102 pts |
| 2018 | Hawaii 59 | Navy 41 | 100 pts |
| 2019 | Sacramento State 77 | Southern Oregon 19 | 96 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | #8 Tennessee 33 | Syracuse 9 | 107,725 |
| 2007 | #17 Penn State Nittany Lions 59 | Florida Intl Golden Panthers 0 | 107,678 |
| 2018 | #10 Penn State 45 | Appalachian State 38 | 105,232 |
| 2018 | #5 Ohio State 77 | Oregon State 31 | 102,169 |
| 2016 | #9 Tennessee 20 | Appalachian State 13 | 100,074 |