September 12 in college football
Every September 12 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.
- 667games on file
- 18unranked wins over ranked teams
- 17ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1903–2026seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 12
The 18 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Wisconsin 21 | #1 Michigan 14 | At home |
| 1998 | NC State 24 | #2 Florida State 7 | At home |
| 1981 | Georgia Tech 24 | #2 Alabama 21 | On the road |
| 2009 | Houston Cougars 45 | #5 Oklahoma State Cowboys 35 | On the road · BoonePickens Stadium |
| 2026 | Oklahoma State 39 | #6 Oregon 31 | At home · Boone Pickens Stadium · Stillwater, OK |
| 1981 | Iowa 10 | #7 Nebraska 7 | At home |
| 1998 | Michigan State 45 | #10 Notre Dame 23 | At home |
| 2026 | Michigan 17 | #11 Oklahoma 10 | At home · Michigan Stadium · Ann Arbor, MI |
| 1998 | BYU 26 | #14 Arizona State 6 | At home |
| 1992 | Purdue 41 | #17 California 14 | At home |
| 1970 | Georgia Tech 23 | #17 South Carolina 20 | At home |
| 2015 | Toledo 16 | #18 Arkansas 12 | On the road |
| 2009 | Michigan Wolverines 38 | #18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34 | At home |
| 1992 | LSU 24 | #18 Mississippi State 3 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on September 12
17 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #4 Texas 24 | #1 Ohio State 23 | At home · DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX |
| 1991 | #2 Miami 40 | #10 Houston 10 | At home |
| 1987 | #2 Nebraska 42 | #3 UCLA 33 | At home |
| 2009 | #3 USC Trojans 18 | #8 Ohio State Buckeyes 15 | On the road |
| 1970 | #3 USC 42 | #16 Alabama 21 | On the road |
| 1970 | #10 Stanford 34 | #4 Arkansas 28 | On the road |
| 2015 | #5 Michigan State 31 | #7 Oregon 28 | At home |
| 1992 | #5 Florida State 24 | #15 Clemson 20 | On the road |
| 1998 | #6 UCLA 49 | #23 Texas 31 | At home |
| 1987 | #16 Notre Dame 26 | #9 Michigan 7 | On the road |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #4 Texas 24 | #1 Ohio State 23 | 1 pt |
| 2015 | #14 LSU 21 | #25 Mississippi State 19 | 2 pts |
| 2009 | #3 USC Trojans 18 | #8 Ohio State Buckeyes 15 | 3 pts |
| 2015 | #5 Michigan State 31 | #7 Oregon 28 | 3 pts |
| 2008 | #19 South Florida Bulls 37 | #13 Kansas Jayhawks 34 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | #2 Miami 40 | #10 Houston 10 | 30 pts |
| 1998 | Michigan State 45 | #10 Notre Dame 23 | 22 pts |
| 1987 | #16 Notre Dame 26 | #9 Michigan 7 | 19 pts |
| 1998 | NC State 24 | #2 Florida State 7 | 17 pts |
| 2009 | Houston Cougars 45 | #5 Oklahoma State Cowboys 35 | 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #4 Texas 24 | #1 Ohio State 23 | 20 ptsin game |
| 2020 | Tulane 27 | South Alabama 24 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2015 | #19 Oklahoma 31 | #23 Tennessee 24 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2008 | #19 South Florida Bulls 37 | #13 Kansas Jayhawks 34 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2026 | Alcorn State 53 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff 51 | 14 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 56 | Grambling State Tigers 53 | 109 pts |
| 2026 | Alcorn State 53 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff 51 | 104 pts |
| 2020 | UTSA 51 | Texas St. 48 | 99 pts |
| 2015 | #4 Baylor 66 | Lamar 31 | 97 pts |
| 2024 | South Alabama Jaguars 87 | Northwestern State Demons 10 | 97 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan 17 | #11 Oklahoma 10 | 111,240 |
| 2026 | #10 Texas A&M 48 | Arizona State 20 | 107,523 |
| 2009 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 28 | Syracuse Orange 7 | 106,387 |
| 2026 | #4 Texas 24 | #1 Ohio State 23 | 105,044 |
| 2026 | #8 LSU 45 | Louisiana Tech 14 | 102,321 |