September 14 in college football
Every September 14 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.
- 690games on file
- 12unranked wins over ranked teams
- 14ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1940–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 14
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | USC 21 | #5 Penn State 10 | At home |
| 2002 | Penn State 40 | #8 Nebraska 7 | At home · Beaver Stadium · State College, PA |
| 1985 | Michigan 20 | #13 Notre Dame 12 | At home |
| 1996 | Washington 29 | #14 BYU 17 | At home |
| 2002 | California 46 | #15 Michigan State 22 | On the road · Spartan Stadium |
| 2019 | Arizona State 10 | #18 Michigan State 7 | On the road · Spartan Stadium · East Lansing, Mich. |
| 1991 | Central Michigan 20 | #18 Michigan State 3 | On the road · East Lansing, MI |
| 1974 | Ole Miss 10 | #18 Missouri 0 | At home |
| 2013 | Arizona St. 32 | #20 Wisconsin 30 | At home |
| 2019 | Temple 20 | #21 Maryland 17 | At home · Lincoln Financial · Philadelphia,Pa. |
| 2019 | BYU 30 | #24 Southern California 27 | At home · LaVell Edwards · Provo, Utah |
| 1996 | Louisiana 29 | #25 Texas A&M 22 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on September 14
14 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #1 Alabama 49 | #6 Texas A&M 42 | On the road |
| 1991 | #3 Michigan 24 | #7 Notre Dame 14 | At home |
| 1974 | #3 Alabama 21 | #14 Maryland 16 | On the road |
| 1996 | #11 Michigan 20 | #5 Colorado 13 | On the road |
| 1974 | #20 Arkansas 22 | #5 USC 7 | At home |
| 2024 | #6 Missouri Tigers 27 | #24 Boston College Eagles 21 | At home · Memorial Stadium · Columbia, Missouri |
| 2002 | #6 Ohio State 25 | #10 Washington State 7 | At home · Ohio Stadium |
| 1991 | #6 Florida 35 | #16 Alabama 0 | At home |
| 2002 | #20 Notre Dame 25 | #7 Michigan 23 | At home |
| 1974 | #8 Penn State 24 | #20 Stanford 20 | At home |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | #20 Notre Dame 25 | #7 Michigan 23 | 2 pts |
| 1991 | #23 Baylor 16 | #12 Colorado 14 | 2 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Penn State 40 | #8 Nebraska 7 | 33 pts |
| 2002 | #6 Ohio State 25 | #10 Washington State 7 | 18 pts |
| 1974 | #20 Arkansas 22 | #5 USC 7 | 15 pts |
| 1991 | USC 21 | #5 Penn State 10 | 11 pts |
| 1991 | #3 Michigan 24 | #7 Notre Dame 14 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Southern U. 62 | Prairie View 59 | 22 ptsin game |
| 2024 | UCF Knights 35 | TCU Horned Frogs 34 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2019 | Jacksonville State 49 | Eastern Washington 45 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2013 | UNLV 31 | Central Mich. 21 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2024 | UT Martin Skyhawks 43 | North Alabama Lions 28 | 18 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Southern U. 62 | Prairie View 59 | 121 pts |
| 2013 | Sacramento St. 63 | Southern Ore. 56 | 119 pts |
| 2019 | Morehead State 73 | Kentucky Christian 34 | 107 pts |
| 2019 | Houston Baptist Huskies 53 | South Dakota Coyotes 52 | 105 pts |
| 2013 | Oregon St. 51 | Utah 48 | 99 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Penn State 40 | #8 Nebraska 7 | 110,753 |
| 2024 | #17 Michigan Wolverines 28 | Arkansas State Red Wolves 18 | 110,250 |
| 2019 | #13 Penn State 17 | Pittsburgh 10 | 108,661 |
| 2013 | #11 Michigan 28 | Akron 24 | 107,120 |
| 2002 | #6 Ohio State 25 | #10 Washington State 7 | 104,553 |