September 20 in college football
Every September 20 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.
- 932games on file
- 21unranked wins over ranked teams
- 23ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1902–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 20
The 21 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Marshall 27 | #6 Kansas State 20 | On the road |
| 2014 | Mississippi St. 34 | #8 LSU 29 | On the road |
| 1986 | Miami (OH) 21 | #8 LSU 12 | On the road |
| 2003 | Toledo 35 | #9 Pittsburgh 31 | At home |
| 1986 | USC 17 | #9 Baylor 14 | On the road |
| 2019 | Southern California 30 | #10 Utah 23 | At home · LA Memorial Coliseum · Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1997 | Arkansas 17 | #11 Alabama 16 | On the road |
| 1980 | Boston College 30 | #11 Stanford 13 | At home |
| 1975 | NC State 8 | #13 Florida 7 | At home |
| 1997 | BYU 13 | #14 Arizona State 10 | On the road |
| 1986 | Clemson 31 | #14 Georgia 28 | On the road |
| 2008 | NC State Wolfpack 30 | #15 East Carolina Pirates 24 | At home · CarterFinley Stadium · Raleigh, NC |
| 1975 | Oklahoma State 20 | #16 Arkansas 13 | At home |
| 2008 | Boise State Broncos 37 | #17 Oregon Ducks 32 | On the road |
Ranked vs ranked on September 20
23 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1 Florida St. 23 | #22 Clemson 17 | At home |
| 1975 | #1 Oklahoma 46 | #15 Pittsburgh 10 | At home |
| 1997 | #7 Nebraska 27 | #2 Washington 14 | On the road |
| 2003 | #22 Oregon 31 | #3 Michigan 27 | At home |
| 1997 | #3 Florida 33 | #4 Tennessee 20 | At home |
| 1975 | #3 Ohio State 17 | #7 Penn State 9 | At home |
| 1986 | #4 Alabama 21 | #13 Florida 7 | On the road |
| 1980 | #4 USC 23 | #20 South Carolina 13 | At home |
| 1997 | #5 Florida State 35 | #16 Clemson 28 | On the road |
| 2008 | #6 LSU Tigers 26 | #10 Auburn Tigers 21 | On the road · Jordan-Hare · Auburn, AL |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | #8 Notre Dame 29 | #14 Michigan 27 | 2 pts |
| 2001 | #21 South Carolina 16 | #18 Mississippi State 14 | 2 pts |
| 1997 | #12 Auburn 31 | #10 LSU 28 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #19 Indiana Hoosiers 63 | #9 Illinois Fighting Illini 10 | 53 pts |
| 1997 | #7 Nebraska 27 | #2 Washington 14 | 13 pts |
| 1997 | #3 Florida 33 | #4 Tennessee 20 | 13 pts |
| 1986 | Miami (OH) 21 | #8 LSU 12 | 9 pts |
| 1975 | #3 Ohio State 17 | #7 Penn State 9 | 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Arizona 49 | California 45 | 22 ptsin game |
| 2025 | San Diego Toreros 42 | Princeton Tigers 35 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2014 | Yale 54 | Lehigh 43 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2008 | James Madison Dukes 35 | Appalachian State Mountaineers 32 | 21 ptsat a quarter |
| 2025 | Memphis Tigers 32 | Arkansas Razorbacks 31 | 18 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | East Carolina 70 | North Carolina 41 | 111 pts |
| 2008 | #25 Fresno State Bulldogs 55 | Toledo Rockets 54 | 109 pts |
| 2024 | Washington State Cougars 54 | San José State Spartans 52 | 106 pts |
| 2014 | Eastern Wash. 52 | Montana St. 51 | 103 pts |
| 2025 | Campbell Fighting Camels 50 | Bryant Bulldogs 48 | 98 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #16 Penn State Nittany Lions 45 | Temple Owls 3 | 105,106 |
| 2003 | #5 Ohio State 24 | Bowling Green 17 | 104,358 |
| 2014 | Utah 26 | Michigan 10 | 103,890 |
| 2025 | #8 Texas Longhorns 55 | Sam Houston Bearkats 0 | 103,003 |
| 2014 | Mississippi St. 34 | #8 LSU 29 | 102,321 |