September 21 in college football
Every September 21 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.
- 905games on file
- 27unranked wins over ranked teams
- 22ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1901–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on September 21
The 27 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Baylor 20 | #3 USC 13 | On the road |
| 1974 | Wisconsin 21 | #4 Nebraska 20 | At home |
| 1973 | Miami 20 | #6 Texas 15 | At home |
| 1974 | Texas A&M 21 | #7 LSU 14 | On the road |
| 1974 | Navy 7 | #8 Penn State 6 | On the road |
| 1968 | Iowa 21 | #8 Oregon State 20 | At home |
| 1974 | Oklahoma State 26 | #10 Arkansas 7 | On the road |
| 1963 | Air Force 10 | #10 Washington 7 | At home |
| 1974 | Iowa 21 | #12 UCLA 10 | At home |
| 2024 | BYU Cougars 38 | #13 Kansas State Wildcats 9 | At home · LaVell Edwards · Provo, Utah |
| 1974 | Florida 17 | #14 Maryland 10 | At home |
| 2019 | Pittsburgh 35 | #15 UCF 34 | At home · Heinz Field · Pittsburgh, PA |
| 1991 | Tulsa 35 | #15 Texas A&M 34 | At home |
| 2019 | UCLA 67 | #19 Washington State 63 | On the road · Martin Stadium · Pullman, Wash. |
Ranked vs ranked on September 21
22 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #17 Arizona State 19 | #1 Nebraska 0 | At home |
| 1996 | #4 Florida 35 | #2 Tennessee 29 | On the road |
| 1968 | #2 USC 29 | #16 Minnesota 20 | On the road |
| 2019 | #3 Georgia 23 | #7 Notre Dame 17 | At home · Sanford Stadium · Athens, Ga. |
| 1968 | #3 Notre Dame 45 | #5 Oklahoma 21 | At home |
| 2002 | #10 Florida 30 | #4 Tennessee 13 | On the road |
| 1991 | #4 Washington 36 | #9 Nebraska 21 | On the road |
| 2013 | #5 Stanford 42 | #23 Arizona St. 28 | At home |
| 1991 | #18 Syracuse 38 | #5 Florida 21 | At home |
| 2024 | #6 Tennessee Volunteers 25 | #15 Oklahoma Sooners 15 | On the road · Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, Oklahoma |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | #20 LSU 13 | #13 Texas A&M 12 | 1 pt |
| 1991 | #6 Tennessee 26 | #23 Mississippi State 24 | 2 pts |
| 1996 | #9 Notre Dame 27 | #6 Texas 24 | 3 pts |
| 2024 | #18 Michigan Wolverines 27 | #11 USC Trojans 24 | 3 pts |
| 2024 | #12 Utah Utes 22 | #14 Oklahoma State Cowboys 19 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | #3 Notre Dame 45 | #5 Oklahoma 21 | 24 pts |
| 1996 | #17 Arizona State 19 | #1 Nebraska 0 | 19 pts |
| 1974 | Oklahoma State 26 | #10 Arkansas 7 | 19 pts |
| 1991 | #18 Syracuse 38 | #5 Florida 21 | 17 pts |
| 2002 | #10 Florida 30 | #4 Tennessee 13 | 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | UCLA 67 | #19 Washington State 63 | 32 ptsin game |
| 2024 | Clark Atlanta Panthers 38 | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 37 | 24 ptsin game |
| 2013 | NIU 43 | Eastern Ill. 39 | 20 ptsin game |
| 2013 | Lehigh 29 | Princeton 28 | 19 ptsin game |
| 2024 | Montana Grizzlies 46 | Western Carolina Catamounts 35 | 17 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | UCLA 67 | #19 Washington State 63 | 130 pts |
| 2024 | James Madison Dukes 70 | North Carolina Tar Heels 50 | 120 pts |
| 2013 | Old Dominion 59 | The Citadel 58 | 117 pts |
| 2013 | Pittsburgh 58 | Duke 55 | 113 pts |
| 2013 | Sacred Heart 78 | Chowan 35 | 113 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #18 Michigan Wolverines 27 | #11 USC Trojans 24 | 110,702 |
| 2024 | #10 Penn State Nittany Lions 56 | Kent State Golden Flashes 0 | 109,526 |
| 2002 | #15 Penn State 49 | Louisiana Tech 17 | 103,987 |
| 2024 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 49 | Marshall Thundering Herd 14 | 103,871 |
| 2013 | #4 Ohio St. 76 | Florida A&M 0 | 103,595 |