October 21 in college football
Every October 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.
- 1,176games on file
- 24unranked wins over ranked teams
- 32ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1901–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on October 21
The 24 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Duquesne 21 | #1 Pittsburgh 13 | On the road |
| 1967 | Oregon State 22 | #2 Purdue 14 | On the road |
| 1950 | UCLA 21 | #6 Stanford 7 | At home |
| 1989 | Texas 24 | #7 Arkansas 20 | On the road |
| 1972 | Missouri 30 | #8 Notre Dame 26 | On the road |
| 1950 | NC State 16 | #8 Maryland 13 | On the road |
| 2023 | Virginia Cavaliers 31 | #10 North Carolina Tar Heels 27 | On the road · Kenan Stadium · Chapel Hill, NC |
| 1950 | Illinois 20 | #10 Washington 13 | At home |
| 1950 | Indiana 20 | #11 Notre Dame 7 | At home |
| 1939 | Gonzaga 12 | #11 Oregon 7 | On the road |
| 1989 | Clemson 30 | #12 NC State 10 | At home |
| 1978 | Baylor 24 | #12 Texas A&M 6 | On the road |
| 1944 | Fleet City 19 | #12 California 2 | On the road |
| 2000 | LSU 45 | #13 Mississippi State 38 | At home · Tiger Stadium · Baton Rouge, LA |
Ranked vs ranked on October 21
32 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #1 Notre Dame 28 | #9 USC 24 | At home |
| 1972 | #1 USC 34 | #18 Washington 7 | At home |
| 1961 | #1 Michigan State 17 | #6 Notre Dame 7 | At home · East Lansing, MI |
| 2017 | #2 Penn State 42 | #19 Michigan 13 | At home · Beaver Stadium · University Park, Pa. |
| 1995 | #2 Nebraska 49 | #8 Kansas State 25 | At home |
| 1972 | #9 Colorado 20 | #2 Oklahoma 14 | At home |
| 2023 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 20 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 12 | At home · Ohio Stadium · Columbus, OH |
| 1978 | #8 Texas 28 | #3 Arkansas 21 | At home |
| 1972 | #3 Alabama 17 | #10 Tennessee 10 | On the road |
| 1961 | #3 Texas 33 | #10 Arkansas 7 | On the road |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #16 Texas 17 | #14 Virginia 16 | 1 pt |
| 2006 | #5 Texas Longhorns 22 | #17 Nebraska Cornhuskers 20 | 2 pts |
| 1944 | #8 Georgia Tech 17 | #9 Navy 15 | 2 pts |
| 2023 | #14 Utah Utes 34 | #18 USC Trojans 32 | 2 pts |
| 1989 | #22 Arizona 23 | #15 Washington State 21 | 2 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #17 Notre Dame 38 | #5 USC 10 | 28 pts |
| 1961 | #3 Texas 33 | #10 Arkansas 7 | 26 pts |
| 1995 | #2 Nebraska 49 | #8 Kansas State 25 | 24 pts |
| 1939 | #5 Tennessee 21 | #8 Alabama 0 | 21 pts |
| 1989 | #10 Alabama 47 | #6 Tennessee 30 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Michigan State Spartans 41 | Northwestern Wildcats 38 | 35 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Austin Peay Governors 48 | Southern Utah Thunderbirds 45 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2006 | Baylor Bears 36 | Kansas Jayhawks 35 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Incarnate Word Cardinals 35 | McNeese Cowboys 24 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Towson Tigers 34 | William & Mary Tribe 24 | 17 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | Oklahoma State 117 | Southwestern Oklahoma State 0 | 117 pts |
| 1989 | #16 Houston 95 | SMU 21 | 116 pts |
| 2016 | California 52 | Oregon 49 | 101 pts |
| 2017 | Florida Atlantic 69 | North Texas 31 | 100 pts |
| 2014 | Louisiana 55 | Arkansas St. 40 | 95 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16 Michigan 14 | Michigan State 0 | 111,514 |
| 2017 | #2 Penn State 42 | #19 Michigan 13 | 110,823 |
| 2006 | #7 Tennessee Volunteers 16 | Alabama Crimson Tide 13 | 106,695 |
| 2023 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 20 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions 12 | 105,506 |
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes 44 | Indiana Hoosiers 3 | 105,267 |