November 21 in college football
Every November 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.
- 930games on file
- 32unranked wins over ranked teams
- 32ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1900–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on November 21
The 32 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Auburn 27 | #1 Georgia 13 | At home |
| 1964 | Oklahoma 17 | #4 Nebraska 7 | At home |
| 1959 | UCLA 10 | #4 USC 3 | On the road |
| 1992 | Washington State 42 | #5 Washington 23 | At home |
| 1987 | USC 17 | #5 UCLA 13 | At home |
| 1987 | Penn State 21 | #7 Notre Dame 20 | At home |
| 1981 | Ohio State 14 | #7 Michigan 9 | On the road |
| 1959 | Pittsburgh 22 | #7 Penn State 7 | At home |
| 2009 | Ole Miss Rebels 25 | #8 LSU Tigers 23 | At home |
| 1959 | Illinois 28 | #8 Northwestern 0 | At home |
| 1998 | Mississippi State 22 | #9 Arkansas 21 | At home |
| 1981 | Louisville 13 | #9 Southern Miss 10 | At home |
| 1964 | West Virginia 28 | #9 Syracuse 27 | At home |
| 1970 | Colorado 49 | #10 Air Force 19 | On the road |
Ranked vs ranked on November 21
32 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | #1 Miami 28 | #17 Pittsburgh 21 | At home · Orange Bowl |
| 1992 | #1 Miami 16 | #8 Syracuse 10 | On the road · Syracuse, NY |
| 1987 | #2 Oklahoma 17 | #1 Nebraska 7 | On the road |
| 1936 | #11 Notre Dame 26 | #1 Northwestern 6 | At home |
| 1998 | #2 Kansas State 31 | #19 Missouri 25 | On the road |
| 1970 | #2 Notre Dame 3 | #7 LSU 0 | At home |
| 1953 | #2 Maryland 21 | #11 Alabama 0 | At home |
| 2020 | #3 Ohio St. 42 | #9 Indiana 35 | At home · Ohio Stadium · Columbus, Ohio |
| 2015 | #9 Michigan State Spartans 17 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 14 | On the road |
| 1998 | #5 Florida State 23 | #4 Florida 12 | At home |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #7 Oklahoma Sooners 30 | #18 TCU Horned Frogs 29 | 1 pt |
| 1981 | #10 USC 22 | #15 UCLA 21 | 1 pt |
| 1970 | #2 Notre Dame 3 | #7 LSU 0 | 3 pts |
| 2015 | #9 Michigan State Spartans 17 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 14 | 3 pts |
| 1953 | #12 Georgia Tech 13 | #15 Duke 10 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Colorado 49 | #10 Air Force 19 | 30 pts |
| 1959 | Illinois 28 | #8 Northwestern 0 | 28 pts |
| 1936 | #11 Notre Dame 26 | #1 Northwestern 6 | 20 pts |
| 1992 | Washington State 42 | #5 Washington 23 | 19 pts |
| 1959 | Pittsburgh 22 | #7 Penn State 7 | 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Kansas State Wildcats 38 | Iowa State Cyclones 35 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2008 | Buffalo Bulls 40 | Bowling Green Falcons 34 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2015 | Utah State Aggies 31 | Nevada Wolf Pack 27 | 20 ptsin game |
| 2015 | Indiana Hoosiers 47 | Maryland Terrapins 28 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2020 | Michigan 48 | Rutgers 42 | 17 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Mississippi State Bulldogs 51 | Arkansas Razorbacks 50 | 101 pts |
| 1998 | #21 Georgia Tech 63 | Wake Forest 35 | 98 pts |
| 2009 | Eastern Washington Eagles 49 | Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 45 | 94 pts |
| 1970 | North Carolina 59 | Duke 34 | 93 pts |
| 1936 | #5 LSU 93 | Louisiana 0 | 93 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #7 Ohio State 31 | #11 Michigan 16 | 94,339 |
| 2009 | Kentucky Wildcats 34 | Georgia Bulldogs 27 | 92,746 |
| 2009 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide 45 | Chattanooga Mocs 0 | 92,012 |
| 1998 | Alabama 31 | Auburn 17 | 83,091 |
| 1998 | #10 Notre Dame 39 | LSU 36 | 80,012 |