December 4 in college football
Every December 4 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.
- 120games on file
- 2unranked wins over ranked teams
- 18ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1904–2021seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 4
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Florida 13 | #15 Florida State 10 | On the road |
| 2021 | Utah St. 46 | #19 San Diego St. 13 | On the road · Dignity Health Sports Park · Carson, California |
Ranked vs ranked on December 4
18 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #3 Alabama 41 | #1 Georgia 24 | Neutral site · Mercedes-Benz Stadium · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2010 | #1 Auburn Tigers 56 | #19 South Carolina Gamecocks 17 | On the road |
| 2021 | #2 Michigan 42 | #13 Iowa 3 | Neutral site · Lucas Oil Stadium · Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 1999 | #3 Nebraska 22 | #12 Texas 6 | Neutral site · Alamodome |
| 2021 | #4 Cincinnati 35 | #21 Houston 20 | At home · Nippert Stadium · Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1999 | #7 Alabama 34 | #5 Florida 7 | Neutral site · Georgia Dome |
| 1971 | #12 Tennessee 31 | #5 Penn State 11 | At home |
| 1965 | #7 Tennessee 37 | #5 UCLA 34 | At home |
| 1982 | #12 Texas 33 | #6 Arkansas 7 | At home |
| 2004 | #8 Auburn Tigers 38 | #10 Tennessee Volunteers 28 | On the road · Georgia Dome · Atlanta, GA |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | #7 Tennessee 37 | #5 UCLA 34 | 3 pts |
| 1976 | #9 Texas Tech 24 | #18 Baylor 21 | 3 pts |
| 2010 | #9 Oklahoma Sooners 23 | #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers 20 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | #7 Alabama 34 | #5 Florida 7 | 27 pts |
| 1982 | #12 Texas 33 | #6 Arkansas 7 | 26 pts |
| 1971 | #12 Tennessee 31 | #5 Penn State 11 | 20 pts |
| 2021 | #3 Alabama 41 | #1 Georgia 24 | 17 pts |
| 2004 | #8 Auburn Tigers 38 | #10 Tennessee Volunteers 28 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 41 | Michigan State Spartans 38 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2004 | William & Mary Tribe 44 | Delaware Blue Hens 38 | 21 ptsat a quarter |
| 2010 | #9 Oklahoma Sooners 23 | #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers 20 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2021 | ETSU 32 | Kennesaw St. 31 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2010 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 28 | Florida Intl Golden Panthers 27 | 14 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Sam Houston 49 | UIW 42 | 91 pts |
| 2004 | William & Mary Tribe 44 | Delaware Blue Hens 38 | 82 pts |
| 2010 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 59 | UNLV Rebels 21 | 80 pts |
| 2021 | James Madison 59 | Southeastern La. 20 | 79 pts |
| 2004 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 41 | Michigan State Spartans 38 | 79 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #1 USC Trojans 29 | UCLA Bruins 24 | 88,442 |
| 2021 | #3 Alabama 41 | #1 Georgia 24 | 78,030 |
| 2004 | #8 Auburn Tigers 38 | #10 Tennessee Volunteers 28 | 74,892 |
| 1999 | #7 Alabama 34 | #5 Florida 7 | 74,309 |
| 1982 | #12 Texas 33 | #6 Arkansas 7 | 67,903 |