December 20 in college football
Every December 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.
- 47games on file
- 4unranked wins over ranked teams
- 6ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1941–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 20
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Southern Miss 28 | #13 TCU 21 | Neutral site |
| 2008 | Arizona Wildcats 31 | #16 BYU Cougars 21 | At home |
| 1978 | Texas A&M 28 | #19 Iowa State 12 | Neutral site |
| 1997 | Oregon 41 | #23 Air Force 13 | Neutral site |
Ranked vs ranked on December 20
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5 Oregon Ducks 51 | #12 James Madison Dukes 34 | At home · Autzen Stadium · Eugene, Oregon |
| 2025 | #6 Ole Miss Rebels 41 | #11 Tulane Green Wave 10 | At home · Vaught-Hemingway Stadium · Oxford, Mississippi |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 10 | #7 Texas A&M Aggies 3 | On the road · Kyle Field · College Station, TX |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27 | #10 Indiana Hoosiers 17 | At home · Notre Dame Stadium · Notre Dame, IN |
| 1976 | #16 Alabama 36 | #7 UCLA 6 | Neutral site |
| 1971 | #9 Tennessee 14 | #18 Arkansas 13 | Neutral site |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | #9 Tennessee 14 | #18 Arkansas 13 | 1 pt |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | #16 Alabama 36 | #7 UCLA 6 | 30 pts |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27 | #10 Indiana Hoosiers 17 | 10 pts |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 10 | #7 Texas A&M Aggies 3 | 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 42 | Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 32 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2008 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons 29 | Navy Midshipmen 19 | 13 ptsin game |
| 2014 | Illinois State 21 | New Hampshire 18 | 12 ptsin game |
| 2007 | Utah Utes 35 | Navy Midshipmen 32 | 10 ptsin game |
| 2008 | Colorado State Rams 40 | Fresno State Bulldogs 35 | 8 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Kent State 51 | Utah State 41 | 92 pts |
| 2025 | Wisconsin River Falls 48 | Johns Hopkins 41 | 89 pts |
| 2025 | #5 Oregon Ducks 51 | #12 James Madison Dukes 34 | 85 pts |
| 2016 | Western Kentucky 51 | Memphis 31 | 82 pts |
| 2014 | Wisconsin Whitewater 43 | Mount Union 34 | 77 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 10 | #7 Texas A&M Aggies 3 | 104,122 |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27 | #10 Indiana Hoosiers 17 | 77,622 |
| 2025 | #6 Ole Miss Rebels 41 | #11 Tulane Green Wave 10 | 68,251 |
| 2025 | #5 Oregon Ducks 51 | #12 James Madison Dukes 34 | 55,124 |
| 2024 | Florida Gators 33 | Tulane Green Wave 8 | 41,472 |