December 21 in college football
Every December 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.
- 53games on file
- 3unranked wins over ranked teams
- 4ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1912–2024seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 21
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Indiana 38 | #9 BYU 37 | Neutral site |
| 2019 | Washington 38 | #19 Boise St. 7 | At home · Sam Boyd Stadium · Las Vegas, NV |
| 2019 | Florida Atlantic 52 | #25 SMU 28 | At home · FAU Stadium · Boca Raton, Fla. |
Ranked vs ranked on December 21
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #5 Texas Longhorns 38 | #12 Clemson Tigers 24 | At home · DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium · Austin, TX |
| 2024 | #6 Penn State Nittany Lions 38 | #11 SMU Mustangs 10 | At home · Beaver Stadium · University Park, PA |
| 2024 | #8 Ohio State Buckeyes 42 | #9 Tennessee Volunteers 17 | At home · Ohio Stadium · Columbus, Ohio |
| 2013 | #25 Southern California 45 | #20 Fresno St. 20 | Neutral site |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #8 Ohio State Buckeyes 42 | #9 Tennessee Volunteers 17 | 25 pts |
| 1979 | Indiana 38 | #9 BYU 37 | 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Colorado St. 48 | Washington St. 45 | 22 ptsin game |
| 2019 | #20 Appalachian State 31 | UAB 17 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2015 | Western Kentucky 45 | South Florida 35 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2010 | Louisville Cardinals 31 | Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 28 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2021 | Wyoming 52 | Kent St. 38 | 10 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | North Carolina A&T 64 | Alcorn State 44 | 108 pts |
| 2013 | Colorado St. 48 | Washington St. 45 | 93 pts |
| 2021 | Wyoming 52 | Kent St. 38 | 90 pts |
| 2019 | West Florida 48 | Minnesota State 40 | 88 pts |
| 2020 | App State 56 | North Texas 28 | 84 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #6 Penn State Nittany Lions 38 | #11 SMU Mustangs 10 | 106,013 |
| 2024 | #8 Ohio State Buckeyes 42 | #9 Tennessee Volunteers 17 | 102,819 |
| 2024 | #5 Texas Longhorns 38 | #12 Clemson Tigers 24 | 101,150 |
| 2013 | Louisiana 24 | Tulane 21 | 54,728 |
| 2013 | #25 Southern California 45 | #20 Fresno St. 20 | 42,178 |