December 22 in college football
Every December 22 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.
- 45games on file
- 4unranked wins over ranked teams
- 3ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1946–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 22
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | USC 20 | #2 Texas A&M 0 | Neutral site |
| 1979 | Penn State 9 | #15 Tulane 6 | Neutral site |
| 1999 | TCU 28 | #20 East Carolina 14 | Neutral site |
| 2015 | Toledo 32 | #24 Temple 17 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on December 22
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #10 Boise State Broncos 26 | #19 Utah Utes 3 | At home |
| 1979 | #13 Washington 14 | #11 Texas 7 | Neutral site · Sun Bowl |
| 2009 | #14 BYU Cougars 44 | #18 Oregon State Beavers 20 | At home |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | USC 20 | #2 Texas A&M 0 | 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Wake Forest 37 | Memphis 34 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2023 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 30 | UCF Knights 17 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2018 | Troy 42 | Buffalo 32 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2014 | Memphis 55 | BYU 48 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2007 | Cincinnati Bearcats 31 | Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 21 | 7 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Idaho 61 | Colorado State 50 | 111 pts |
| 2014 | Memphis 55 | BYU 48 | 103 pts |
| 2004 | Bowling Green Falcons 52 | Memphis Tigers 35 | 87 pts |
| 2018 | Army 70 | Houston 14 | 84 pts |
| 2003 | NC State 56 | Kansas 26 | 82 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Army 10 | Michigan State 6 | 70,332 |
| 2018 | Army 70 | Houston 14 | 44,738 |
| 2022 | Air Force Falcons 30 | Baylor Bears 15 | 43,875 |
| 2007 | #17 BYU Cougars 17 | UCLA Bruins 16 | 40,712 |
| 2005 | California Golden Bears 35 | BYU Cougars 28 | 40,053 |