December 24 in college football
Every December 24 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.
- 26games on file
- 2unranked wins over ranked teams
- 0ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1966–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 24
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Alabama 28 | #6 SMU 7 | Neutral site |
| 2010 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane 62 | #24 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 35 | At home |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Alabama 28 | #6 SMU 7 | 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 35 | California Golden Bears 31 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2022 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 25 | San Diego State Aztecs 23 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2005 | Nevada Wolf Pack 49 | UCF Knights 48 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2017 | Fresno State 33 | Houston 27 | 7 ptsin game |
| 2006 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 41 | Arizona State Sun Devils 24 | 7 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 59 | UAB Blazers 40 | 99 pts |
| 2005 | Nevada Wolf Pack 49 | UCF Knights 48 | 97 pts |
| 2010 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane 62 | #24 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 35 | 97 pts |
| 2014 | Western Ky. 49 | Central Mich. 48 | 97 pts |
| 2016 | Hawaii 52 | Middle Tennessee 35 | 87 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 41 | Arizona State Sun Devils 24 | 43,435 |
| 2004 | Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 59 | UAB Blazers 40 | 39,754 |
| 2013 | Oregon St. 38 | Boise St. 23 | 29,106 |
| 2003 | Oregon State 55 | New Mexico 14 | 25,437 |
| 2014 | Rice 30 | Fresno St. 6 | 25,365 |