December 25 in college football
Every December 25 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.
- 50games on file
- 5unranked wins over ranked teams
- 7ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1907–2021seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 25
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | North Carolina 26 | #8 Texas 10 | Neutral site · Sun Bowl |
| 1994 | Boston College 12 | #11 Kansas State 7 | Neutral site |
| 1991 | Georgia Tech 18 | #17 Stanford 17 | Neutral site |
| 1998 | Colorado 51 | #21 Oregon 43 | Neutral site |
| 1992 | Kansas 23 | #25 BYU 20 | Neutral site |
Ranked vs ranked on December 25
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | #8 Penn State 42 | #15 Arizona State 30 | Neutral site |
| 1982 | #9 Washington 21 | #16 Maryland 20 | Neutral site |
| 1986 | #13 Alabama 28 | #12 Washington 6 | Neutral site |
| 1988 | #18 Washington State 24 | #14 Houston 22 | Neutral site |
| 1993 | #17 Colorado 41 | #25 Fresno State 30 | Neutral site |
| 1997 | #21 Washington 51 | #25 Michigan State 23 | Neutral site |
| 1989 | #22 Michigan State 33 | #25 Hawai'i 13 | Neutral site · Honolulu, HI |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | #9 Washington 21 | #16 Maryland 20 | 1 pt |
| 1988 | #18 Washington State 24 | #14 Houston 22 | 2 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | North Carolina 26 | #8 Texas 10 | 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Tulane 36 | Hawai'i 28 | 8 ptsat a quarter |
| 2003 | Hawai'i 54 | Houston 48 | 7 ptsat a quarter |
| 2002 | UCLA 27 | New Mexico 13 | 3 ptsat a quarter |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hawai'i 54 | Houston 48 | 102 pts |
| 1998 | Colorado 51 | #21 Oregon 43 | 94 pts |
| 1950 | Denver 76 | Hawaii All-Stars 6 | 82 pts |
| 1995 | #11 Kansas 51 | UCLA 30 | 81 pts |
| 1996 | Navy 42 | California 38 | 80 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #22 Michigan State 33 | #25 Hawai'i 13 | 50,000 |
| 2002 | Tulane 36 | Hawai'i 28 | 35,513 |
| 1982 | North Carolina 26 | #8 Texas 10 | 31,359 |
| 2003 | Hawai'i 54 | Houston 48 | 29,005 |
| 2021 | Georgia St. 51 | Ball St. 20 | 4,200 |