December 26 in college football
Every December 26 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.
- 64games on file
- 3unranked wins over ranked teams
- 3ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1921–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 26
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Liberty 37 | #12 Coastal Carolina 34 | Neutral site · Camping World · Orlando, Fla. |
| 1984 | Iowa 55 | #19 Texas 17 | Neutral site · Anaheim Stadium |
| 2013 | Utah St. 21 | #23 NIU 14 | Neutral site |
Ranked vs ranked on December 26
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | #7 Arizona State 17 | #6 Nebraska 14 | Neutral site |
| 1980 | #10 Penn State 31 | #11 Ohio State 19 | Neutral site |
| 1975 | #20 Pittsburgh 33 | #19 Kansas 19 | Neutral site |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | #7 Arizona State 17 | #6 Nebraska 14 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | #7 Arizona State 17 | #6 Nebraska 14 | 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kansas State Wildcats 44 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights 41 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2010 | Florida Intl Golden Panthers 34 | Toledo Rockets 32 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2003 | California 52 | Virginia Tech 49 | 14 ptsat a quarter |
| 2024 | Toledo Rockets 48 | Pittsburgh Panthers 46 | 10 ptsin game |
| 2019 | Pittsburgh 34 | Eastern Michigan 30 | 10 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Virginia Tech 55 | Tulsa 52 | 107 pts |
| 2003 | California 52 | Virginia Tech 49 | 101 pts |
| 2007 | Purdue Boilermakers 51 | Central Michigan Chippewas 48 | 99 pts |
| 2024 | Toledo Rockets 48 | Pittsburgh Panthers 46 | 94 pts |
| 1969 | #20 Toledo 56 | Davidson 33 | 89 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Purdue Boilermakers 51 | Central Michigan Chippewas 48 | 60,624 |
| 2003 | #20 Bowling Green 28 | Northwestern 24 | 51,286 |
| 2019 | Pittsburgh 34 | Eastern Michigan 30 | 34,765 |
| 2019 | Louisiana Tech 14 | Miami (Fla.) 0 | 33,129 |
| 2018 | Texas Christian 10 | California 7 | 33,121 |