December 27 in college football
Every December 27 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.
- 93games on file
- 10unranked wins over ranked teams
- 9ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1947–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 27
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Georgia Tech 24 | #11 Stanford 14 | Neutral site |
| 1985 | Baylor 21 | #12 LSU 7 | Neutral site |
| 2023 | USC Trojans 42 | #15 Louisville Cardinals 28 | Neutral site · Petco Park · San Diego, California |
| 1968 | Richmond 49 | #15 Ohio 42 | Neutral site |
| 2012 | Baylor Bears 49 | #17 UCLA Bruins 26 | On the road |
| 2004 | Fresno State Bulldogs 37 | #18 Virginia Cavaliers 34 | At home · Bronco Stadium |
| 1986 | Clemson 27 | #20 Stanford 21 | Neutral site |
| 2016 | Wake Forest 34 | #24 Temple 26 | At home · Navy-Marine Corps MS · Annapolis, Md. |
| 1990 | Air Force 23 | #24 Ohio State 11 | Neutral site |
| 2019 | Texas A&M 24 | #25 Oklahoma State 21 | At home · NRG Stadium · Houston, Texas |
Ranked vs ranked on December 27
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | #8 Nebraska 31 | #17 Mississippi State 17 | Neutral site |
| 1975 | #9 Texas 38 | #10 Colorado 21 | Neutral site · The Astrodome |
| 2007 | #19 Texas Longhorns 52 | #11 Arizona State Sun Devils 34 | At home · Qualcomm Stadium |
| 1969 | #15 Florida 14 | #11 Tennessee 13 | Neutral site |
| 2025 | #12 BYU Cougars 25 | #22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 21 | Neutral site · Camping World Stadium · Orlando, Florida |
| 1958 | #13 Ole Miss 7 | #14 Florida 3 | Neutral site |
| 1994 | #14 Utah 16 | #15 Arizona 13 | Neutral site |
| 1976 | #15 Notre Dame 20 | #20 Penn State 9 | Neutral site |
| 2019 | #16 Iowa 49 | #22 Southern California 24 | At home · SDCCU Stadium · San Diego, Calif. |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | #15 Florida 14 | #11 Tennessee 13 | 1 pt |
| 1994 | #14 Utah 16 | #15 Arizona 13 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | #9 Texas 38 | #10 Colorado 21 | 17 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 | USC Trojans 35 | Texas A&M Aggies 31 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2012 | Cincinnati Bearcats 48 | Duke Blue Devils 34 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2025 | #21 Houston Cougars 38 | LSU Tigers 35 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2024 | Navy Midshipmen 21 | Oklahoma Sooners 20 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2019 | Texas A&M 24 | #25 Oklahoma State 21 | 14 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Texas Tech 55 | Air Force 41 | 96 pts |
| 2025 | #25 North Texas Mean Green 49 | San Diego State Aztecs 47 | 96 pts |
| 1968 | Richmond 49 | #15 Ohio 42 | 91 pts |
| 2014 | #24 Southern California 45 | Nebraska 42 | 87 pts |
| 2024 | #21 Syracuse Orange 52 | Washington State Cougars 35 | 87 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Texas A&M 24 | #25 Oklahoma State 21 | 68,415 |
| 2017 | Texas 33 | Missouri 16 | 67,820 |
| 2007 | #19 Texas Longhorns 52 | #11 Arizona State Sun Devils 34 | 64,020 |
| 2025 | #21 Houston Cougars 38 | LSU Tigers 35 | 63,867 |
| 2009 | Clemson Tigers 21 | Kentucky Wildcats 13 | 57,280 |