December 28 in college football
Every December 28 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.
- 100games on file
- 13unranked wins over ranked teams
- 23ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1929–2024seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 28
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Iowa Hawkeyes 27 | #12 Missouri Tigers 24 | At home |
| 2002 | Wisconsin 31 | #12 Colorado 28 | Neutral site |
| 1979 | North Carolina 17 | #14 Michigan 15 | Neutral site |
| 2002 | Virginia 48 | #15 West Virginia 22 | Neutral site · Ericsson Stadium · Charlotte, NC |
| 2016 | Miami (Fla.) 31 | #16 West Virginia 14 | At home · CampingWorld Stadium · Orlando, Fla. |
| 2001 | Boston College 20 | #16 Georgia 16 | Neutral site |
| 1974 | Oklahoma State 16 | #17 BYU 6 | Neutral site |
| 1973 | Georgia 17 | #18 Maryland 16 | Neutral site |
| 2005 | Nebraska Cornhuskers 32 | #20 Michigan Wolverines 28 | At home |
| 2010 | NC State Wolfpack 23 | #22 West Virginia Mountaineers 7 | At home |
| 2016 | Northwestern 31 | #23 Pittsburgh 24 | At home · Yankee Stadium · Bronx, N.Y. |
| 1990 | NC State 31 | #23 Southern Miss 27 | Neutral site |
| 2023 | Boston College Eagles 23 | #24 SMU Mustangs 14 | Neutral site · Fenway Park · Boston, MA |
Ranked vs ranked on December 28
23 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #1 LSU 63 | #4 Oklahoma 28 | At home · Mercedes-Benz · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2019 | #3 Clemson 29 | #2 Ohio State 23 | On the road · State Farm Stadium · Glendale, Ariz. |
| 1957 | #18 Tennessee 3 | #4 Texas A&M 0 | Neutral site |
| 1990 | #6 Florida State 24 | #7 Penn State 17 | Neutral site |
| 1984 | #9 Oklahoma State 21 | #7 South Carolina 14 | Neutral site |
| 1991 | #8 Alabama 30 | #15 Colorado 25 | Neutral site |
| 2001 | #9 Texas 47 | #21 Washington 43 | Neutral site |
| 1985 | #17 Ohio State 10 | #9 BYU 7 | Neutral site |
| 2019 | #10 Penn State 53 | #17 Memphis 39 | At home · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 2023 | #14 Arizona Wildcats 38 | #12 Oklahoma Sooners 24 | Neutral site · Alamodome · San Antonio, Texas |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #18 Iowa State Cyclones 42 | #13 Miami Hurricanes 41 | 1 pt |
| 2018 | #13 Washington State 28 | #24 Iowa State 26 | 2 pts |
| 2017 | #15 Texas Christian 39 | #13 Stanford 37 | 2 pts |
| 1995 | #19 Texas A&M 22 | #14 Michigan 20 | 2 pts |
| 1957 | #18 Tennessee 3 | #4 Texas A&M 0 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #1 LSU 63 | #4 Oklahoma 28 | 35 pts |
| 1984 | #9 Oklahoma State 21 | #7 South Carolina 14 | 7 pts |
| 1990 | #6 Florida State 24 | #7 Penn State 17 | 7 pts |
| 2019 | #3 Clemson 29 | #2 Ohio State 23 | 6 pts |
| 1957 | #18 Tennessee 3 | #4 Texas A&M 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | #15 Texas Christian 39 | #13 Stanford 37 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2019 | #3 Clemson 29 | #2 Ohio State 23 | 16 ptsin game |
| 2001 | #9 Texas 47 | #21 Washington 43 | 16 ptsat a quarter |
| 2023 | #14 Arizona Wildcats 38 | #12 Oklahoma Sooners 24 | 11 ptsin game |
| 2005 | Nebraska Cornhuskers 32 | #20 Michigan Wolverines 28 | 11 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Arkansas Razorbacks 55 | Kansas Jayhawks 53 | 108 pts |
| 2019 | #10 Penn State 53 | #17 Memphis 39 | 92 pts |
| 2019 | #1 LSU 63 | #4 Oklahoma 28 | 91 pts |
| 2001 | #9 Texas 47 | #21 Washington 43 | 90 pts |
| 2000 | West Virginia 49 | Ole Miss 38 | 87 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #1 LSU 63 | #4 Oklahoma 28 | 78,347 |
| 2002 | Virginia 48 | #15 West Virginia 22 | 73,535 |
| 2019 | #3 Clemson 29 | #2 Ohio State 23 | 71,330 |
| 2016 | Kansas State 33 | Texas A&M 28 | 68,412 |
| 2024 | #17 BYU Cougars 36 | #23 Colorado Buffaloes 14 | 64,261 |