December 29 in college football
Every December 29 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.
- 110games on file
- 13unranked wins over ranked teams
- 26ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1956–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 29
Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Purdue 37 | #4 Kansas State 34 | Neutral site |
| 2005 | Oklahoma Sooners 17 | #6 Oregon Ducks 14 | At home · Qualcomm Stadium |
| 1962 | Florida 17 | #9 Penn State 7 | Neutral site |
| 1990 | Texas A&M 65 | #13 BYU 14 | Neutral site |
| 1983 | Notre Dame 19 | #13 Boston College 18 | Neutral site |
| 2000 | LSU 28 | #15 Georgia Tech 14 | Neutral site · Georgia Dome · Atlanta |
| 1979 | Missouri 24 | #16 South Carolina 14 | Neutral site |
| 1972 | NC State 49 | #18 West Virginia 13 | Neutral site |
| 1995 | Iowa 38 | #20 Washington 18 | Neutral site |
| 1984 | Kentucky 20 | #20 Wisconsin 19 | Neutral site |
| 1992 | Fresno State 24 | #23 USC 7 | Neutral site |
| 2005 | Utah Utes 38 | #24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 10 | At home · SBC Park · San Francisco, CA |
| 2007 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons 24 | #25 Connecticut Huskies 10 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on December 29
26 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #1 Alabama 45 | #4 Oklahoma 34 | At home · Hard Rock Stadium · Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| 2018 | #2 Clemson 30 | #3 Notre Dame 3 | At home |
| 1980 | #3 Pittsburgh 37 | #18 South Carolina 9 | Neutral site |
| 1956 | #4 Georgia Tech 21 | #12 Pittsburgh 14 | Neutral site |
| 2017 | #5 Ohio State 24 | #8 Southern California 7 | At home · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 2023 | #9 Missouri Tigers 14 | #7 Ohio State Buckeyes 3 | Neutral site · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, TX |
| 2018 | #10 Florida 41 | #7 Michigan 15 | On the road · Mercedes-Benz Stdm · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1978 | #7 Clemson 17 | #20 Ohio State 15 | Neutral site |
| 2000 | #8 Oregon (Holiday Bowl) 35 | #12 Texas 30 | On the road · Qualcomm · San Diego, CA |
| 2016 | #12 Oklahoma State 38 | #10 Colorado 8 | On the road · Alamodome · San Antonio, Texas |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | #7 Clemson 17 | #20 Ohio State 15 | 2 pts |
| 2020 | #21 Oklahoma St. 37 | #18 Miami (FL) 34 | 3 pts |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #12 Oklahoma State 38 | #10 Colorado 8 | 30 pts |
| 2018 | #2 Clemson 30 | #3 Notre Dame 3 | 27 pts |
| 2018 | #10 Florida 41 | #7 Michigan 15 | 26 pts |
| 2017 | #5 Ohio State 24 | #8 Southern California 7 | 17 pts |
| 2018 | #1 Alabama 45 | #4 Oklahoma 34 | 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Texas Tech Red Raiders 44 | Minnesota Golden Gophers 41 | 31 ptsin game |
| 2016 | #22 Virginia Tech 35 | Arkansas 24 | 24 ptsin game |
| 2011 | #12 Baylor Bears 67 | Washington Huskies 56 | 18 ptsin game |
| 2017 | Wake Forest 55 | Texas A&M 52 | 14 ptsin game |
| 2011 | Florida State Seminoles 18 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish 14 | 14 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | #12 Baylor Bears 67 | Washington Huskies 56 | 123 pts |
| 2017 | Wake Forest 55 | Texas A&M 52 | 107 pts |
| 2015 | California 55 | Air Force 36 | 91 pts |
| 2012 | Arizona State Sun Devils 62 | Navy Midshipmen 28 | 90 pts |
| 1989 | #18 Penn State 50 | #19 BYU 39 | 89 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #10 Florida 41 | #7 Michigan 15 | 74,006 |
| 2000 | LSU 28 | #15 Georgia Tech 14 | 73,614 |
| 2014 | Arkansas 31 | Texas 7 | 71,115 |
| 2023 | #9 Missouri Tigers 14 | #7 Ohio State Buckeyes 3 | 70,114 |
| 2017 | #5 Ohio State 24 | #8 Southern California 7 | 67,510 |