December 31 in college football
Every December 31 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.
- 183games on file
- 22unranked wins over ranked teams
- 51ranked vs ranked meetings
- 1921–2025seasons covered
Unranked over ranked on December 31
The 22 such results, best rank beaten first; the top 14 are listed.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Georgia Tech 31 | #10 Texas Tech 21 | Neutral site |
| 2024 | Michigan Wolverines 19 | #11 Alabama Crimson Tide 13 | Neutral site · Raymond James Stadium · Tampa, Florida |
| 2019 | Texas 38 | #11 Utah 10 | At home · Alamodome · San Antonio, Texas |
| 1978 | Stanford 25 | #11 Georgia 22 | Neutral site |
| 1999 | Oregon 24 | #12 Minnesota 20 | Neutral site |
| 2008 | LSU Tigers 38 | #14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 3 | On the road |
| 1986 | Virginia Tech 25 | #18 NC State 24 | Neutral site |
| 1987 | Texas 32 | #19 Pittsburgh 27 | Neutral site · The Astrodome |
| 1976 | Kentucky 21 | #19 North Carolina 0 | Neutral site |
| 2008 | Oregon State Beavers 3 | #20 Pittsburgh Panthers 0 | On the road |
| 2001 | Michigan State 44 | #20 Fresno State 35 | Neutral site · Spartan Stadium |
| 1983 | Oklahoma State 24 | #20 Baylor 14 | Neutral site |
| 2009 | Oklahoma Sooners 31 | #21 Stanford Cardinal 27 | On the road |
| 2007 | Oregon Ducks 56 | #21 South Florida Bulls 21 | At home |
Ranked vs ranked on December 31
51 meetings in all; the ten with the highest-ranked team are listed.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #1 Georgia Bulldogs 42 | #4 Ohio State Buckeyes 41 | Neutral site · Mercedes-Benz Stadium · Atlanta, GA |
| 2021 | #1 Alabama 27 | #4 Cincinnati 6 | Neutral site · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, Texas |
| 2016 | #1 Alabama 24 | #4 Washington 7 | At home · Georgia Dome · Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2015 | #1 Clemson 37 | #4 Oklahoma 17 | At home |
| 1973 | #3 Notre Dame 24 | #1 Alabama 23 | Neutral site |
| 2025 | #10 Miami Hurricanes 24 | #2 Ohio State Buckeyes 14 | Neutral site · AT&T Stadium · Arlington, TX |
| 2022 | #3 TCU Horned Frogs 51 | #2 Michigan Wolverines 45 | Neutral site · State Farm Stadium · Glendale, AZ |
| 2021 | #3 Georgia 34 | #2 Michigan 11 | Neutral site · Hard Rock Stadium · Miami Gardens, Florida |
| 2016 | #2 Clemson 31 | #3 Ohio State 0 | At home · UOP Stadium · Glendale, Ariz. |
| 2015 | #2 Alabama 38 | #3 Michigan State 0 | At home |
One-score finishes between ranked teams
Decided by three points or fewer.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | #3 Notre Dame 24 | #1 Alabama 23 | 1 pt |
| 2022 | #1 Georgia Bulldogs 42 | #4 Ohio State Buckeyes 41 | 1 pt |
| 2012 | #14 Clemson Tigers 25 | #8 LSU Tigers 24 | 1 pt |
| 1968 | #20 SMU 28 | #10 Oklahoma 27 | 1 pt |
| 1960 | #19 Florida 13 | #19 Baylor 12 | 1 pt |
Top-10 teams routed
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Ranked loser | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #6 TCU 42 | #9 Ole Miss 3 | 39 pts |
| 2015 | #2 Alabama 38 | #3 Michigan State 0 | 38 pts |
| 2016 | #2 Clemson 31 | #3 Ohio State 0 | 31 pts |
| 2022 | #5 Alabama Crimson Tide 45 | #9 Kansas State Wildcats 20 | 25 pts |
| 2021 | #3 Georgia 34 | #2 Michigan 11 | 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #21 Texas A&M 52 | #24 Duke 48 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2007 | California Golden Bears 42 | Air Force Falcons 36 | 21 ptsin game |
| 2018 | #22 Northwestern 31 | #17 Utah 20 | 17 ptsin game |
| 2002 | Purdue 34 | Washington 24 | 17 ptsat a quarter |
| 2022 | #1 Georgia Bulldogs 42 | #4 Ohio State Buckeyes 41 | 14 ptsin game |
Highest-scoring games
Combined points, both teams.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #21 Texas A&M 52 | #24 Duke 48 | 100 pts |
| 2022 | #3 TCU Horned Frogs 51 | #2 Michigan Wolverines 45 | 96 pts |
| 1999 | Colorado 62 | #25 Boston College 28 | 90 pts |
| 2000 | Mississippi State 43 | Texas A&M 41 | 84 pts |
| 2004 | #7 Louisville Cardinals 44 | #10 Boise State Broncos 40 | 84 pts |
Biggest crowds
Announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Loser | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #1 Georgia Bulldogs 42 | #4 Ohio State Buckeyes 41 | 79,330 |
| 2021 | #1 Alabama 27 | #4 Cincinnati 6 | 76,313 |
| 2016 | #1 Alabama 24 | #4 Washington 7 | 75,996 |
| 2007 | #23 Auburn Tigers 23 | #15 Clemson Tigers 20 | 74,413 |
| 2001 | North Carolina 16 | Auburn 10 | 71,827 |