ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
January 2.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | UCLA45 | #4 Illinois9 | Neutral site |
| 2003 | Clemson27 | #7 Tennessee14 | Neutral site · Georgia Dome · Atlanta, GA |
| 1966 | Florida27 | #8 Georgia Tech12 | Neutral site |
| 2020 | Ole Miss26 | #11 Indiana20 | Neutral site · Raymond James · Tampa, Fla. |
| 1938 | Saint Mary's (CA)20 | #14 Texas Tech13 | Neutral site |
| 2025 | SMU Mustangs24 | #17 Arizona Wildcats19 | Neutral site · Snapdragon Stadium · San Diego, CA |
| 2009 | Ole Miss Rebels21 | #19 Oklahoma State Cowboys7 | At home |
| 2020 | Kentucky23 | #23 NC State21 | Neutral site · TIAA Bank Field · Jacksonville, Fla. |
| 1994 | Wisconsin34 | #25 Duke20 | Neutral site |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 71.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #3 Florida52 | #1 Florida State20 | Neutral site |
| 1995 | #1 Nebraska62 | #2 Florida24 | Neutral site |
| 1988 | #1 Notre Dame34 | #3 West Virginia21 | Neutral site |
| 1986 | #2 Penn State14 | #1 Miami10 | Neutral site |
| 1983 | #5 Miami31 | #1 Nebraska30 | Neutral site |
| 1977 | #5 Notre Dame38 | #1 Texas10 | Neutral site · Cotton Bowl |
| 1960 | #4 Washington17 | #1 Minnesota7 | Neutral site |
| 1955 | #1 Oklahoma20 | #3 Maryland6 | Neutral site |
| 2024 | #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish23 | #2 Georgia Bulldogs10 | Neutral site · Caesars Superdome · New Orleans, LA |
| 2000 | #2 Miami37 | #7 Florida20 | Neutral site |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #5 Miami31 | #1 Nebraska30 | 1 pt |
| 1983 | #7 Georgia10 | #2 Texas9 | 1 pt |
| 1960 | #11 Duke7 | #6 Arkansas6 | 1 pt |
| 1955 | #15 Ole Miss14 | #7 TCU13 | 1 pt |
| 2022 | #16 Tulane Green Wave46 | #10 USC Trojans45 | 1 pt |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #1 Nebraska62 | #2 Florida24 | 38 pts |
| 1983 | UCLA45 | #4 Illinois9 | 36 pts |
| 2001 | #5 Florida56 | #6 Maryland23 | 33 pts |
| 1996 | #3 Florida52 | #1 Florida State20 | 32 pts |
| 1977 | #3 Alabama35 | #9 Ohio State6 | 29 pts |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased. Verified against quarter scores; available from 2000. Each result shows how its deficit was measured.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #11 Texas Christian47 | #15 Oregon41 | Trailed by 31 · in game |
| 2014 | Houston35 | Pittsburgh34 | Trailed by 25 · in game |
| 2011 | #17 Michigan State Spartans33 | #16 Georgia Bulldogs30 | Trailed by 16 · in game |
| 2022 | #16 Tulane Green Wave46 | #10 USC Trojans45 | Trailed by 15 · in game |
| 2016 | #9 Southern California52 | #5 Penn State49 | Trailed by 15 · in game |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #9 Southern California52 | #5 Penn State49 | 101 total pts |
| 1949 | #12 Stanford74 | Hawai'i20 | 94 total pts |
| 2022 | #16 Tulane Green Wave46 | #10 USC Trojans45 | 91 total pts |
| 2015 | #11 Texas Christian47 | #15 Oregon41 | 88 total pts |
| 1995 | #1 Nebraska62 | #2 Florida24 | 86 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · January 2IRON
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | #2 Michigan State17 | #4 UCLA14 | 100,809 fans |
| 2016 | #9 Southern California52 | #5 Penn State49 | 95,128 fans |
| 2022 | #11 Penn State Nittany Lions35 | #8 Utah Utes21 | 94,873 fans |
| 1977 | #5 Notre Dame38 | #1 Texas10 | 76,701 fans |
| 2003 | Clemson27 | #7 Tennessee14 | 75,125 fans |