ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
September 23.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 19.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Houston37 | #3 Michigan State7 | On the road · East Lansing, MI |
| 1961 | Rice16 | #5 LSU3 | At home |
| 2000 | Oregon29 | #6 UCLA10 | At home |
| 2000 | Northwestern47 | #7 Wisconsin44 | On the road |
| 1978 | Kansas28 | #8 UCLA24 | At home |
| 1967 | Northwestern12 | #8 Miami7 | At home |
| 1961 | TCU17 | #8 Kansas16 | At home |
| 2017 | NC State Wolfpack27 | #12 Florida State Seminoles21 | On the road · Doak Campbell · Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 1995 | Stanford28 | #12 Oregon21 | On the road |
| 1978 | Indiana14 | #15 Washington7 | At home |
| 1995 | Washington State24 | #16 UCLA15 | At home |
| 1972 | Tulane24 | #16 Georgia13 | At home |
| 1995 | Virginia Tech13 | #17 Miami7 | At home |
| 1972 | Georgia Tech21 | #18 Michigan State16 | On the road · East Lansing, MI |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 23.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes28 | #24 Penn State Nittany Lions6 | At home · Ohio Stadium |
| 1978 | #7 USC24 | #1 Alabama14 | On the road |
| 1995 | #7 Colorado29 | #3 Texas A&M21 | At home |
| 1967 | #4 USC17 | #5 Texas13 | At home |
| 1995 | #5 USC31 | #25 Arizona10 | On the road |
| 1989 | #5 Michigan24 | #24 UCLA23 | On the road |
| 1978 | #5 Michigan28 | #14 Notre Dame14 | On the road |
| 2023 | #6 Ohio State Buckeyes17 | #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish14 | On the road · Notre Dame Stadium · Notre Dame, IN |
| 2017 | #16 Texas Christian44 | #6 Oklahoma State31 | On the road · BoonePickens Stadium · Stillwater, Okla. |
| 1972 | #12 Michigan26 | #6 UCLA9 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #5 Michigan24 | #24 UCLA23 | 1 pt |
| 2023 | #6 Ohio State Buckeyes17 | #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish14 | 3 pts |
| 1989 | #23 Arizona20 | #11 Washington17 | 3 pts |
| 2023 | #21 Washington State Cougars38 | #14 Oregon State Beavers35 | 3 pts |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Houston37 | #3 Michigan State7 | 30 pts |
| 2000 | Oregon29 | #6 UCLA10 | 19 pts |
| 1972 | #12 Michigan26 | #6 UCLA9 | 17 pts |
| 1961 | Rice16 | #5 LSU3 | 13 pts |
| 2017 | #16 Texas Christian44 | #6 Oklahoma State31 | 13 pts |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Northwestern Wildcats37 | Minnesota Golden Gophers34 | Trailed by 21 · in game |
| 2023 | Eastern Illinois Panthers31 | McNeese Cowboys28 | Trailed by 21 · in game |
| 2021 | Alcorn39 | Ark.-Pine Bluff38 | Trailed by 19 · in game |
| 2023 | Delaware Blue Hens29 | New Hampshire Wildcats25 | Trailed by 18 · in game |
| 2017 | Eastern Washington48 | Montana41 | Trailed by 18 · in game |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Penn65 | Lehigh47 | 112 total pts |
| 2017 | Louisiana-Monroe56 | Louisiana50 | 106 total pts |
| 2023 | Western Carolina Catamounts77 | Charleston Southern Buccaneers21 | 98 total pts |
| 1922 | Georgia82 | Newberry13 | 95 total pts |
| 2017 | Texas A&M50 | Arkansas43 | 93 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · September 23IRON
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions31 | #24 Iowa Hawkeyes0 | 110,830 fans |
| 2023 | #2 Michigan Wolverines31 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights7 | 109,756 fans |
| 2017 | #10 Ohio State54 | UNLV21 | 106,187 fans |
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes28 | #24 Penn State Nittany Lions6 | 105,266 fans |
| 2006 | #15 Tennessee Volunteers33 | Marshall Thundering Herd7 | 104,818 fans |