ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
October 17.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 37.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Arkansas42 | #1 Texas11 | At home |
| 2025 | Louisville Cardinals24 | #2 Miami Hurricanes21 | On the road · Hard Rock Stadium · Miami Gardens, Florida |
| 1970 | Southern Miss30 | #4 Ole Miss14 | On the road |
| 1953 | Stanford21 | #4 UCLA20 | At home |
| 2020 | Florida St.31 | #5 North Carolina28 | At home · Doak Campbell Stadium · Tallahassee, Florida |
| 1964 | Purdue21 | #5 Michigan20 | On the road |
| 1959 | Ohio State15 | #6 Purdue0 | At home |
| 2009 | Purdue Boilermakers26 | #7 Ohio State Buckeyes18 | At home |
| 1953 | Army14 | #7 Duke13 | At home |
| 1992 | Arizona21 | #8 Stanford6 | On the road |
| 1987 | Alabama41 | #8 Tennessee22 | At home |
| 1981 | Iowa State34 | #8 Missouri13 | At home |
| 1959 | Wisconsin25 | #9 Iowa16 | At home |
| 1942 | Duke34 | #9 Colgate0 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 32.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | #8 Arkansas14 | #1 Texas13 | On the road |
| 1953 | #1 Notre Dame23 | #15 Pittsburgh14 | At home |
| 2020 | #2 Alabama41 | #3 Georgia24 | At home · Bryant-Denny Stadium · Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| 2009 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide20 | #22 South Carolina Gamecocks6 | At home · Bryant-Denny Stadium |
| 1998 | #2 UCLA41 | #11 Oregon38 | At home |
| 1987 | #2 Nebraska35 | #12 Oklahoma State0 | On the road |
| 2009 | #3 Texas Longhorns16 | #20 Oklahoma Sooners13 | At home · Cotton Bown |
| 1981 | #3 Pittsburgh42 | #11 Florida State14 | At home |
| 1970 | #3 Notre Dame24 | #18 Missouri7 | On the road |
| 1959 | #3 Texas13 | #12 Arkansas12 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | #8 Arkansas14 | #1 Texas13 | 1 pt |
| 1959 | #3 Texas13 | #12 Arkansas12 | 1 pt |
| 1959 | #11 Auburn7 | #4 Georgia Tech6 | 1 pt |
| 1981 | #12 Iowa9 | #5 Michigan7 | 2 pts |
| 1998 | #19 Colorado19 | #22 Texas Tech17 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Duke34 | #9 Colgate0 | 34 pts |
| 1981 | Arkansas42 | #1 Texas11 | 31 pts |
| 1987 | #13 Syracuse48 | #10 Penn State21 | 27 pts |
| 1981 | Iowa State34 | #8 Missouri13 | 21 pts |
| 1987 | Alabama41 | #8 Tennessee22 | 19 pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
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 | Rutgers55 | Indiana52 | Trailed by 25 · in game |
| 2020 | Memphis50 | UCF49 | Trailed by 21 · in game |
| 2015 | Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks28 | Southeastern Louisiana Lions27 | Trailed by 20 · in game |
| 2009 | Missouri State Bears17 | Western Illinois Leathernecks16 | Trailed by 16 · in game |
| 2009 | Arizona Wildcats43 | Stanford Cardinal38 | Trailed by 15 · in game |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Rutgers55 | Indiana52 | 107 total pts |
| 1903 | Colorado School of Mines106 | Longmont High0 | 106 total pts |
| 2015 | Portland State Vikings59 | Montana State Bobcats42 | 101 total pts |
| 2015 | #2 Baylor62 | West Virginia38 | 100 total pts |
| 2020 | Memphis50 | UCF49 | 99 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 17IRON
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #14 Penn State Nittany Lions20 | Minnesota Golden Gophers0 | 107,981 fans |
| 1970 | #6 Michigan34 | Michigan State20 | 103,580 fans |
| 2009 | #3 Texas Longhorns16 | #20 Oklahoma Sooners13 | 96,009 fans |
| 2009 | #2 Alabama Crimson Tide20 | #22 South Carolina Gamecocks6 | 92,012 fans |
| 2009 | Kentucky Wildcats21 | Auburn Tigers14 | 86,217 fans |