ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
October 21.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 24.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Duquesne21 | #1 Pittsburgh13 | On the road |
| 1967 | Oregon State22 | #2 Purdue14 | On the road |
| 1950 | UCLA21 | #6 Stanford7 | At home |
| 1989 | Texas24 | #7 Arkansas20 | On the road |
| 1972 | Missouri30 | #8 Notre Dame26 | On the road |
| 1950 | NC State16 | #8 Maryland13 | On the road |
| 2023 | Virginia Cavaliers31 | #10 North Carolina Tar Heels27 | On the road · Kenan Stadium · Chapel Hill, NC |
| 1950 | Illinois20 | #10 Washington13 | At home |
| 1950 | Indiana20 | #11 Notre Dame7 | At home |
| 1939 | Gonzaga12 | #11 Oregon7 | On the road |
| 1989 | Clemson30 | #12 NC State10 | At home |
| 1978 | Baylor24 | #12 Texas A&M6 | On the road |
| 1944 | Fleet City19 | #12 California2 | On the road |
| 2000 | LSU45 | #13 Mississippi State38 | At home · Tiger Stadium · Baton Rouge, LA |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 32.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #1 Notre Dame28 | #9 USC24 | At home |
| 1972 | #1 USC34 | #18 Washington7 | At home |
| 1961 | #1 Michigan State17 | #6 Notre Dame7 | At home · East Lansing, MI |
| 2017 | #2 Penn State42 | #19 Michigan13 | At home · Beaver Stadium · University Park, Pa. |
| 1995 | #2 Nebraska49 | #8 Kansas State25 | At home |
| 1972 | #9 Colorado20 | #2 Oklahoma14 | At home |
| 2023 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes20 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions12 | At home · Ohio Stadium · Columbus, OH |
| 1978 | #8 Texas28 | #3 Arkansas21 | At home |
| 1972 | #3 Alabama17 | #10 Tennessee10 | On the road |
| 1961 | #3 Texas33 | #10 Arkansas7 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #16 Texas17 | #14 Virginia16 | 1 pt |
| 2006 | #5 Texas Longhorns22 | #17 Nebraska Cornhuskers20 | 2 pts |
| 1944 | #8 Georgia Tech17 | #9 Navy15 | 2 pts |
| 2023 | #14 Utah Utes34 | #18 USC Trojans32 | 2 pts |
| 1989 | #22 Arizona23 | #15 Washington State21 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | #17 Notre Dame38 | #5 USC10 | 28 pts |
| 1961 | #3 Texas33 | #10 Arkansas7 | 26 pts |
| 1995 | #2 Nebraska49 | #8 Kansas State25 | 24 pts |
| 1939 | #5 Tennessee21 | #8 Alabama0 | 21 pts |
| 1989 | #10 Alabama47 | #6 Tennessee30 | 17 pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Michigan State Spartans41 | Northwestern Wildcats38 | Trailed by 35 · in game |
| 2023 | Austin Peay Governors48 | Southern Utah Thunderbirds45 | Trailed by 21 · in game |
| 2006 | Baylor Bears36 | Kansas Jayhawks35 | Trailed by 18 · in game |
| 2023 | Incarnate Word Cardinals35 | McNeese Cowboys24 | Trailed by 17 · in game |
| 2023 | Towson Tigers34 | William & Mary Tribe24 | Trailed by 17 · in game |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | Oklahoma State117 | Southwestern Oklahoma State0 | 117 total pts |
| 1989 | #16 Houston95 | SMU21 | 116 total pts |
| 2016 | California52 | Oregon49 | 101 total pts |
| 2017 | Florida Atlantic69 | North Texas31 | 100 total pts |
| 2014 | Louisiana55 | Arkansas St.40 | 95 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · October 21IRON
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16 Michigan14 | Michigan State0 | 111,514 fans |
| 2017 | #2 Penn State42 | #19 Michigan13 | 110,823 fans |
| 2006 | #7 Tennessee Volunteers16 | Alabama Crimson Tide13 | 106,695 fans |
| 2023 | #3 Ohio State Buckeyes20 | #7 Penn State Nittany Lions12 | 105,506 fans |
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State Buckeyes44 | Indiana Hoosiers3 | 105,267 fans |