ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
December 5.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Miami49 | #3 UCLA45 | At home |
| 1964 | Florida20 | #6 LSU6 | On the road |
| 2015 | Texas23 | #12 Baylor17 | On the road |
| 2008 | Buffalo Bulls42 | #12 Ball State Cardinals24 | At home |
| 2020 | TCU29 | #15 Oklahoma St.22 | At home · Amon G. Carter · Fort Worth, |
| 1942 | Texas A&M21 | #15 Washington State0 | At home |
| 2009 | Arizona Wildcats21 | #18 USC Trojans17 | On the road |
| 2009 | Washington Huskies42 | #19 California Golden Bears10 | At home |
| 1936 | Gonzaga13 | #20 Washington State6 | At home |
| 2020 | Rice20 | #21 Marshall0 | On the road · Joan C. Edwards · Huntington, W.Va. |
| 2009 | East Carolina Pirates38 | #21 Houston Cougars32 | At home · Dowdy-Ficklen · Greenville, NC |
| 2020 | Stanford31 | #22 Washington26 | On the road · Husky Stadium · Seattle, Wash. |
| 2020 | California21 | #23 Oregon17 | At home · Memorial Stadium · Berkeley, California |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 20.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #1 Clemson45 | #10 North Carolina37 | At home |
| 1998 | #1 Tennessee24 | #23 Mississippi State14 | Neutral site |
| 1970 | #1 Texas42 | #4 Arkansas7 | At home |
| 1959 | #1 Syracuse36 | #17 UCLA8 | On the road |
| 2015 | #2 Alabama29 | #18 Florida15 | At home |
| 2014 | #2 Oregon51 | #7 Arizona13 | Neutral site |
| 1998 | #10 Texas A&M36 | #2 Kansas State33 | Neutral site |
| 1992 | #2 Alabama28 | #12 Florida21 | Neutral site |
| 1987 | #2 Miami20 | #8 South Carolina16 | At home |
| 2009 | #3 Texas Longhorns13 | #22 Nebraska Cornhuskers12 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #3 Texas Longhorns13 | #22 Nebraska Cornhuskers12 | 1 pt |
| 2009 | #5 Cincinnati Bearcats45 | #15 Pittsburgh Panthers44 | 1 pt |
| 1998 | #10 Texas A&M36 | #2 Kansas State33 | 3 pts |
| 2015 | #5 Michigan State16 | #4 Iowa13 | 3 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2 Oregon51 | #7 Arizona13 | 38 pts |
| 1970 | #1 Texas42 | #4 Arkansas7 | 35 pts |
| 1964 | Florida20 | #6 LSU6 | 14 pts |
| 1936 | #18 TCU9 | #5 Santa Clara0 | 9 pts |
| 2015 | #1 Clemson45 | #10 North Carolina37 | 8 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #5 Cincinnati Bearcats45 | #15 Pittsburgh Panthers44 | Trailed by 21 · in game |
| 2015 | Sam Houston34 | McNeese State29 | Trailed by 17 · in game |
| 2020 | Missouri50 | Arkansas48 | Trailed by 14 · in game |
| 2020 | #19 Iowa35 | Illinois21 | Trailed by 14 · in game |
| 2015 | Louisiana-Monroe42 | New Mexico State35 | Trailed by 14 · in game |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Fresno State Bulldogs53 | Illinois Fighting Illini52 | 105 total pts |
| 2020 | Texas69 | Kansas St.31 | 100 total pts |
| 2020 | Missouri50 | Arkansas48 | 98 total pts |
| 2020 | Eastern Mich.53 | Western Mich.42 | 95 total pts |
| 1998 | Miami49 | #3 UCLA45 | 94 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 5IRON
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner / tied | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #4 Alabama Crimson Tide32 | Florida Gators13 | 75,514 fans |
| 1970 | #1 Texas42 | #4 Arkansas7 | 68,510 fans |
| 2009 | #5 Cincinnati Bearcats45 | #15 Pittsburgh Panthers44 | 63,387 fans |
| 2009 | #10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets39 | Clemson Tigers34 | 57,227 fans |
| 1993 | #10 Wisconsin41 | #25 Michigan State20 | 51,500 fans |