Decade leaderboard

Top 25 College Football Games of the 1980s

Every completed game in the decade, scored without team allegiance by game-time AP poll strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games: 25
Top score: 82/100
Overtime: 0

National ranking

The decade's top 25

25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

1985Week 8
Michigan at Iowa
Michigan 10, Iowa 12
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 1 Iowa · 2-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
82
Game score
1984Week 8
Oklahoma at Texas
Oklahoma 15, Texas 15
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas · 0-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
82
Game score
1988Week 8
Miami at Notre Dame
Miami 30, Notre Dame 31
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 Notre Dame · 1-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
81
Game score
Full Game · Catholics vs. Convicts: Notre Dame vs. Miami (Full Game)
1986PostseasonNeutral site
Miami vs. Penn State
Miami 10, Penn State 14
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
Full Game · 1986 Penn State vs. Miami (Bowl Full Game)
1982PostseasonNeutral site
Georgia vs. Penn State
Georgia 23, Penn State 27
No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Penn State · 4-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
1981Week 4
Oklahoma at USC
Oklahoma 24, USC 28
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 USC · 4-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
1983PostseasonNeutral site
Nebraska vs. Miami
Nebraska 30, Miami 31
No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Miami · 1-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
Full Game · 1983 Miami vs. Nebraska (Bowl Full Game)
1982Week 2
North Carolina at Pittsburgh
North Carolina 6, Pittsburgh 7
No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh · 1-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
1980PostseasonNeutral site
Florida State vs. Oklahoma
Florida State 17, Oklahoma 18
No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma · 1-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
80
Game score
Full Game · 1980 Oklahoma vs. Florida State (Bowl Full Game)
1989Week 3
Notre Dame at Michigan
Notre Dame 24, Michigan 19
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Michigan · 5-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
79
Game score
1987PostseasonNeutral site
Oklahoma vs. Miami
Oklahoma 14, Miami 20
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Miami · 6-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
78
Game score
Full Game · 1987 Miami vs. Oklahoma (Bowl Full Game)
1987Week 6
Miami at Florida State
Miami 26, Florida State 25
No. 3 Miami vs. No. 6 Florida State · 1-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
1983PostseasonNeutral site
Texas vs. Georgia
Texas 9, Georgia 10
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Georgia · 1-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
1987PostseasonNeutral site
Auburn vs. Syracuse
Auburn 16, Syracuse 16
No. 6 Auburn vs. No. 4 Syracuse · 0-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
77
Game score
1989Week 10
Nebraska at Colorado
Nebraska 21, Colorado 27
No. 3 Nebraska vs. No. 2 Colorado · 6-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
1987PostseasonNeutral site
Nebraska vs. Florida State
Nebraska 28, Florida State 31
No. 5 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Florida State · 3-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
1981PostseasonNeutral site
Alabama vs. Texas
Alabama 12, Texas 14
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 6 Texas · 2-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
1982Week 12
SMU at Arkansas
SMU 17, Arkansas 17
No. 2 SMU vs. No. 9 Arkansas · 0-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
76
Game score
1981PostseasonNeutral site
Nebraska vs. Clemson
Nebraska 15, Clemson 22
No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 1 Clemson · 7-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
Full Game · 1981 Clemson vs. Nebraska (Bowl Full Game)
1985Week 10
Florida at Auburn
Florida 14, Auburn 10
No. 2 Florida vs. No. 6 Auburn · 4-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
1986Week 13
Oklahoma at Nebraska
Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Nebraska · 3-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
1981Week 10
Clemson at North Carolina
Clemson 10, North Carolina 8
No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 8 North Carolina · 2-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
75
Game score
1982Week 4
Nebraska at Penn State
Nebraska 24, Penn State 27
No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 8 Penn State · 3-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
Full Game · Penn State vs. Nebraska (Full Broadcast)
1988Week 14
Arkansas at Miami
Arkansas 16, Miami 18
No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 3 Miami · 2-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score
1983PostseasonNeutral site
Michigan vs. Auburn
Michigan 7, Auburn 9
No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 3 Auburn · 2-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
74
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason games use the final regular-season AP poll published before bowl and playoff results. Overtime uses period scoring when available, then explicit overtime notes as a fallback. Older decades may have less complete poll, period, and box-score data.